An elderly Japanese woman shopping with a robot's assistance symbolizes the burden of Japan's aging population on younger generations who must care for both old and young. Japan imports many fruits and vegetables due to limited farmland from intensive cultivation on small, terraced plots enabled by favorable climate and soil conditions. Centuries of farming have maintained soil fertility despite small average farm sizes of 1.2 hectares, allowing food production to support Japan's population.

1. 9131305997575The Japanese elderly woman shopping in the supermarket with a robot’s aid symbolizes the burden the huge elderly population in Japan have on the sandwich generation that have to take care of the younger generation too, putting the country’s economy in dangerThe fruits and vegetables in the supermarket imported from other countries represent Japan’s agriculture. Steep land has been terraced for rice and other crops, carrying cultivation in tiny patches far up mountainsides. With the aid of Japan’s temperate climate, adequate rainfall, soil fertility built up and maintained over centuries, and such a large farm population that the average farm has an area of only 1.2 ha (3 acres), Japan has been able to develop intensive cultivation.00The Japanese elderly woman shopping in the supermarket with a robot’s aid symbolizes the burden the huge elderly population in Japan have on the sandwich generation that have to take care of the younger generation too, putting the country’s economy in dangerThe fruits and vegetables in the supermarket imported from other countries represent Japan’s agriculture. Steep land has been terraced for rice and other crops, carrying cultivation in tiny patches far up mountainsides. With the aid of Japan’s temperate climate, adequate rainfall, soil fertility built up and maintained over centuries, and such a large farm population that the average farm has an area of only 1.2 ha (3 acres), Japan has been able to develop intensive cultivation.62236354446270-36195380111010350505175250Geography00Geography533146085090004449445370840Wong Hern YeeCTG 12600Wong Hern YeeCTG 1261428369100266500163830096456511181985181613<br />