The direction of rural development policies in Japan

Five major trends have been observed in Japan over the past 40 years: a) the decrease in the farming population and ageing of the rural population; b) the decrease in agricultural land and the increase in abandoned farmland; c) the decline in economic and social vitality in rural areas and the increase of non farm population in rural villages; d) the sharp decline in the food self-sufficiency ratio; and e) rising expectations for agriculture and rural areas. These trends have influenced the direction of rural development policies. Thus, to reflect increasing demand for agriculture and rural areas, five policy directions have been introduced: a) enhancing attractiveness of rural areas including environmental preservation; b) strengthening ties between urban and rural areas taking advantage of ICTs; c) promoting rural tourism; d) increasing opportunities for urban residents to move into rural areas as farmers; e) involving the stakeholders in the process of policy planning and its implementation.