12 Comments

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  DeepAir65 at 08:21 AM JST - 23rd July

  There goes the LDP's election results - not such a bad thing

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  TJrandom at 09:57 AM JST - 23rd July

  Is this 8% of all possible farm products? If so – the list must be very long, say in the thousands, and the 8% must just cover the basics. Let me try:

  Tariff list: Rice, sugar, apples, oranges, grapefruit, wheat, barley, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, capsicum, egg plant, green beans, snow peas, strawberries, melons, soya beans, potatoes, etc.

  Non-tariff list: Rutabagas, beets, alfalfa sprouts, rhubarb, cassava, kale, oca, OK you get the point.

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  Dogdog at 10:53 AM JST - 23rd July

  This whole issue of tarrifs on agricultural imports and subsidies for domestic agricultural products infuriates me. It is not just Japan, but the EU and the USA. In Japan there is a 300% tarrif on imported rice. Imagine if Brazil,Russia and China did likewise with imported electrical and computer products? Well I don't have to imagine anymore, this seems to be the way things are going. The days when the developing economies basically had to shut and take their medicine dished out by the developed economies are gone. These developing economies, with their growing domestic markets, carry a lot of weight now. Both the USA and japan would like to return to the old days - The USA offered to cut 5 billion dollars off their agricultural subsidies, yet it would have still meant that federal govt subsidies to agriculture went up from 7 billion to 15 billion dollars next year - however Japan is the one that finds itself in the tightest corner. The EU has virtually given up on the concept of world free trade and gone for the present European economic bloc. The USA can fall back on NAFTA, if NAFTA fails. Japan, however is well and truely screwed without the success of the WTO. The reality of the above is lost on those within Japan, 4-6% will not be enough, 15% would just about do it. I used to work in METI, when they were doing their FTA negotiations with Singapore, hardly an agricultural rival to Japan's sleepy farmers. The whole talks broke down over the issue of Japan importing goldfish, yes that's right, goldfish. The domestic faction finally gave in on the issue and the FTA of a sort with Singapore went ahead Any Japanese official who has to negotiate these agreements or subsidies in the international arena are always handicapped by the domestic pressure groups, cushioned with their protected market and subsidies. The domestic pressure groups will only wake up to the crises and how tight Japan's economic future is, when they start selling their daughters into prostitution again

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  realist at 12:20 PM JST - 23rd July

  Lets face the facts. Japan has a deep bias against anything foreign. and this applies especially to foreign-produced goods and farm products. The LDP/Soka Gakkai alliance are also, of course, looking after their own vote base. Together, they dont really care about consumers or ordinary people and the exorbitant prices they have to pay for daiy foods. It amazes me that people still vote to keep these cretans in power.

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  Dogdog at 12:26 PM JST - 23rd July

  The LDP/Soka Gakkai alliance are also, of course, looking after their own vote base. Together

  The worst thing is that the opposition, DJP, are going down the same path by trying to court the rural vote. The LDP actually is promising less subsidies to the farmers, than the DJP.

  The problem is the gerrymandering of the voting system here, where in some areas of Tokyo 11 votes are equal to 1 rural vote. Oh, and the Supreme court ruled that the gerrymandering, while it shouldn't be encouraged, is perfectly legal

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  nigelboy at 12:28 PM JST - 23rd July

  Japan has a deep bias against anything foreign. and this applies especially to foreign-produced goods and farm products

  And this explains why Japan's self sufficiency rate dropped from 75% during the late 60's to 39% today.

  Let's face the facts. LOL.

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  GW at 12:54 PM JST - 23rd July

  the real danger in Jpn isnt tarrifs, although that is a issue for some inside/ouside Jpn. For Jpn the issue is the farmers themselves, they are mostly old couples, youngest ones seem to be in their 50s, where I live they all seem to be in their 60s.

  If Jpn doesnt figure out how to make farming attractive for young people they are in for a lot of weed infested fields soon

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  TJrandom at 01:27 PM JST - 23rd July

  dogdog

  gerrymandering

  The problem isn’t gerrymandering – since that is the deliberate creation of voting districts to ensure a voting block, generally resulting in oddly shaped districts. The issue is in not redistricting at all even when population declines. This leaves the dwindling population of farmers able to elect a representative based upon land mass, not population mass. This will change over time, as farmers continue to sell lots to homeowners not associated with farming as they end their own farming days and die off. This change is comming, just not soon enough.

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  stanoue at 05:05 PM JST - 23rd July

  Lets face the facts. Japan has a deep bias against anything foreign. and this applies especially to foreign-produced goods and farm products.

  Whatever realist - I'm afraid you can't try and pin this on Japanese bias. I'm by no means a trade expert, but tarrifs are related to protecting local agriculture/economy and not to do with foreign prejudice or preventing dodgy foreign foods from entering the country. Farmers in any country would support tariffs to protect their own local trade.

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  LIBERTAS at 08:24 PM JST - 23rd July

  Actually NHK's Close-Up Genzai revealed Wednesday PM that there is a 778% tariff on rice imports! Factor THAT into this discussion!

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  ca1ic0cat at 08:57 PM JST - 23rd July

  Yeah, the tariff on rice in particular is amazing. But look at the bright side, at least there aren't mass protests clogging the streets.

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  movieguy at 10:27 PM JST - 23rd July

  Dogdog... Sorry to make you even more frustrated (as I am), but LIBERTAS is correct. The tariffs on rice were announced Monday on NHK news and... LIBERTAS did not make a typo. They used three others as examples on the news and I couldn't make out the kanji on the fourth, but the other two were:

  Azuki Beans 403% Butter 360%

  Another unknown issue with imported rice is that the authorities mix the various imported rices and sell them. Who wants a hodge-podge of rice? But then the same authorities will say, "See Japanese people don't like 'foreign' rice."

  Sad...

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