Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - Nourinsui Sansho

A national administrative agency established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Establishment Act, based on Article 3, Section 2 of the National Administrative Organization Act. In 1925 (Taisho 14), the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce was split into the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the predecessor of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. After that, it became the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, and after the war, in 1945 (Showa 20), it became independent as the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and in 1978 it became the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In the reorganization of central government ministries and agencies in January 2001 (Heisei 13), there was no merger with other ministries and agencies, and no name change.

The Ministry's mission is to promote Japan's agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries industries and ensure a stable supply of food to the public by preserving and improving the natural environment, which is essential for these industries, and other conditions that allow those engaged in these industries to work with peace of mind. The main tasks that the Ministry handles to accomplish this are as follows: (1) policies for ensuring a stable supply of food (excluding those related to food hygiene), (2) comprehensive national land development and land surveys related to the agriculture, forestry and fisheries industries, (3) development of agricultural cooperatives, forestry associations, fishery cooperatives and other cooperative organizations of agricultural, forestry and fisheries producers, (4) protection of the interests of general consumers related to the Ministry's tasks, (5) tasks related to the production process of ensuring the safety of agricultural, forestry and fishery products as food (excluding those related to food hygiene and those related to ensuring the safety of pesticides, which are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment), (6) improvement of farmland soil and prevention and removal of contamination, (7) promotion of agricultural mechanization, (8) Japan Central Horse Racing and (9) Supervision and subsidy for local horse racing, (10) improvement and stabilization of agricultural management, (11) matters related to farmers' pensions, (12) supervision of the operations of the Norinchukin Bank and other organizations, (13) inter-regional exchange between urban and rural areas, such as agricultural, forestry and fishing experiences while staying in rural areas, (14) securing and comprehensive use of forest resources, (15) supervision and subsidy for forest management, (16) preservation and management of protective forests and fishery resources, (17) guidance and supervision of fisheries, (18) improvement and stabilization of fisheries management, (19) repair and maintenance of fishing ports and disaster recovery, (20) affairs related to testing and research of agricultural, forestry and fisheries technology, etc.

The head of the ministry is the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. In addition to the Minister's Secretariat, the ministry's internal bureaus include the Consumer Affairs and Safety Bureau, Food Industry Bureau, Production Bureau, Management Bureau and Rural Development Bureau, while the ministry's councils include the Agricultural Materials Council, Food, Agriculture and Rural Policy Council, Veterinary Affairs Council, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Insurance Examination Board and Independent Administrative Institution Evaluation Committee. The ministry's facilities and organizations include the Plant Protection Station, Animal Quarantine Station and Naha Plant Protection Office, while the ministry's special organization is the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Technology Council. The ministry's regional branch bureaus are the Regional Agricultural Administration Bureaus (seven nationwide; Okinawa is under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Office's Okinawa General Bureau) and the Hokkaido Agricultural Administration Office. The ministry also has the Forestry Agency and Fisheries Agency as external bureaus (the Food Agency was abolished in 2003).

[Kazukazu Hirata]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

国家行政組織法第3条2項に基づき、農林水産省設置法によって設置された国の行政機関。1925年（大正14）農商務省が農林省と通商産業省の前身たる商工省に分割され、以後、農商省を経て、戦後の1945年（昭和20）農林省として独立し、1978年に農林水産省となる。2001年（平成13）1月の中央省庁再編では他省庁との統合や名称変更はなかった。

　同省は、農林畜水産業に不可欠な自然環境をはじめ、これらの業を営む者が安心して生産にいそしめる諸条件を保全整備することによって、日本の農林畜水産業の振興を図り、国民に対し食料の安定的な供給を確保することを任務とする。これを果たすために取り扱う事務のおもなものは以下のようなものである。(1)食料の安定供給の確保に関する政策（食品衛生に係るものを除く）、(2)農林水産業に係る国土の総合開発および国土調査、(3)農業協同組合、森林組合、漁業協同組合その他の農林水産業者の協同組織の発達、(4)同省が扱う事務と関係する一般消費者の利益の保護、(5)農林水産物の食品としての安全性の確保に関する事務のうち生産過程に係るもの（食品衛生に関することや環境省の所掌に係る農薬の安全性の確保に関することを除く）、(6)農地の土壌の改良や汚染の防止・除去、(7)農業機械化の促進、(8)中央競馬および地方競馬の監督・助成、(9)農業経営の改善・安定、(10)農業を担うべき者の確保、(11)農業者年金に関すること、(12)農林中央金庫等の業務の監督、(13)農山漁村に滞在しつつ行う農林漁業の体験などの農山漁村と都市との地域間交流、(14)森林資源の確保や総合的な利用、(15)森林の経営の監督・助成、(16)保安林や水産資源の保存・管理、(17)漁業の指導・監督、(18)水産業経営の改善・安定、(19)漁港の修築・維持管理および災害復旧、(20)農林水産技術についての試験や研究に関する事務、など。

　長は農林水産大臣。内部部局として、大臣官房のほか、消費・安全局、食料産業局、生産局、経営局、農村振興局が、審議会等として、農業資材審議会、食料・農業・農村政策審議会、獣医事審議会、農林漁業保険審査会、独立行政法人評価委員会が置かれている。施設等機関として、植物防疫所、動物検疫所、那覇植物防疫事務所が、特別の機関として、農林水産技術会議が、地方支分部局として、地方農政局（全国7か所。沖縄は内閣府沖縄総合事務局の管轄）と北海道農政事務所がある。さらに外局として、林野庁と水産庁が置かれている（食糧庁は、2003年に廃止）。

［平田和一］

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