Top Picks || Arts & Entertainment || Business & Economy || Education & Society || Science & Technology || Sports & Fashion || Search || Back Numbers OLD TANAKA HAD A FARM: Leaving the City for a "Second Life" in the Country November 30, 1998 Recent years have seen a quiet boom in the number of older Japanese who pick up stakes after a career in the city and head to the countryside to begin anew as farmers. The healthy, natural life of the great outdoors seems to have an especially strong hold on the hearts of today's "corporate warriors." Local governments in rural areas, too, are doing their part to boost the trend and fight depopulation, offering home-finding services and expanding investment to help urbanites looking to replant themselves in a greener setting. As Japan's economic recession begins threatening some traditional forms of employment, a "second life" as a farmer seems to be an attractive option for many. A Life of Rural Luxury One of the nicest perks of the farming life has to be the ability to eat fresh-harvested produce. "We couldn't believe that home-grown vegetables tasted so different from the ones sold in stores!" say a husband and wife, both in their sixties, who left their Tokyo home five years ago for mountainous Nagano Prefecture--the site of the February 1998 Olympic Winter Games. They used their retirement pay to build a new house. On sunny days they work their crops or take walks, enjoying the wildflowers and birds of the area; when it rains, they read or visit nearby museums. Another man now in his early sixties left his job in the capital some 10 years before reaching retirement age and headed for the rice-rich Tohoku area of northern Japan, where he runs a poultry farm. He had been a hard-working businessman, toiling late into the night for days on end; but after turning 50, he decided to get out of the big city, where--as he puts it--"there is no room for people or their houses to really spread out." According to a survey carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries on the current state of farming in Japan, almost 60% of the 106,400 people who became farmers in 1996 were aged 60 or over. This is an indication of the growing number of company employees who leave the corporate world as they approach retirement and move to the country to pursue agriculture. Some of these cases are also sparked by corporate restructuring and early retirement plans introduced in the current economic slowdown. Trying to Attract the Farmers In response to this growing desire among older Japanese to head back to the land, numerous seminars and "how-to" books dealing with the nuts and bolts of country living are coming on the scene. One major bookstore located in a Tokyo business district recently staged a highly successful book fair, presenting some 100 book and magazine titles covering agriculture and rural life. The number of rural municipalities actively seeking retiree farmers is also on the rise. Some local governments in areas suffering from depopulation have begun offering technical assistance from agricultural instructors, home-finding services for people seeking to move there, and even rent assistance in an effort to paint their municipalities as attractive places to retire. The Agriculture Ministry, too, in 1998 changed its criteria for receiving government assistance to begin farming, raising the maximum eligible age from 39 to 64. The Secrets of Farming Success The chief editor of one agriculture-related magazine analyzes the trend in this way: "It's no surprise that people look for a natural lifestyle in times of social difficulties. And people's desire for a down-to-earth experience and their environmental awareness are also contributing to the move back to nature." And as a scholar points out, "The fact that life spans continue to increase while economic growth no longer seems guaranteed makes this an uncertain age. This may be leading to a rise in the number of people who are recognizing the value of agriculture as a pleasing, very human form of physical labor." But there is no guarantee that an attempt at farming will succeed, either. Trying to wrest a living from nature is no easy task, and some people bite off more than they can chew; others see strains develop in their marriages that can lead to divorce. Specialists following the trend identify the secrets to success as making sure both partners are willing to make a go of it, selecting agricultural work within one's capabilities, and choosing appropriate farm equipment. Other tips include strengthening ties with neighbors and "weekend farming" during a trial period to get used to the work. While they can be strong and rewarding, ties to the land should not be seen as easy to forge. Back to Main Index Edited by Japan Echo Inc. based on domestic Japanese news sources. Articles presented here are offered for reference purposes and do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Japanese Government. Ministry of Foreign Affairs   Japan Information Network