ABSTRACT
Japanese agriculture and rural society have changed greatly under the impact of rapid economic growth commencing in the early 1960s. Agriculture and rural life in general have been severely impacted by urbanization influences not only in the periphery of large cities but also in more distant rural areas. This chapter explains the process of rural change and note the problems faced in improving the rural living environment in Japan. In the history of Japanese agriculture, the main purpose of rural development has been to increase the agricultural productivity of arable land. Japanese agriculture underwent fundamental change between 1945 and 1950 with a program of land reform. A new law for land improvement was enacted in 1949. Under this law the association for land improvement was reorganized with the focus on cultivation farmers. According to the Agricultural Basic law, Agricultural Structure Improvement Projects were carried out in many places of Japan.
