JAPAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Eri Hirata, Takunori Kono, Naoki Matsumoto and Ikki Kawasaki, Nishimura & Asahi
• High value-added activities through the “sixth industrialisation” (integration of production, pro- cessing and distribution) continue to expand. 1.3 Export Profile and Global Trade Role Export Profile Total export value Exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food products reached JPY1.7005 trillion in 2025, representing a year-on-year increase of 12.8% and marking the 13th consecutive annual record high. Breakdown by item Agricultural products accounted for JPY1.1008 trillion, forestry products for JPY73.5 billion, fishery products for JPY423.1 billion and small-lot cargo for JPY103.1 billion. Major export destinations The United States, Hong Kong and Taiwan remained the three largest export destinations in 2025. The United States was Japan’s leading export des- tination, due to strong demand for products such as sake and beef, while exports of scallops and other seafood to China and Taiwan declined sharply due to import suspension measures. Global Trade Role According to the MAFF, high-value-added processed products, including alcoholic beverages such as Japanese sake, continue to account for a substan- tial share of Japan’s agricultural and food exports. In addition, products closely associated with Japa- nese cuisine, such as green tea, soy sauce and miso, recorded strong export growth. In particular, exports of green tea nearly doubled in 2025 compared with the previous year, reflecting growing global interest in Japanese food, health-conscious consumption and Japanese food culture. Under the Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas adopted in 2025 pursuant to the amended Basic Act on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, the Japa- nese government continues to pursue the long-term goal of expanding agricultural, forestry, fishery and food exports. The Plan identifies export promotion as a key policy priority and seeks to strengthen Japan’s
capacity to earn income from overseas markets while maintaining domestic production capacity and food security. Priority export products, including beef and tea, continue to receive policy support. 2. Legal and Institutional Framework 2.1 Agriculture-Sector Policies and Planning Instruments Legal Instruments Laws and regulations relating to agribusiness are diverse and include the important Cropland Act and the Act on the Promotion of Improvement of the Agri- cultural Management Foundation, plus a number of other laws and regulations. The Cropland Act The Cropland Act is the most important law governing agribusiness in Japan. Its purpose is to realise efficient agriculture and stabilise agricultural management by ensuring that only those persons or entities who use cropland efficiently can acquire rights to it, and that only those who perform farmwork themselves can acquire ownership of cropland. In order to achieve this purpose, in principle, permis- sion from the Agricultural Commission is required to acquire cropland or to obtain the rights to use crop- land under the Cropland Act. In addition, in order for a corporation to obtain permission to acquire or use cropland, it must be a “Corporation Qualified to Own Cropland” or a “Corporation Qualified to Rent Crop- land” that meets specific requirements. This places major restrictions on the acquisition of cropland by a corporate entity. A Corporation Qualified to Own Cropland must meet the following requirements to qualify as such. • Sales requirements – the main business of the corporation must be agriculture. • Voting rights requirements – agricultural actors must own the majority of the total voting rights. “Agricultural actors” include a “Person who Regu- larly Engages in Agricultural Business”, which means those who engage in agriculture (see 4.1 Definition and Scope of Agribusiness ) conducted
34 A GRICULTURA L LAW 20 26
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