The is a cabinet level ministry in the government of Japan responsible for oversight of the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries. Its acronym is MAFF. The current Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is Norikazu Suzuki.
History
The Constitution of the Empire of Japan provided for the creation of a , which was established in 1881, with Tani Tateki as its first minister. As an additional note, the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce was a division that served as the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
In 1925, the commerce functions were separated out into a separate , and the ministry was renamed the . The ministry was also given responsibility for oversight of the Factory Act of 1903, which provided regulations for work hours and worker safety in both industrial and agricultural industries.
From 1943 to 1945, when most of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry was merged into the Ministry of Munitions (軍需省, Gunjushō) due to the mobilisation of industry for the war effort in World War II, parts of that ministry reverted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, which was again briefly named .
In 1978, the name of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry was expanded to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to better reflect the ministry's role in guaranteeing the Japanese public a safe food supply, and to protect producers and workers in the food production industries.
See also
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing in Japan
- Agricultural Protectionism in Japan
- Japan Agricultural Cooperatives
- Office of Korea Rural Development
- Korea Forest Service
- Shokuiku
- Japan Racing Association