ABSTRACT

This chapter examines number of questions relating to Japan's comprehensive security policy and food security today. In the case of fisheries, the self-sufficiency rate stands at 50 percent, which is higher than the national agricultural average. In fact, the outcomes of food security policy have followed the pattern outlined in the Inoki Task Force Report from 1978 in that it appears that the national food balance offers a healthy mix of domestic production and imports that help diversify the market. Japan has been an active proponent of world food security abroad, especially as it pertains to the UN mandate and the Millennium Development Goals. Moreover, official commitment to comprehensive security has also entailed several policy initiatives internationally that are commendable, such as the adoption of food security and human security agendas on the global stage, in particular with UN agencies.