Inland Sea climate zone, and wheat in Shiga Prefecture,
where advanced paddy agriculture has been executed
(NARO WARC 2013).
In Kyoto, Osaka, Tokushima, Kagawa, and Kochi Prefectures, the production of vegetables accounts for more than
30% of agricultural production (Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries 2017b) (Table 9.3). Famous traditional vegetables known as “Kyo-yasai” are produced in
Kyoto Prefecture (Nakajima 2007), and leafy vegetables are
cultivated in Osaka Prefecture to meet the demands of large
towns. In Tokushima Prefecture, vegetable production for
big cities in the Keihanshin metropolitan region, which
includes parts of Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo Prefectures, is
recognized as an important prefectural political tactic (Kuroda 2006), while the production of lotus, carrot, and sweet
potato is also traditionally famous. On the other hand, in
Kochi Prefecture, greenhouse vegetable cultivation utilizing
the warm climate and long daylight time is popular, with the
proportion of greenhouse cultivation area to total cultivation
area being much higher than the national average (Yamasaki
2005). Many of these greenhouse fields have been converted
from paddy field. As Kochi Prefecture is situated far from
large towns, vegetables such as eggplant, bell pepper, and
cucumber are grown (Yamasaki 2005). Additionally, as a
characteristic agriculture in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku
region, it is possible to introduce vegetable cultivation in
sandy fields, such as sand dunes in Tottori Prefecture, that
cultivate crops such as Chinese yam, shallot, and long green
onion.
Flower production in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku
region as a whole is not particularly popular, but the agricultural production of rose and seedlings for flower gardens
in Nara Prefecture and lily in Kochi Prefecture are higher
than the national average (Table 9.3).
The ratio of fruit production to total agricultural production in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region is higher than
the national average. This is at least partly due to the fact that
the region has few flat areas and a warm climate. The cultivated fruit items are highly various and are very famous in
Japan, including citrus fruits (mainly mandarin orange) in
Osaka, Wakayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima,
Kagawa, and Ehime Prefectures; persimmon in Nara,
Wakayama, and Ehime Prefectures; Japanese apricot (Ume)
in Wakayama Prefecture; chestnut in Ehime Prefecture;
grape in Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Shimane, Okayama,
Hiroshima, Kagawa, and Ehime Prefectures; Japanese pear
in Tottori and Tokushima Prefectures; and peach in
Wakayama and Okayama Prefectures. Brown Forest soil
occurs in orchards in the Shikoku region, in Wakayama
Prefecture, and on islands in Hiroshima Prefecture, and
Red-Yellow soil is widespread in the Chugoku region
(NARO WARC 2013).
Kyoto and Nara Prefectures, which have a long history of
the “Sado” tea ceremony, produce large quantities of tea
leaves. These prefectures account for more than half of the
tea production in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region
(NARO WARC 2013).
In the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region, livestock farming
accounts for a high proportion of the agricultural production.
Pasture production is limited in the highland areas of the
Chugoku mountainous area and its area is decreasing
(NARO WARC 2013). As mentioned above, the cultivation
area of feeding rice and whole-crop silage is constantly
increasing, and the domestic feed production is therefore
also progressing consistently. Moreover, in flat plains and
polders, where the risk of animal injury is low, the cultivation of feeding corn has been started as a test; such cultivation is expected to strengthen the domestic feed supplying
ability and to diversify the styles of its production.
3. Forest
In the Kinki region, the ratio of forest area to the total land
area is the same as the Japanese national average, but the
ratios are higher than the national average in the Chugoku
and Shikoku regions. According to prefectures, Kochi Prefecture has the highest forest ratio in Japan, 84%, while
Osaka Prefecture has the lowest, 31% (Forestry Agency
2017). Despite the high forest ratios in some parts of the
Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region, forestry production is low.
Furthermore, there are no other distinguished forestry production items, except in Tokushima Prefecture, which has
the highest shiitake mushroom production in Japan. Forestry
production in Osaka and Shiga Prefectures is very low, as is
that in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kanagawa and
Okinawa Prefectures (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries 2017c).
4. Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems
In the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region, the “Minabe-Tanabe Ume” system, which is a sustainable Japanese apricot
(Ume) production system utilizing hilly slopes covered with
low-fertility gravel in Wakayama Prefecture, is recognized
as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System
(GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO). In a brochure published by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, this
system is introduced as follows (Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries 2017d): “The Minabe-Tanabe area is
occupied by slopes which have poor-fertility gravel. They
produce high-quality Ume by reclaiming Ume orchards with
maintaining coppices of Quercus phillyraeoides (ubame
oak) on the slope. The coppices function to foster water
9 Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku Regions
305
where advanced paddy agriculture has been executed
(NARO WARC 2013).
In Kyoto, Osaka, Tokushima, Kagawa, and Kochi Prefectures, the production of vegetables accounts for more than
30% of agricultural production (Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry, and Fisheries 2017b) (Table 9.3). Famous traditional vegetables known as “Kyo-yasai” are produced in
Kyoto Prefecture (Nakajima 2007), and leafy vegetables are
cultivated in Osaka Prefecture to meet the demands of large
towns. In Tokushima Prefecture, vegetable production for
big cities in the Keihanshin metropolitan region, which
includes parts of Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo Prefectures, is
recognized as an important prefectural political tactic (Kuroda 2006), while the production of lotus, carrot, and sweet
potato is also traditionally famous. On the other hand, in
Kochi Prefecture, greenhouse vegetable cultivation utilizing
the warm climate and long daylight time is popular, with the
proportion of greenhouse cultivation area to total cultivation
area being much higher than the national average (Yamasaki
2005). Many of these greenhouse fields have been converted
from paddy field. As Kochi Prefecture is situated far from
large towns, vegetables such as eggplant, bell pepper, and
cucumber are grown (Yamasaki 2005). Additionally, as a
characteristic agriculture in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku
region, it is possible to introduce vegetable cultivation in
sandy fields, such as sand dunes in Tottori Prefecture, that
cultivate crops such as Chinese yam, shallot, and long green
onion.
Flower production in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku
region as a whole is not particularly popular, but the agricultural production of rose and seedlings for flower gardens
in Nara Prefecture and lily in Kochi Prefecture are higher
than the national average (Table 9.3).
The ratio of fruit production to total agricultural production in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region is higher than
the national average. This is at least partly due to the fact that
the region has few flat areas and a warm climate. The cultivated fruit items are highly various and are very famous in
Japan, including citrus fruits (mainly mandarin orange) in
Osaka, Wakayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tokushima,
Kagawa, and Ehime Prefectures; persimmon in Nara,
Wakayama, and Ehime Prefectures; Japanese apricot (Ume)
in Wakayama Prefecture; chestnut in Ehime Prefecture;
grape in Osaka, Hyogo, Wakayama, Shimane, Okayama,
Hiroshima, Kagawa, and Ehime Prefectures; Japanese pear
in Tottori and Tokushima Prefectures; and peach in
Wakayama and Okayama Prefectures. Brown Forest soil
occurs in orchards in the Shikoku region, in Wakayama
Prefecture, and on islands in Hiroshima Prefecture, and
Red-Yellow soil is widespread in the Chugoku region
(NARO WARC 2013).
Kyoto and Nara Prefectures, which have a long history of
the “Sado” tea ceremony, produce large quantities of tea
leaves. These prefectures account for more than half of the
tea production in the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region
(NARO WARC 2013).
In the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region, livestock farming
accounts for a high proportion of the agricultural production.
Pasture production is limited in the highland areas of the
Chugoku mountainous area and its area is decreasing
(NARO WARC 2013). As mentioned above, the cultivation
area of feeding rice and whole-crop silage is constantly
increasing, and the domestic feed production is therefore
also progressing consistently. Moreover, in flat plains and
polders, where the risk of animal injury is low, the cultivation of feeding corn has been started as a test; such cultivation is expected to strengthen the domestic feed supplying
ability and to diversify the styles of its production.
3. Forest
In the Kinki region, the ratio of forest area to the total land
area is the same as the Japanese national average, but the
ratios are higher than the national average in the Chugoku
and Shikoku regions. According to prefectures, Kochi Prefecture has the highest forest ratio in Japan, 84%, while
Osaka Prefecture has the lowest, 31% (Forestry Agency
2017). Despite the high forest ratios in some parts of the
Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region, forestry production is low.
Furthermore, there are no other distinguished forestry production items, except in Tokushima Prefecture, which has
the highest shiitake mushroom production in Japan. Forestry
production in Osaka and Shiga Prefectures is very low, as is
that in the Tokyo metropolitan area and Kanagawa and
Okinawa Prefectures (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries 2017c).
4. Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems
In the Kinki–Chugoku–Shikoku region, the “Minabe-Tanabe Ume” system, which is a sustainable Japanese apricot
(Ume) production system utilizing hilly slopes covered with
low-fertility gravel in Wakayama Prefecture, is recognized
as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System
(GIAHS) by the United Nations Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO). In a brochure published by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, this
system is introduced as follows (Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries 2017d): “The Minabe-Tanabe area is
occupied by slopes which have poor-fertility gravel. They
produce high-quality Ume by reclaiming Ume orchards with
maintaining coppices of Quercus phillyraeoides (ubame
oak) on the slope. The coppices function to foster water
9 Kinki, Chugoku, and Shikoku Regions
305