Status of subsistence farming in contemporary mountain villages and factors that contribute to its sustainability

A Case Study of the Ikawa Area,Shizuoka City

Abstract

The persistence of subsistence farming in the Igawa region and its factors were identified. The persistence of tea cultivation in the Igawa region was characterized by frequent agricultural assistance. Giving gifts of crops during this assistance was a factor in the persistence of subsistence farming. Each household cultivated crops for gift-giving along with those for their own consumption, and in addition to daily use, crops were cultivated for use during the tea harvest season and when the households returned home for the Bon Festival.