The General Perspective of Japanese Agricultural Policy That Appears from Rice Riots and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The general perspective of Japanese agricultural policy can be roughly understood when we focus attention on the rice riots. The Taisho rice riots (1918) changed the agricultural land improvement project from one that had been, until then, led by landowners to one led by the national government, and promoted by large sums of subsidy investments. This was because of a sudden change in popular opinion saying that landowners cannot be counted upon any longer and the national government should be the one to which one turns. The movement of this regulation enhancement spread not only in the production aspects but also in distribution. And after decades from that time, the “Heisei rice riots” (1993–1994) occurred. The public opinion quickly changed to one that the government cannot be counted upon, and the market is to be relied upon. It changed from regulation tightening to regulation loosening. Would not the future rice riots change the direction of agricultural policy? And would not the rapid development of artificial intelligence change the direction of agricultural policy? After some deliberation, we can envisage that the realization of high labor productivity that, so far, could not be recognized by large-scale agricultural management focusing on land use, will become possible through the development of artificial intelligence and efficiency-improved batteries in a way so as to reduce the environmental burden.