Do keep in mind that food prices are murderously high in Japan, which is a very real problem for low-income families.
One single apple at my local supermarket is $2 and up. A head of flavorless lettuce costs the same. The Japanese equivalent to "beans and rice" is instant noodles, because both rice and legumes of any kind are pricy.
It gets better outside of major cities, but food prices here are insane.
Fukuoka lived in postwar rural Japan, not post-bubble modern Japan. It's very true the economy is different. However, this fact really reinforces his point that depending on money to acquire inputs to your agricultural process is a big risk and unneeded complexity for the small scale farmer... hence, his success and book.
One single apple at my local supermarket is $2 and up. A head of flavorless lettuce costs the same. The Japanese equivalent to "beans and rice" is instant noodles, because both rice and legumes of any kind are pricy.
It gets better outside of major cities, but food prices here are insane.