Comprehensive data on single-family rice farms by region in Japan

Japan’s rice monoculture has different characteristics in each region. Most of the independent businesses are small and family-run. In major rice-producing areas such as the Tohoku region and Niigata Prefecture, there are large-scale operations with extensive rice paddies, but aging farmers and a lack of successors are issues. In the suburbs of cities in the Kanto and Kinki regions, the area under rice cultivation is shrinking due to a decrease in farmland and the large number of part-time farmers. Additionally, some regions are working to produce high-added-value rice, such as branded rice and specially cultivated rice, and management strategies that take advantage of the unique characteristics of each region are required.