The ratios of agricultural land to regional land area are
8.2, 7.6, and 7.3% in the Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku
regions, respectively, which are much lower than the
national average of 11.3% (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries 2017a). This is firstly due to the high ratio of
forest in these regions and secondly due to the considerable
conversion of agricultural land to residential and
commercial/industrial areas that has been conducted on the
alluvial plains and basins. The ratios of paddy fields to the
total agricultural land area are 77.5%, 77.0%, and 64.8% for
the three regions, respectively. These ratios are much higher
than the national average of 54.5%, suggesting a high
dependency on paddy rice production in these regions. The
ratios of upland field to the total agricultural land area are
7.9, 15.2, and 12.2% for the three regions, respectively,
which are much lower than the national average of 25.7%.
The ratios of pastureland to the total agricultural land area
are 0.2, 1.3, and 0.4% for the three regions, respectively,
which are much lower than national average of 13.5%. The
ratios of orchard land to the total agricultural land area are
14.4, 6.4, and 22.5% for the three regions, respectively.
These ratios are much higher than the national average of
6.4%, due to the fact that some prefectures have an
extraordinarily high ratio of orchard land, such as
Wakayama (63.4%) and Ehime (41.1%).
9.2 Agriculture and Forestry
9.2.1 Perspectives
The climate of the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region is mainly
divided into three zones: (1) the Sea of Japan side climate,
which in winter is characterized by high precipitation, moderately heavy snow, and a small number of sunshine hours;
(2) the Seto Inland Sea climate, which is warm and experiences little rain throughout the year, sometimes causing
drought; and (3) the Pacific Ocean side climate, which is hot
and humid in summer and sunny, warm, and dry in winter.
Typhoons sometimes pass through in August and September.
Additionally, there are some areas which have a highland
climate or basin climate. Based on this variety in climate as
well as geography and soil, diverse types of agriculture are
conducted in Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region.
1. Paddy fields
Paddy fields in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region most
commonly contain Gray Fluvic soils. Meanwhile, Andosols
are limited to the area around Mt. Daisen, i.e., in Tottori
and Shimane Prefectures, and the northern part of Okayama
and Hiroshima Prefectures; consequently, the area ratio of
these soils is lower than the national average (NARO
WARC 2013). Paddy fields occupy flat plains and polders,
and 30% are situated in areas with a gradient of less than
1/100 (national average: 44%); in the Chugoku region, that
ratio is 26%. Furthermore, the ratio of relatively large fields
(>0.3 ha) with improved infrastructure in the Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions is 55%, 50%, and 24%,
respectively, lower than the national average (excluding
Hokkaido) of 59% (NARO WARC 2013). Accordingly,
fields are often not squared, but rather narrow, which causes
disadvantages to production conditions. Due to the various
climatic conditions in these regions, farmers cultivate rice in
various styles. For example, the southern part of Okayama
Prefecture is one of the biggest production regions for
dry-seeded rice in Japan, and in Kochi Prefecture, rice is
harvested earlier than anywhere else in Japan. There are
many terraced paddy fields (“Tanada”) in the Kinki–
Chugoku–Shikoku region, which are recognized as important cultural landscapes based on the Cultural Properties
Protection Law; such terraced fields are present in Asuka
Village (Nara Prefecture), Aritagawa Town (Wakayama
Prefecture), Okuizumo Town (Shimane Prefecture), Kamikatsu Town (Tokushima Prefecture), and Yusuhara Town
(Kochi Prefecture) (Agency for Cultural Affairs 2017).
Recently, the feeding of rice plants with whole-crop silage
and the feeding of rice cultivation have been increasing
through the breeding of special purpose cultivars which
have a long culm, high sugar content, and lodging resistance properties, through the development of harvester and
dry-seeding machinery.
2. Upland field
Although Brown Forest soils are spread most widely in
normal upland field in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region
as a whole, the dominant soil type is Gray Fluvic soil in the
Kinki region, Red-Yellow soil in the Chugoku region, and
Brown Forest soil in the Shikoku region (NARO WARC
2013). Upland fields in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region
include fields converted from paddy fields, and crops such as
soybean, wheat and barley, vegetables, flowers, fruit, and tea
leaves are cultivated. Because soybean, wheat, and barley
are mostly cultivated in fields converted from paddy, the
sowing season of these crops is during the summer and
autumn rainy season in Japan. Typhoons often pass through
these regions, and the upland fields tend to be wet. Therefore, the average yields in this region are lower than the
national average. However, the yields of certain crops are
close to or higher than the national average due to their
cultivation over a wide area, including beer barley in
Okayama Prefecture, wheat and naked barley in Kagawa
Prefecture, and naked barley in Ehime Prefecture in the Seto
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J. Yanai et al.
8.2, 7.6, and 7.3% in the Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku
regions, respectively, which are much lower than the
national average of 11.3% (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries 2017a). This is firstly due to the high ratio of
forest in these regions and secondly due to the considerable
conversion of agricultural land to residential and
commercial/industrial areas that has been conducted on the
alluvial plains and basins. The ratios of paddy fields to the
total agricultural land area are 77.5%, 77.0%, and 64.8% for
the three regions, respectively. These ratios are much higher
than the national average of 54.5%, suggesting a high
dependency on paddy rice production in these regions. The
ratios of upland field to the total agricultural land area are
7.9, 15.2, and 12.2% for the three regions, respectively,
which are much lower than the national average of 25.7%.
The ratios of pastureland to the total agricultural land area
are 0.2, 1.3, and 0.4% for the three regions, respectively,
which are much lower than national average of 13.5%. The
ratios of orchard land to the total agricultural land area are
14.4, 6.4, and 22.5% for the three regions, respectively.
These ratios are much higher than the national average of
6.4%, due to the fact that some prefectures have an
extraordinarily high ratio of orchard land, such as
Wakayama (63.4%) and Ehime (41.1%).
9.2 Agriculture and Forestry
9.2.1 Perspectives
The climate of the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region is mainly
divided into three zones: (1) the Sea of Japan side climate,
which in winter is characterized by high precipitation, moderately heavy snow, and a small number of sunshine hours;
(2) the Seto Inland Sea climate, which is warm and experiences little rain throughout the year, sometimes causing
drought; and (3) the Pacific Ocean side climate, which is hot
and humid in summer and sunny, warm, and dry in winter.
Typhoons sometimes pass through in August and September.
Additionally, there are some areas which have a highland
climate or basin climate. Based on this variety in climate as
well as geography and soil, diverse types of agriculture are
conducted in Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region.
1. Paddy fields
Paddy fields in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region most
commonly contain Gray Fluvic soils. Meanwhile, Andosols
are limited to the area around Mt. Daisen, i.e., in Tottori
and Shimane Prefectures, and the northern part of Okayama
and Hiroshima Prefectures; consequently, the area ratio of
these soils is lower than the national average (NARO
WARC 2013). Paddy fields occupy flat plains and polders,
and 30% are situated in areas with a gradient of less than
1/100 (national average: 44%); in the Chugoku region, that
ratio is 26%. Furthermore, the ratio of relatively large fields
(>0.3 ha) with improved infrastructure in the Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku regions is 55%, 50%, and 24%,
respectively, lower than the national average (excluding
Hokkaido) of 59% (NARO WARC 2013). Accordingly,
fields are often not squared, but rather narrow, which causes
disadvantages to production conditions. Due to the various
climatic conditions in these regions, farmers cultivate rice in
various styles. For example, the southern part of Okayama
Prefecture is one of the biggest production regions for
dry-seeded rice in Japan, and in Kochi Prefecture, rice is
harvested earlier than anywhere else in Japan. There are
many terraced paddy fields (“Tanada”) in the Kinki–
Chugoku–Shikoku region, which are recognized as important cultural landscapes based on the Cultural Properties
Protection Law; such terraced fields are present in Asuka
Village (Nara Prefecture), Aritagawa Town (Wakayama
Prefecture), Okuizumo Town (Shimane Prefecture), Kamikatsu Town (Tokushima Prefecture), and Yusuhara Town
(Kochi Prefecture) (Agency for Cultural Affairs 2017).
Recently, the feeding of rice plants with whole-crop silage
and the feeding of rice cultivation have been increasing
through the breeding of special purpose cultivars which
have a long culm, high sugar content, and lodging resistance properties, through the development of harvester and
dry-seeding machinery.
2. Upland field
Although Brown Forest soils are spread most widely in
normal upland field in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region
as a whole, the dominant soil type is Gray Fluvic soil in the
Kinki region, Red-Yellow soil in the Chugoku region, and
Brown Forest soil in the Shikoku region (NARO WARC
2013). Upland fields in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region
include fields converted from paddy fields, and crops such as
soybean, wheat and barley, vegetables, flowers, fruit, and tea
leaves are cultivated. Because soybean, wheat, and barley
are mostly cultivated in fields converted from paddy, the
sowing season of these crops is during the summer and
autumn rainy season in Japan. Typhoons often pass through
these regions, and the upland fields tend to be wet. Therefore, the average yields in this region are lower than the
national average. However, the yields of certain crops are
close to or higher than the national average due to their
cultivation over a wide area, including beer barley in
Okayama Prefecture, wheat and naked barley in Kagawa
Prefecture, and naked barley in Ehime Prefecture in the Seto
304
J. Yanai et al.