6. Tohoku Region

The Tohoku region is about 210 km east to west and 510 km north to south, with the Ohu Mountains and the Nasu Volcanic in the central area, the Kitakami and Abukuma Mountains on the east, and the Dewa Mountains and Chokai Volcano on the west. Therefore, because the Sea of Japan side and the Pacific side is divided into the mountainous backbone, the soil and the climate are very different. The soil is widely distributed in fertile soil based on tuff on the Japan Seaside. In the northern part of the Pacific Ocean, volcanic ash soil (Andosols) is distributed, and in the southern part, soil consisting of granite is distributed. In the Tohoku region, while overcoming cold and snow damage, paddy farming centered on rice farming, livestock farming using rich feed resources in the middle and mountain areas, resource crops utilizing the cool climate, production of vegetables and fruits, etc. A variety of agriculture has been developed and played a role as a food supply base for Japan. In the future, as agriculture becomes more internationalized, people’s interest in the stable supply of safe and secure food and environmental conservation will be further heightened. Under such circumstances, Tohoku agriculture is strongly required to switch to a combined system combining field crops such as wheat, soybeans, vegetables, flowers, etc. with livestock, and to expand the scale of management, while putting rice farming on a basic basis. The labor-saving and low-cost production of high-quality, and high-value-added agricultural products that meet safety needs, stable production of food by overcoming weather disasters, development of natural circulation agriculture in harmony with the environment, promotion of technology development that responds to agriculture, etc. are being carried out.