Abstract
In recent years, the continuous rise in Japanese rice prices has highlighted the multiple pressures and structural challenges facing the agricultural production system. From a geographical perspective, this paper analyzes the complex causes behind the price increase, emphasizing the interactive mechanisms among natural, social, economic, and policy-related factors. The findings reveal that the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and intensified land resource pressure have significantly undermined the stability of rice cultivation. On the production side, structural vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by an aging agricultural workforce, rising input costs, and the institutional inertia of historical agricultural policies. On the demand side, the recovery of tourism and the expansion of the food service industry have driven up consumption, while Japanese consumers’ long-standing preference for domestically grown rice has contributed to sustained market demand. Trade protection measures—particularly high tariffs and import quota systems—have constrained the market’s capacity for external adjustment, further intensifying price pressures. Additionally, inefficiencies in the distribution system and delayed government interventions have amplified the imbalance between supply and demand. The interplay and convergence of these multidimensional geographical factors constitute the fundamental drivers of the rising price of Japanese rice. This paper aims to uncover the geographical mechanisms underlying the vulnerability of the agricultural system and offer practical insights into the sustainable development of Japanese agriculture and the optimization of related policies.
