Long term production data for six major crops at the prefectural level in Japan from 1883 to 2022

Abstract

Long-term agricultural data are essential for understanding how food production adapts to environmental, technological, and socio-economic changes. Japan’s extensive historical records provide valuable insights into crop productivity trends amid rising food demand and climate variability. We compiled 140 years of annual production, cultivated area, and yield records for six major crops (rice, wheat, barley, soybean, potato, and sweet potato) across all 47 prefectures from the national statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and its predecessors for the period 1883–2022. This comprehensive dataset enables analysis of long-term trends in crop productivity influenced by advances in genetics, breeding techniques, and changes in agricultural policy and practice. Furthermore, it supports investigations into the impacts of climate variability on agriculture over more than a century. The high temporal and spatial resolution of this dataset makes it a valuable resource for researchers aiming to understand the interplay between environmental change and food production in Japan.