1 Water Resources in relation to Major Agro-Environmental Issues in Japan

Although Japan is well known as an industrialized country rather than an agricultural one, agriculture is treated as a very important sector for its cultural and environmental perspectives. Only 15 % of Japan's land is suitable for cultivation, but the agricultural economy is highly subsidized and protected. With per unit area crop yields among the highest in the world, agriculture sector still dominates the major part of water use (65%) in Japan followed by domestic and industrial uses (20 % and 15 % respectively). Like many other monsoon Asian countries, rice is the staple food in Japan, and paddy fields and terraces are often referred to as the country’s cultural and environmental indicators. This paper outlines the condition of water resources and their relations to some major agro-environmental issues in Japan