Japanese rice farmers face bleak future
(WorldNews Japan)

KAZO, Japan — A crop once deemed so important it served as a form of currency, Japanese rice has fallen out of favor with younger, westernized consumers, in a shift that has left ageing farmers struggling for survival. Rice consumption has nearly halved over the past 50 years, and as the older generation of farmers and consumers dies out, some fear the industry will be unable to hold its own in a competitive global market. Kazuo Ogura, a 66-year-old farmer, is one of the lucky ones. His son Yuichi decided to follow him into the family business. Ogura senior looks on proudly as his 38-year-old son uses a specially designed machine to plant this year’s harvest,...