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Boston College International and Comparative Law R eview Volume 31 | Issue 1 Article 9 12-1-2008 J apanese Rice Protectionism: A Challenge for the Development of Agricultural Trade Laws Chandler H. Udo Follow this and additional works at : /iclr Part of the Agriculture Law Commons, and the International rade Commons Recommended Citation Chandler H. Udo, J ap anese Rice Protectionism: A Challenge f or the Developm ent of Agricultural Trade Laws , 31 B.C. Intl Comp. L. Rev. 169 (2008), /iclr/vol31/ iss1/9 This Notes is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Boston College International and Comparative Law R eview by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact nick.szydlowski@. JAPANESE RICE PROTECTIONISM: A CHALLENGE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL TRADE LAWS Chandler H. Udo* Abstract: The Japanese government has failed to contribute meaningfully to agricultural trade negotiations. Japan’s extreme negotiation posture primarily stems from a disinclination to make concessions in its domestic rice market. It is also a result of the ability of Japan, and other developed nations, to take advantage of the rule structure outlined by the Agree- ment on Agriculture. Under current agricultural laws, Japan is able to maintain many domestic measures that provide support for rice farmers while also charging prohibitively high tariffs. Japan’s reluctance to limit its support for domestic rice farmers is based on the premise that rice plays a central role in Japanese culture, and without protection, the