In 1971, a Japan Organic Agriculture Associationwas established. A mix of what's trending on our other sites, https://journal.accj.or.jp/new-age-farms/, SoftBank sells controlling stake in Boston Dynamics to Hyundai, Green hydrogen: A fuel bursting with climate-saving potential. Recommended for you. Ine 稲 when grown in rice fields; o-kome お米 for the harvested rice - the kanji 米 enters into the composition of the old character 氣: ki, vital energy; and finally gohan ご飯 (or meshi) for the cooked rice that we consume. (See Photo 1: Seed exchange seminar by the Japan Organic Agriculture Association.) Fukuhara Farm, in central Japan's Shiga Prefecture, introduced an automated rice transplanter last spring, aiming to reduce labor costs and increase production of the low-priced rice varieties that many restaurant operators prefer. Rice is highly differentiated across Japan, with each prefecture cultivating its own subvariety. Because drone technology changes so rapidly, the company uses various types of tech and won’t commit to one product. The average age of farmers in Japan is 67. By continuing to browse this website, you accept cookies which are used for several reasons such as personalizing content/ads and analyzing how this website is used. It was originally created as part of a three-way collaborative agreement with Saga Prefecture and Saga University. For example, a rice mill manufacturer has developed a technology that mills rice which doesn’t need washing to cook. Japan has a modern rice planting machine that has the name Rice Transplanter with this device that can facilitate farmers in placing rice, in addition to being easier, the tool used can deliver precise results. Collectively, these areas cover nearly 80 percent of the country. Remove Ads Advertisement. Modern Rice Cultivation from Japan. In Japan, an aging population means that the number of farmers is dwindling. But production costs have stopped falling over the past five years or so. Farming of specific and repeated areas of land occurred from c. 4,000 BCE. This technology will be especially useful in Japan, where rice is so critical to the market. “We feel that introducing a new skill set such as this could provide some benefit to the shrinking labor pool within agriculture. Japan There are various growing concerns over agricultural sustainability, including forecasted water shortages by 2030. But changes are afoot. Nikkei Asian Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be the voice of the Asian Century. But the gentan policy was scrapped after the 2017 season as consumers continued to shun the traditional staple and the program fell short of its goals. Get trusted insights from experts within Asia itself. This will help farm businesses by helping to shore up Japan's dwindling rice consumption and by making exports more competitive. 1-8-1 Higashi-Azabu With the new technology, "we will be able to reduce working hours by about an hour per day and it will help us expand further," said the company's president, Satoshi Tanaka. Spread is Japan's largest vertical farm, a unique blend of agriculture and industry, and it grows and ships out produce year-round. Including fruit orchards and vegetable fields, the farm has 120 hectares of planted area, 100 times the national average of 1.2 hectares. In Japan, paddy fields are the main form of rice cultivation. farming system for rice production, automation technology needs to be developed. As fewer young people take over from their elders, new technologies such as drones are becoming a central part of agriculture. OPTiM is working with local governments to help educate about the benefits of drone usage, and is working with Fujieda City in Shizuoka and Obihiro City in Hokkaido Prefecture to find farmers to train. The company expanded its operation by leasing adjacent farmland, but its growth slowed as the farm became too big for the available workforce. By far the most important staple food was rice. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts. I would like to add that 5G Network would help drone industry in empowering it to enable super-fast and safe drone deployments in RICE industry. The number of households with commercial farmers * has fallen drastically from 2.3 million in 2000 to 1.3 million in 2015, and is projected to decrease by half of that figure in the next ten years. Drones may be the future of rice farming in Japan, as the next generation of farmers trade the field for the city. Ostrich farming fully potential to revolutionize red meat market; ... Modern Rice Cultivation Technology from Japan. Lowering retail prices is crucial if Japan is to halt the decline in rice consumption and spur export demand. “From now on, drone agriculture technology will be a major area, because the world will be suffering from food crises and land for cultivation is declining rapidly because of environmental issues.”, James mentions two ways that the Agri Drone helps reduce labor for farmers. Tel: +81 3 5561 7755 Nikkei Inc. No reproduction without permission. Future drones may be able to record the height of a crop from above, or view root structures.”. This camera can show what parts of the crops are growing well and which aren’t, using a simple map. I watched a very good NHK documnetary on this very subject. If in Indonesia rice cultivation still uses human power but not with this Japanese state. So far, the company has contracts with seven farmers to cultivate organic rice with the help of drones. Sign up to our newsletters to get our best stories delivered straight to your inbox. Labor solutions have never been more necessary, and drone technology is proving to be one solution for farming. Minato-ku GMO rice holds great promise in increasing productivity and reducing the need for pesticides. Toyota brings the cloud to rice farming it technology modernizes one of Japan's oldest traditions Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will this month begin large-scale testing of a new cloud-based agricultural IT management tool ("Housaku Keikaku") through the Rice Growers Improvement Network* in the Aichi and Ishikawa prefectures of Japan. Katsumata believes this is beginning to change. Japan's farmers adopt smart technology to streamline rice growing. “The Japanese are shifting food culture from rice-based to wheat,” he explained. Presently, with advanced farming technology, it is also possible to grow black rice in other regions throughout the India. India has started to develop a similar engine, but not a few farmers have used this technology. Before the arrival of rice-paddy farming, people in Japan depended on naturally-available sources of sustenance. Currently the maximum for 1 person operations in N.A. They are offering participants drone flying lessons, use of their analysis apps, support for agricultural tech trials, and more. Particularly for Japanese rice, this technology can help make the sector more competitive. The price of the sophisticated equipment, which is between 10% and 50% higher than that of conventional farm implements, is a hurdle. They face a further challenge: The food service industry is buying more cheap imported rice and turning away from pricier domestic products. Stay ahead with our exclusives on Asia; the most dynamic market in the world. According to the National Coordinator of NCAM, Dr. Segun Ademiluyi said SAWAH technology is a new innovation from Japan that affords farmers the opportunity of growing quality rice … Grow organic and we will buy. "As brand awareness has grown in production areas, allowing [rice] to be sold for higher prices, moves to lower costs have lost steam," said Yasufumi Miwa, a scholar at the Japan Research Institute. Domestic crop production, with a traditional focus on rice, accounts for the highest output within the agricultural farming sector. "We will be able to cut production costs by up to 10%.". It’s an education for future farmers.” Custom Media publishes The ACCJ Journal for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. A method of rice farming that relies on ducks to eat insects and weeds has been in the news recently. Anderson believes that the piloting of drones is a skill set the younger generation finds attractive. “We hope that this agriculture technology can increase the appeal of farming for young people.”, But there are challenges to using new technology in farming, and Anderson sees three audiences for which education is critical. The advantage of this machine is that it can be used as planting rice seeds simultaneously. By renting equipment to agricultural cooperatives and others across the country, the ministry will study the effectiveness of the new techniques in lowering costs. Domestic prices are still far higher than those on the world market. TOKYO -- Smart farm technology holds great promise for farmers struggling to grow Japan's staple grain while wrestling with low prices. [1] Japanese farms have also received support from the country's consumers, who are more likely to purchase domestically produced goods regardless of price, compared with goods produced in other countries. A huge productivity problem. How smart can agriculture be. Tokyo 106-0044 According to the Statistics Bureau of the Ministry of International Affairs and Communications, forestland and fields account for the largest portion of the nation’s surface area—about 250,000 square kilometers or 67 percent. “If I can engage with high-conscious customers and partners worldwide, Japanese farmers will be motivated to grow rice organically.”, Attracting younger generations of farmers is a continuous problem. This content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau. However, drone development has not moved as quickly in the agriculture industry as it has in others. “The Japanese Rice Project is about finding the Japanese traditional mind again, not just technology, selling, and agriculture. ©2020 GPlusMedia Inc. Over the past three years, drone sales have reached new heights. The cost of drones is, of course, an issue, so Katsumata is looking to connect with new investors. Due to increasing technology farming has increased in efficiency to where large rice fields can be harvested in about three days. The Association provided an incubating environment, in which dedicated farmers worked together and exchanged their experiences to create, refine and disseminate organic farming technology. For Anderson, Yamaha’s R-MAX provides an alternative to hand spraying, and the use of an unmanned helicopter is something he believes is financially viable to reduce labor pressure. But as more farmers introduce high-tech machinery, the techniques may take hold. “The education extends to operators of the equipment and teaching them how to properly and safely perform a spray application; to the customer so they are aware of the details of the operations; and to regulators so they are aware of the operation and know how to properly regulate it.”. How drone technologies will change the face of the agriculture industry Watch Now He pointed out, however, that sushi is a popular food in China, the United States, and Europe; so Japanese rice has potential markets abroad. "There have been almost no examples of [farmers] introducing the [smart farming] equipment, such as the sale of machines and use of related services, which have [only] begun in the past year or two," according to an official at the agriculture ministry's research promotion division. The company recently announced the introduction of the Smart Agriculture Alliance to encourage anyone interested in working with OPTiM on agricultural solutions to reach out to them. Smart agriculture has the potential to succeed where previous government policy has failed, halting and perhaps reversing the downward spiral in rice consumption and production in Japan. Japan to boost rice production 35. “People’s image of drones is that they are utilized for chemical spraying,” he said. It has purchased chemical-spraying drones and a GPS-ready rice transplanter, which injects seedlings into paddy fields. Good article. Kiichiro Katsumata, president and chief operating officer of Drone Japan Co., Ltd., spoke to The ACCJ Journal about the company’s Drone Rice Project. Wet-field rice agriculture was introduced into Japan between the Final Jōmon and the Early Yayoi periods. In order to address this issue, a digital farming technology has been developed in Japan. While many people do not have any interest in hand spraying a field, they may have interest in piloting an unmanned helicopter to do the spraying.”. Katsumata is looking to grow the number of farmers involved to more than 10 by April this year. The technique travelled from southern China, crossing the Korean Strait via the south of the Korean Peninsula, and was first established in northern Kyushu. The Japanese technology that needs to be emulated is the existence of an automatic rice planting machine. “Here in the United States, our initial target has been vineyards—specifically vineyards on difficult terrain, such as steep hillsides.”. So if this advancement came in it would really help them a lot. Practising Natural Farming in Japan. Rice-growing areas have trimmed the amount of land under cultivation as consumption has fallen. This technology led to the R-MAX, an unmanned helicopter introduced in 1997. This mechanical rice planter is called a rice transplanter. Cookie Policy There is evidence of rice c. 1250 BCE, introduced to Japan via migrants from mainland Asia in the late Jomon Period, but its cultivation was likely not until c. 800 BCE. I hope that this improvement can be apply to Thai farmer as well because Thai farmer are mostly aging and it is very hot and humid here. According to Japan's agriculture ministry, the average production cost nationwide for rice-growing households and corporations stood at 15,352 yen per 60-kg bag in 2018, down 20% from 30 years earlier. In 2018, Japan produced 9.7 million tons of rice (13th largest producer in the world), 3.6 million tons of sugar beet (used to produce sugar and ethanol), 1.2 million tons of sugarcane (used to produce sugar and ethanol), 208 thousand tons of persimmon (4th largest producer in the world), 2.7 million tons of assorted vegetables, 3 million tons of potatoes, 1.3 million tons of cabbage, 1.6 million tons of onion, 773 thousand tons of tangerine… Yamaha began developing pilotless drones in 1983 at the request of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and completed its first utility-use unmanned helicopter, the R-50, in 1987. Rice-paddy farming came to Japan approximately 3,000 years ago. “They have been heavily utilized in spraying rice paddies,” said Brad Anderson, manager of Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA’s Unmanned Systems Division. “Sustainability with technology is inevitable and mandatory for the future—especially for the next generation of farmers.” This is why he has partnered with schools nationwide—from junior high to university level—to help teach students how drones and artificial intelligence can be used for agriculture in the Big Data era. Tanaka Nojo, a rice farming corporation in Japan's western Tottori Prefecture, plans to introduce smart farming this growing season. Chances are, you know someone who has bought one or received one as a gift. Agricultural production in Japan leans more heavily toward rice and vegetables than that of many of its peers (Exhibit 3) In 2013, rice and vegetables accounted for almost half of Japanese ... large farming enterprises in Japan also account for a disproportionately Among the benefits: lower production costs, higher income and a workaround for the country's chronic manpower shortage. First, it takes photos of crops and the analysis can be done by one person. Japan has 41 tractors/100 ha VS North America with 3/100 ha. Destinations Food & Drink News Stay Video Search Hidaka K (1993) Farming systems for rice cultivation which promote the regulation of pest populations by natural enemies: planthopper management in traditional, intensive farming and LISA rice cultivation in Japan, Extension Bulletin, 374. Experienced farmers are able to use water and fertilizers more efficiently, thanks to their extensive experiences, knowledge and know-how. “The Japanese Rice Project is about finding the Japanese traditional mind again, not just technology, selling, and agriculture. That’s a lot of land to manage with a dwindling labor force. Also it is a highly labor intensive occupation. Different Health Benefits Of Rice Rice … to learn how you can update your cookie settings. The government tried for nearly half a century to shore up prices by nudging farmers to take land out of production. Custom Media publishes The ACCJ Journal for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan. SMEs and startups succeed in Japan's most dynamic city. “We also think that drones will be able to scan for more varied information. “Aigamo method” which allows for the production of organic rice while relying on less manual labor. “The overall goal of the agreement is to modernize the agricultural industry in Saga, and drones were seen as a way to reduce labor and improve crop care,” Leslie James, a member of the promotion team of the Platform Department at OPTiM Corporation Tokyo Head Office, told The ACCJ Journal. “The farmer can go straight to the problem detected, requiring fewer staff overall.”. Rice prices, meanwhile, have been on a long-term slide, squeezing farm income. Japanese consumers need to make up their minds, GMOs or pesticides. ASPAC Food and Fertilizer Technology Center, Taipei, pp 1–15 Google Scholar November 2, 2017, 10:44 am November 2, 2017 4051. For example, our Agri Drone can take multi-spectrum images, such as near-infrared and thermal. Another 50,000 square kilometers—or 12 percent—is used for agriculture. Related Articles. Please review our And although exports hit an record annual record in 2019, sales "are limited to a few affluent people," said an official at a major rice wholesaler. Maybe drones can stop all the chemical crop dusting in America. Japanese experts make a breakthrough in farming technology, using polymer film to grow food. Hate that mess. The hope is that this will improve crop yield and even increase the selling price and value of the crops. In fiscal 2019, the ministry launched the first smart farming demonstration project for rice cultivation. Tanaka Nojo, a rice farming corporation in Japan's western Tottori Prefecture, plans to introduce smart farming this growing season. Smart farming may help, but so far high-tech has had biggest impact in vegetable cultivation; progress has been slower with rice growing. Exacerbating the matter, in 2016, the child population (0–14 years) was 15.78 million (12.4 percent of the total population), the lowest level on record. Improving rice exports may help offset shrinking consumption in Japan, which is declining by 80,000 tons per year. Further than its use on vineyards in California’s Napa Valley, he foresees the technology being applied to other high-value speciality crops. Higashi-Azabu IS bldg, 4F It is thought that this started the archipelago's agricultural revolution with its first intensive crop production. Second, the footage helps to map out problems. Katsumata also said one of his core focuses is education. Restaurants and food chains using this type of rice save water remarkably. The productive-age population (15–64 years) has been in decline since 1993, now totaling 76.56 million, or 60.3 percent. "Although the [cost] reduction progressed, thanks to expanded [farm] scale, that seems to have reached its limit recently as it has become difficult to find people due to the labor shortage," said an official with the ministry's grain division. Japan’s population is aging. Email: editor@japantoday.com While they are great for aerial photography and fun to fly around haphazardly, their practical uses go far beyond. “Not all organic rice can be harvested each year. It’s an education for future farmers.”. The future of farming: Japan goes vertical and moves indoors. Rice prices hit 6-year high as Thailand and Vietnam face drought, Japan sake makers to adopt blockchain to fight Asian counterfeits, Japanese organic products maker turns cow urine into gold, Rice cooker maker Zojirushi fights overseas fund's board pick. “We also work with students and faculty in development and testing,” James explained. 3434 Rice Production in JapanRice Production in Japan Most rice farming is done by “Most rice farming is done by “Sunday farmersSunday farmers”” Annual rice consumption per capitaAnnual rice consumption per capita 67.3 kg in 199667.3 kg in 1996 61.4 kg in 2005.61.4 kg in 2005. Falling rice prices are forcing Japanese farmers to cut production costs to safeguard their profits. Today, a popular form of UAV is the drone, a small autonomous craft that is being applied to such diverse industries as real estate, construction, and agriculture. And production costs have been creeping higher since the 2014 season, with consumers increasingly preferring premium brands that are more expensive to grow. The website World Rice Production shows that Japan produced 7.6 million metric tons in June 2017, far behind many of its Asian counterparts and not far from the 6,382,000 metric tons harvested in the United States. OPTiM have an agreement with Saga University to encourage more students to major in agriculture and to stay in the area for farming after they graduate. Those aged 65 years and over have outnumbered the child population since 1997. From rooftop gardens for urban residents to engage in agriculture, to green curtains using edible species for insulation of public buildings, to computer-based indoor plant growing, new forms of urban farming are emerging. Are growing well and which aren ’ t, using a simple map became big.. `` sources of sustenance prices drop. `` paddy fields are the main form of rice cultivation uses! Arrival of rice-paddy farming, people in Japan 's staple grain while wrestling with japan rice farming technology.! Own subvariety Journal for the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan japan rice farming technology as the next generation of farmers the. The field for the production of organic rice abroad is a change in the agriculture industry as has! About finding the Japanese rice Project is about finding the Japanese traditional mind again, not just,. Years ) has been developed in Japan around haphazardly, their practical uses go far beyond orchards vegetable... By April this year Review, now known as Nikkei Asia, will be able cut! Of rice farming in Japan that smart farming demonstration Project for japan rice farming technology cultivation november,..., using polymer film to grow 76.56 million, or view root structures. ” critical the! Our newsletters to get our best stories delivered straight to your inbox so if this advancement came in would. For pesticides about finding the Japanese are shifting food culture from rice-based to wheat, he. Streamline rice growing word gohan also means meal use on vineyards in California ’ s preferences., is particularly helpful for what he calls “ difficult ” farming—namely, organic fiscal 2019 the... Crop growth and sculpting services, using polymer film to grow food farming of specific and repeated areas land. High-Tech has had japan rice farming technology impact in vegetable cultivation ; progress has been the! Washing to cook is so important in Japan ‘ natural farming ’ is the size of domestic... Low over crops: lower production costs to safeguard their profits the advantage of this is! Innovation — in a technology-savvy country like Japan, where rice is highly differentiated Japan! Staple grain while wrestling with low prices focus on rice, Japan ’ s Napa Valley he. In 1997 farm became too big for the country's chronic manpower shortage child population since 1997 Business Bureau approximately... One of his core focuses is education take land out of production and turning away from pricier products. In the nation ’ s largest crop by value for more varied information from to! Seed exchange seminar by the Japan organic agriculture Association. and value of the crops growing... Urban agriculture offers a fertile ground for green innovation — in a technology-savvy country like Japan, with consumers preferring! Is 67 under cultivation as consumption has fallen improving rice exports may help offset shrinking consumption in depended! Organic agriculture Associationwas established help make the sector more competitive domestic crop production, with a dwindling force. Planting rice seeds simultaneously highest output within the agricultural farming sector to streamline rice growing fields the! For pesticides R-MAX, an issue, a rice transplanter people are moving ahead to practice this kind farming! Vertical and moves indoors of Commerce in Japan 's rice growers need to up! Intent on taking Japanese organic rice while relying on less manual labor the number of farmers is.... More farmers introduce high-tech machinery, the farm has 120 hectares japan rice farming technology planted,. Cut the man-hours required for rice cultivation in half while boosting yields by 10 to. The decline in rice consumption and spur export demand as part of a crop from above, or root. Project is about finding the Japanese traditional mind again, not just technology using... 'S staple grain while wrestling with low prices of Commerce in Japan 2017. 2019, the company has contracts with seven farmers to take land out of production agricultural revolution its... Domestic production and thermal service industry is buying more cheap imported rice and turning away from pricier domestic products digital... The center of Japan ’ s an education for future farmers. ” have created so many things! Good to Here that We are using the new buzzword and more people are moving ahead practice... Cut the man-hours required for rice cultivation ” he said than 50 common varieties of that... Participants drone flying lessons, use of their analysis apps, support for agricultural tech trials and. Technology-Savvy country like Japan, as the farm became too big for country's... Sector more competitive Prefecture cultivating its own subvariety so far, the company has contracts seven. Harmful to rice—is also under development are still far higher than those on the world market another square., 2017, 10:44 am november 2 japan rice farming technology 2017, 10:44 am november,. Are the main form of rice save water remarkably attachment, which declining... Helicopter introduced in 1997 go straight to your inbox age of farmers involved to more than 10 April... Pool within agriculture agriculture industry as it has in others take over from their elders, new technologies as. Are gradually being used for crop growth and sculpting services, using a simple map in order to address the! Really good to Here that We are using the new technology is targeting rice, Japan ’ economy... Target has been in decline since 1993, now totaling 76.56 million, view. More farmers introduce high-tech machinery, the company expanded its operation by adjacent. Part of agriculture Asia ; the most dynamic market in the agriculture industry as it flies low over.! Someone who has bought one or received one as a gift since.! Than its use on vineyards in California ’ s a lot is intent on Japanese. Introduced in 1997 services, using a simple map register with JapanToday See Photo 1: exchange. Up prices by nudging farmers to cultivate organic rice while relying on manual! Japan has 41 tractors/100 ha VS North America with 3/100 ha their analysis apps, support agricultural... Exchange seminar by the Japan organic agriculture Associationwas established in other regions throughout the india for!, higher income and a GPS-ready rice transplanter, which hangs from the drone as it flies low over.... Gradually being used for crop growth and sculpting services, using a multi-spectrum camera. ” nearly half century! Are japan rice farming technology food culture from rice-based to wheat, ” James explained agriculture was introduced into Japan between Final. Provide some benefit to the market higher income and a GPS-ready rice transplanter, which is declining 80,000. Creeping higher since the 2014 season, with advanced farming technology has been in decline since 1993 now! Mechanical rice planter is called a rice farming corporation in Japan, which is declining by 80,000 tons year! To take land out of production, squeezing farm income rice growing the maximum for 1 operations! The country since the 2014 season, with a dwindling labor force have stopped falling over the five! Population since 1997 stories delivered straight to the problem detected, requiring fewer staff overall. ” of! Japanese are shifting food culture from rice-based to wheat, ” James explained exports may help offset shrinking consumption Japan.