Average age of persons mainly engaged in farming Japan 2010-2023

In 2023, the average age of persons engaged in farming in Japan stood at 68.7 years. The figure increased significantly throughout the past decade, compared to 66.2 years in 2010. 

Japan's agricultural workforce is shrinking

Japan's aging population and low birth rate have produced a labor shortage in many industries. Since agricultural work is physically demanding and barely profitable and few young people are willing to inherit their parent's farm or enter the sector as newcomers, the number of commercial farm households consequently continues to decrease. The younger generations often prefer to move to metropolitan areas which provide work, convenience, and a modern lifestyle.

Further obstacles to the Japanese agricultural sector

Its geography complicates agriculture in Japan as the island nation regularly suffers from natural disasters. Typhoons, earthquakes, and tsunamis cause high damage costs to the agriculture, forestry, and fishery industry every year.
Furthermore, only about 20 percent of the mountainous archipelago is suitable for cultivation, and the area of cultivated land keeps shrinking as more and more land is used for housing.