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Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in an agricultural cooperative running a training programme for aspiring farmers, this book explores the possibilities of agrarian and land-based modes of livelihood in contemporary Japan.The book is organised around the four key hurdles faced by new agricultural entrants: the acquisition of land and housing, farming know-how, capital, and market outlets. New farmers look with fresh eyes at agricultural issues, and their experiences provide a vantage point over the institutions shaping rural and agricultural life. The book documents the mounting problem of land and house abandonment in regional Japan, the role of agriculture in the revitalisation of rural communities, and the transformation of Japan's agrifood system. To avoid reinforcing Japan's exceptionalism, agricultural policy, farming practices, and fresh food distribution are analysed from a comparative perspective, shedding new light on processes of agrarian change in developed market economies.Providing an in-depth insight into pro-rural migration in the face of Japan's shrinking regions and its declining agricultural sector, this book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars of Japanese society, agrarian policy, and rural sociology.

This fully revised and updated third edition of Japanese Economic Development looks at Japan's economic history from the nineteenth century through to World War II, recasting analysis of Japan's economic past in the light fresh theoretical perspectives in the study of economic history and development. Francks draws out the historical roots of the institutions and practices on which Japan's post-war economic miracle was based and provides a comparative framework within which the Japanese case can be understood and related to development in the rest of the world.New features for this edition include: textboxes summarising key concepts expanded coverage of the early-modern economy, the ‘traditional sector', and the international context of Japanese growth an increased number of case studies fully up-dated references, glossary and bibliography. Taking a thematic approach, this textbook demonstrates how studying the first example of Asian industrialisation can provide the basis for an alternative, non-western narrative of development. As it such is an important resource for undergraduate and postgraduate courses on the Japanese economy, as well as comparative economic development and economic history more generally.

Analyzes quantitatively in a comprehensive, consistent, and integrated manner the production structure and productivity of postwar Japanese agriculture for the latter half of the 20th century, more specifically, 1957-97.

This newly revised, clearly-presented text looks at Japan's economic history from the nineteenth century through to World War II. Working within a framework based on the theories and approaches of development studies, Francks demonstrates the relevance of Japan's pre-war experience to the problems facing developing countries today, and draws out the historical roots of the institutions and practices on which Japan's post-war economic miracle was based. New features include: • fresh theoretical perspectives• additional material derived from new sources• an increased number of case studies • fully up-dated references and bibliography. This broad-ranging textbook is both topical and easy-to-use and will be of immense use to those seeking an understanding of Japanese economic development.