This study is to review about the Japanese farmland system after the land reform process and to summarize the main contents of institutions and policies in the current situation comprehensively. And based on the experience of Japan, the Korean farmland policy for improving the system was summarized.
Major changes in Japan’s agricultural land system are summarized as follows: the land reform was carried out in 1946; the Farmland Law was enacted in 1952; the amended Law of 1970 allowed farmland lease; the Promotion Law enacted in 1980 promoted the use of farmland; the 1993 Farm Business Act mitigated requirements of agricultural production corporations; the revised Farmland Law of 2001 promoted the establishment of agricultural incorporations; and the reorganization of the Farmland Law of 2009 led to the relaxation of farmland lease regulations and measures on idle farmland. In particular, with active discussions on enterprises’ entry to agriculture in the 2000s, the system of special zones for farmland lease was introduced in 2003. Since September 2005, the zones were expanded nationwide. Through a large-scale revision of the Farmland Law in December 2009, the system of enterprises’ entry to agriculture was modified.
The current farmland system is as follows: the establishment of agricultural areas to secure superior farmland; regulations on farmland conversion; and modifications of the agricultural production infrastructure and rural residential environment. The system for the efficient use of agricultural land includes the principle of autonomous cultivation and the promotion of farmland use. The system in response to a demand for new farmland includes the promotion of urban agriculture and the harmony with rural landscapes.

Researcher: Jeong-Ho Kim
E-mail address: jhkim@krei.re.kr