Ministry of Economic Affairs
Market report about Japanese horticulture
Composed by
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Contact
Agricultural Department, Tokyo
Email: tok-lnv@minbuza.nl
With cooperation
from
AIBA (Association of Business Advisors)
Mr. Masayuki Shibata, Shibata International
Summary
In Japan where the food self-sufficiency ratio is about 40 percent, expectation for the
development of plant factories is high. The development of greenhouses increased until 1999,
but after 1999 both glass and vinyl greenhouses have continued to decrease due to the aging of
the farming population. Many plant factory operators had many issues to deal with and
eventually withdrew from the business. Stable business plans should be promoted even more
in the future.
Market information
Japanese horticulture can be categorized into the cultivation of fruit trees, vegetables and (ornamental)
flowers. Both outdoor cultivation and cultivation in vinyl houses and glass greenhouses (which enable
farmers to adjust the season of the harvest) are very popular.
For example, there are agricultural houses called plastic green houses or vinyl houses, which have
outside walls covered principally with polyvinyl chloride film for agricultural use. There are also similar
agricultural houses called “glass greenhouses”, which use solid steel such as I-beam and external walls
covered with glass.
Recently there are also houses using PVC film, polyolefin film and fluorine film (hard film) as covering
materials. Houses covered with glass are called “glass greenhouses”. These are more durable and larger
than vinyl houses.
As vinyl houses are simple frame buildings, no fixed property tax is charged for them. These vinyl houses
are also called “pipe houses”, as many steel pipes are used for its frame.
Application for a building certificate under the Building Act in article 6 is required for the building of glass
green houses for agricultural use, with a roof of glass or polycarbonate boards which cannot be removed
easily.
Frame of a vinyl house
Vinyl house for strawberry cultivation
Glass greenhouses
Exterior of a vinyl house
Glass green houses
The table below was provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. It shows the
statistics regarding the transition of the installation area and the cultivation area of horticultural
facilities.
Transition for the installation area and cultivation area of horticultural facilities
(unit: ha)
year
1991
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009
class
installation area
growing area
Glass House
vegetable
862
901
1,042
869
889
911
873
811
Flower etc
1,062
1,201
1,278
1,232
1,242
1,206
1,145
1,096
Fruit etc
208
161
155
155
146
145
139
131
Sub total
2,132
2,264
2,476
2,255
2,277
2,262
2,157
2,039
vegetable
1,926
2,108
2,313
2,042
1,938
1,930
1,717
1,758
Flower etc
1,458
1,704
1,761
1,893
1,711
1,572
1,440
1,369
209
161
144
125
142
134
133
125
3,593
3,973
4,218
4,060
3,791
3,636
3,289
3,251
vegetable
33,972
35,841
36,441
35,889
35,389
35,329
34,364
33,079
Flower etc
5,415
7,423
7,631
7,462
7,451
7,401
6,935
6,649
Fruit etc
5,646
7,044
6,969
7,563
7,172
7,217
7,153
7,282
計
45,033
50,307
51,040
50,913
50,011
49,947
48,451
47,010
vegetable
46,570
48,458
50,218
47,759
46,575
47,653
45,500
44,294
Flower etc
6,993
9,328
9,295
10,256
8,617
9,060
9,124
7,863
Fruit etc
5,662
7,230
6,793
7,489
7,068
7,517
6,967
6,773
計
59,225
65,017
66,306
65,504
62,260
64,230
61,591
58,930
Fruit etc
Sub total
installation area
growing area
Vinyl house
According to these statistics, both glass houses and vinyl houses were at a peak in 1999 and decreased
after that year.
In the field of fruit tree horticulture, the cultivation of grapes is most popular (34,074,000 m2 in growing
area and 50,831 ton in amount of harvest). Apart from this, many fruits are cultivated in greenhouses,
such as citrus fruits (including Satsuma mandarins), loquats, cherries, persimmons, figs and pears.
Furthermore, in the field of vegetable horticulture tomato has the biggest crop (75,356,000 m2 in
growing area and 56,451 ton in amount of harvest). Spinach, strawberries, cucumbers, melons, water
melons, green onions, greenhouse melons, eggplants, chive, pepper and other vegetables are cultivated
in greenhouses.
Finally, in the field of flowers and ornamental flowers, chrysanthemum has the biggest crop (29,441,000
m2 in growing area and 1,191,752 ton in amount of harvest). Carnations, roses, lilies for cut flower and
many other flowers are cultivated in greenhouses. Other than the above, 480,768 ton of potted flowers
are also cultivated in greenhouses in an area of 17,932,000 m2.
(Brief extract taken from 2008-2009 statistics provided by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries).
According to research by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in 2007 regarding the spread
of energy-efficient devices and facilities, there are 22,308ha of glass greenhouses and vinyl houses with
warming devices, and 17,924ha with curtain devices (41.1% and 35.4% respectively). Greenhouses with
carbon dioxide generators take up 1,369ha.
Nutricultural facility
In 2007 the installation area for nutricultural facilities was 1,686ha, a 3.2% increase compared with 2005.
The area used for different crops was 1,372ha for vegetables (increased by 5.2%) and 312ha for
(ornamental) flowers (decreased by 7.1%) respectively.
Rock wool cultivation decreased by 5.7% compared with 2005 (587 ha), but still takes up 34.8% of the
installation area of nutricultural facilities.
The main products cultivated in the greenhouses of nutricultural facilities are tomatoes (502ha,
decreased by 2%), strawberries (485ha, increased by 21.5%), Japanese honewort (99ha, decreased by
1%) and green onion (63ha, increased by 9.3%).
We have to point out that there is a crucial issue regarding the waste of plastic used in agriculture (in
particular in vinyl houses). Along with the development of horticultural facilities, the amount of waste of
used plastic has increased year by year. However, recently it is starting to decrease and the amount of
waste in 2009 was 132,486 tons (decreased by 12.2% compared with 2007).
(Above statistics are based on research about greenhouse horticulture conducted by the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries up to 2009).
According to research by Yano Research Institute, the market size for glass greenhouses and vinyl
houses was 17,355 million yen on manufacturer’s shipment basis between July 2008 and June 2009.
Glass greenhouses and vinyl houses take a market share of 14% and 86% respectively, therefore vinyl
houses clearly account for the majority of the market share.
Plant factories
According to research by Mitsubishi Research Institute regarding plant factories, the annual sales turnover
was estimated at 4.8 billion yen in 2009. Furthermore, as of March 2011 there are 64 plants with
complete artificial illumination systems, 16 plants with harness sunlight systems and 12 plants with 100%
sunlight systems.
The most important crops of plant factories are lettuces such as leaf lettuce, Boston lettuce and frill
lettuce. Additionally a variety of herbs, mizuna (water green), rocket salad (rucola) and tomato seedlings
are cultivated in the plant factories. We have to say that the products that can be cultivated are still
limited.
Industry associations
Japan Greenhouse Horticulture Association
Yamaichi Bldg 4F, 3-6-17, Higashi-Nihonbashi, Cyuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0004
TEL: 03-3667-1631
FAX: 03-3667-1632
www.jgha.com
Japan Gardening Society
Sogei-Moto Yoyogi Bldg, Moto-Yoyogi-machi, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-8671
TEL: 03-3465-5171
FAX: 03-3465-0051
www.gardening.or.jp
National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (JA ZEN- NOH)
JA Bldg. 1-31-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6832
TEL: 03-6271-8111
www.zennoh.or.jp
www.zennoh.or.jp/about/english.index.html
Japan Floral Marketing Association
Toetsu Hakutaka Bldg., 5F, 4-9 Yonbancho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0081
TEL: 03-3238-2700
FAX: 03-3238-2701
www.jfma.net
Trade fairs and journals
International Agricultural Material EXPO AGRITECH JAPAN
www.agritechjapan.jp
International Garden Expo GARDEX
www.gardex.jp
International Flower EXPO IFEX
www.ifex.jp
Above three exhibitions are organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd and Japan Floral Marketing Association.
Agro-Innovation Japan
www.jma.or.jp/ai/en
Organized by Japan Management Organization