A Critical Review of the Rural Policy Development in Japan: The Decay and Future Outlook of Rural Communities

The aim of this study is to review critically the rural policy development after the Basic Law on Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas established in 1999. The following points were found. An important feature of Japanese rural policy is the use of the rural community, which has a long history. The purpose of rural policy shifted from the promotion of rural society to the management of local resources. The key to future rural policy is to support the declining rural community and promote endogenous development.