Japan: Peasant Movements and Consumer Groups Plan Tractor Rally on March 30 to Highlight the Agrarian Crisis
At a recent meeting of small-scale producers and consumer groups, held at the House of Representatives’ Second Members’ Office Building, with 120 in-person attendees, 150 online participants, and 32 members of the Diet present, Japanese peasant unions announced a tractor demonstration on March 30 in Tokyo to highlight various aspects of the agrarian crisis in the country.
Yoshihide Kanno, the representative of the executive committee and a farmer from Yamagata Prefecture, spoke about the growing despair among rice producers in Japan. “When rice farmers are paid 10 yen per hour, it’s as if they are told, ‘Grow rice as a hobby!’ In Europe and India, farmers have continued to protest, and their voices have moved the people and the Diet. It’s time for us in Japan to rise. A rebellion is not about conflict, but about the signal of solidarity.”
Shigenobu Fujita, the head of the Noto Agricultural Cooperative in Ishikawa, and a resident of the Noto Peninsula, highlighted the ongoing impact of last year’s earthquake. “Over a year and two months have passed since the earthquake and four months since the heavy rains, and there are still areas where roads are cut off and where water and electricity remain stopped. Debris has accumulated in rice fields due to the heavy rains. We are calling for the restoration of farmland, rivers, and main roads, as well as income compensation for farmers, and emphasizing the need for food self-sufficiency and food security as a matter of national defense.”
Farmers from various regions reported their situations. Nobuhiro Tenmei, a rice farmer from Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, reflected on his 30 years of farming, stating, “The price of one bale of rice has dropped from 24,000 yen to 12,000 yen, and since then, costs for machinery, fertilizers, and fuel have continued to rise. Even after the Niigata Earthquake and typhoons that directly hit my rice fields, I’ve continued farming because of the support from my family and fellow farmers.” He stressed, “A truly strong agricultural and rural community is not made up of large farmers but many small farmers coming together. The policies the government is pushing forward are reducing the population in rural areas, and we need to change these policies so more people can engage in agriculture.”
Peasant Unions call for Food Sovereignty
Yoichi Koshikawa, the chairperson of the Chiba Prefecture Farmers’ Union, spoke on behalf of vegetable farmers, stating, “The prices of vegetables have not changed for over 40 years, and successors are now saying, ‘We can’t make a profit. It’s not sustainable. The future is unclear.’ The aging of farmers is also a serious issue, and villages are not being maintained. This is the ‘final stop’ of the nation’s agricultural policies. There is no distinction between conservatives and progressives when it comes to the importance of food. It’s time to rise up for the sake of improving food self-sufficiency.”
Sooya Hasegawa, a fruit farmer from Kanagawa Prefecture, also spoke, sharing his struggles over 15 years in the industry. “We rarely get a day off, and we are in the red every year. In areas like Odawara, which are mountainous, machines can’t get in, so we have to manually mow the grass.” He also highlighted the challenge of retaining experienced farmers and the need for support for both new farmers and those accepting them.
Takahiro Matsuzaki, a livestock farmer from Ibaraki Prefecture, spoke about the ongoing challenges due to soaring fuel and feed costs. “The increase in production costs has made things very tough. Recently, with the bird flu outbreak, I don’t know when it could hit my farm. The situation is physically and mentally exhausting.” He stressed the need to improve feed self-sufficiency and called for continued and expanded support for feed crops like feed rice and corn.
Masashi Kanaya, a dairy farmer from Chiba, expressed the struggles of the dairy industry, saying, “Where can you find a job that makes only 100,000 yen (approximately 665 USD) in three years? As dairy farmers, we pay to milk cows. While there has been some financial aid, the reality is that it barely kept us afloat. We talk with fellow farmers and say, ‘We’re slaves.’ Our dignity as dairy farmers is being eroded. First, we need to stop the trend of farmers leaving the industry. We need ‘income compensation at European and American levels’ to ensure security for farmers. Otherwise, more and more will leave farming.”
Hisanobu Shimoyama, an agroecological farmer from Sammu City, Chiba, criticized the failures of past policies by the ruling party and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries. “The issue of food reserves and the rising prices of vegetables is the result of the past policies of the LDP and the Ministry of Agriculture. The recent revisions to the Basic Act on Food, Agriculture, and Rural Areas have abandoned the goal of improving food self-sufficiency. What remains are policies focused on expanding scale, consolidating farmland, exports, and smart farming.”
March 30th Tractor Demonstration
The “Reiwa Peasant Uprising Tractor March” will take place on March 30 (Sunday) at Aoyama Park South District Multi-Purpose Plaza in Minato Ward, Tokyo. The schedule is as follows:
- 2:00 PM: Gathering (with tractors)
- 2:45 PM: Tractor march departs
- 3:30 PM: Demonstration march departs (tractors at the head of the march)
(Route: Aoyama Park → Omotesando → Harajuku Station → Yoyogi Park) - 5:30 PM: Closing meeting at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery
- 7:00 PM: Dissolution
For more details, refer to the Peasant Newspaper published by Nouminren, the Japanese Family Farmers’ Movement: Nouminren News