Targeting JA was a symbolic, fighting pose against traditional political stakeholders - JA is a well-known opponent of globalisation. Though more fundamental issues, such as farmland regulations, remain for agricultural reform, JA reform was a political strategy. The Abe administration tried to break the iron triangle to attract urban voters, who favour globalisation.

This relationship between the three is called the ‘iron triangle’. JA also plays a leading role in implementing agricultural policies from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. JA is a political body to support the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and is given government subsidies in exchange for delivering farmers’ votes to LDP. Abe emphasised regulatory reform, particularly targeting JA, which has long been protected by regulations and exceptional legal treatments. The Abe administration then embarked on domestic agricultural reform. It is natural for Japanese agriculture to seek markets overseas and shift to export promotion at a time when the domestic market is shrinking due to the declining birthrate and aging population.

Agricultural exports include not only agricultural products, but also processed foods, which account for 40 per cent of this total. The Abe administration advocated ‘aggressive agriculture’ and set a goal of 1 trillion yen in annual agricultural exports. The CPTPP gives Japan opportunities to expand exports of agricultural products by reducing or eliminating tariffs on member countries. Though the United States dropped out, 11 countries reached an agreement on the TPP - now called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) - and Japan ratified it despite the resistance of JA. But the world was in an era of globalisation that sought liberalisation of finance and investment beyond just expansion of international trade. Japan stubbornly maintained high tariffs on important agricultural products, such as rice, and refused to liberalise agricultural markets to protect domestic farming. This was during the time when globalisation was still in progress, with the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) being negotiated - which JA strongly opposed. There was an especial focus on reforming the organisation of agricultural cooperatives (JA). Under former prime minister Shinzo Abe’s administration, Japanese agriculture was a target for regulatory reform. Economics, Politics and Public Policy in East Asia and the PacificĪuthor: Masayoshi Honma, University of Tokyo

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