▁restaur ants ▁and ▁hot els . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁agricult ure ▁made ▁up ▁ 1 . 2 % ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁G DP ▁and ▁provided ▁ 3 9 % ▁of ▁Japan ' s ▁food ▁self - su ffic iency . ▁ ▁Food ▁self - su ffic iency ▁was ▁ 7 3 % ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁and ▁ste ep ly ▁decl ined ▁as ▁government ▁promotion ▁of ▁manufact ured ▁goods ▁led ▁to ▁rapid ▁urban ization ▁and ▁an ▁ag ing ▁rural ▁population ▁who ▁increasing ly ▁had ▁to ▁supp lement ▁their ▁in comes ▁with ▁outside ▁work . ▁ ▁Young ▁people ▁have ▁t ended ▁to ▁avoid ▁agricult ural ▁work ▁due ▁to ▁s tere ot ypes ▁of ▁it ▁being ▁labor ious ▁and ▁bi ased ▁against ▁women . ▁ ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁an ▁ag ing ▁population ▁reli ant ▁on ▁food ▁imports ▁has ▁prompt ed ▁the ▁Japanese ▁government ▁to ▁invest ▁in ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁to ▁raise ▁aw aren ess ▁of ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁in ▁far ming , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁land ▁ownership ▁and ▁income . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁N ah oko ▁Tak ah ashi ▁returned ▁to ▁her ▁parents ' ▁home ▁after ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁Y ok oh ama ▁National ▁University . ▁ ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁a ▁far mer ▁whom ▁she ▁had ▁helped ▁while ▁growing ▁up . ▁ ▁She ▁developed ▁a ▁determ ination ▁to ▁rev ital ize ▁Japanese ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁founded ▁Yam ag ata ▁Girls ▁Farm ▁as ▁a ▁corpor ation ▁employ ing ▁women ▁in ▁agricult ural