Changing Nature of the Agricultural Problem: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

Within a century of modern economic growth since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has emerged from a low-income developing country to be one of the richest nations in the world. Meanwhile, the role of agriculture in the national economy has undergone a drastic change. The problem of agriculture vis à vis the rest of the economy has correspondingly experienced a major change. In this chapter, the changing nature of the agricultural problem in the process of economic development will be outlined, in order to give a historical perspective on the current situation.