THE IMPACT OF WORLD WAR II ON JAPAN’S AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY

Abstract

This study examines how World War II affected Japan’s agricultural economy. It begins by outlining the wartime economic context and the transformation of agricultural policy. It then analyzes the decline in productivity caused by labor shortages, infrastructural damage, and severed colonial food supplies. Finally, the research evaluates the postwar land reforms and food policies that reshaped rural economic life. The findings show that WWII devastated Japan’s agricultural sector not only in production and logistics, but also emotionally and structurally, laying the groundwork for profound postwar agricultural changes.