TOKYO, March 31 — Farmers on tractors and people of consumers’ cooperatives rallied on March 30 in Tokyo, calling on the public to think about how farmers can produce rice in a sustainable way.
Some 4,500 people and 33 tractors and agricultural vehicles took part in the rally, dubbed the “peasant uprising in the Reiwa era,” in various parts of central Tokyo including Aoyama, Omotesando and Harajuku.
Similar rallies were also held in 13 other prefectures such as Hokkaido, Toyoma and Fukuoka.
Farmers led by tractors marched through the streets extending 3.2 kilometers for about an hour, holding banner flags and placards saying “We love rice” and “No villages, no rice.”
While public attention grew over soaring prices of rice, Yohishide Kanno, 75, a farmer of Nagai, Yamagata Prefecture, and others organized the rallies in an effort to share the awareness over the issue of more farmers giving up farming hit by years of tough business environment.
With the help of consumers’ cooperatives, they called on people nationwide to join the project and gathered supporters.
They conducted crowdfunding campaigns and some 2,000 people donated a total of 19.22 million yen.
“Instead of consumers and farmers confronting each other, we want them to work together. Today marks the beginning of the cooperation,” Kanno said with a determined voice and received a big applause.
Throughout the coming year, they plan to hold gatherings and demonstrations across the country for consumers and farmers to collaborate and widely send out a message on the importance of securing farmers’ income.
Farmers on tractors march on a street in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.