Agricultural Cooperatives in Japan: The Dynamics of their Development

Abstract

The rapid economic progress made by Japan during post-war years has received worldwide acclaim. So is the case of Japanese agriculture and agricultural cooperatives. Despite the very small size of average holdings. Japanese farmers and their institutions have turned agriculture into an industry, thereby bringing to the farmers benefits of modern technology and improved marketing practices. Although considerable information on the functioning of Japanese Agricul tural Cooperatives is being disseminated through meetings and confer ences, an overall view through a consolidated work was lacking. During my travels in several countries, friends and colleagues have been expressing the need for such a publication. An attempt has been made in this txx)k to fill this gap. Because of my long association with the Japanese Agricultural Cooperative Movement over the last three decades, I have had frequent access to sources of information on the functioning of agricultural cooperatives. I was also fbrtunate in knowing the views of many cooperative leaders and functionaries within the cooperative movement on varkjus aspects of cooperative activity. Since taking over the responsibility of the ICA/JAPAN Management Training Project for Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia, my contacts v;ith agricultural cooperatives became more intimate and through the cooperation I received from the Japanese cooperators, I was able to assess in some detail, the recent developments and problems faced by farmers and their cooperatives. To what extent I have succeeded in this book in bringing to the cooperators the essence of these developments and problems, is now left to be judged by readers themselves. The vast network of organisations and facilities and the multi-dimensional activities of agricultural cooperatives can be the subject of several volumes. Hence detailed treatment of any particular topic could not be attempted. The drawbacks, if any, in the presentation of this book solely belong to the author. I