What Is Farmland Conversion? A Simple Explanation for Beginners

Hello, I'm Daisuke Yasue, a Certified Administrative Procesures Specialist.

Today, I’d like to provide an easy-to-understand explanation of one of my areas of specialization: farmland conversion.

◆What Is Farmland Conversion?

Farmland conversion refers to changing farmland into a non-agricultural use. Typical examples include converting a vegetable field into a parking lot or building a house on a rice paddy.

In Japan, farmland is protected under the Farmland Act, and you cannot convert it freely. To convert farmland, you must go through a designated procedure and obtain approval or submit a notification to the Agricultural Committee and the prefectural governor (or the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries).

◆Why Is Approval Necessary?

Japan faces serious issues such as a declining food self-sufficiency rate and a shrinking agricultural population. Once farmland is converted into residential land or a storage site, it is difficult to restore it to its original state.

For this reason, to prevent unregulated development, farmland conversion is carefully reviewed and strictly regulated.

◆What Are Articles 3, 4, and 5 of the Farmland Act?

When discussing farmland conversion, Articles 3, 4, and 5 of the Farmland Act frequently come up:

• Article 3: When transferring or leasing farmland as farmland (e.g., leasing farmland to another farmer)

• Article 4: When converting your own farmland for your own use (e.g., building a house on your own field)

• Article 5: When selling farmland to someone else for conversion purposes (e.g., selling farmland to a developer to use as a material storage site)

The type of application depends on the nature of the action you intend to take.

◆When Is Farmland Conversion Required?

You’ll need to go through the farmland conversion process in cases like:

• Building a house on farmland

• Turning farmland into a parking lot or material storage site

• Converting farmland into a store, warehouse, or other commercial use

Note: Even if the land is not currently being cultivated, as long as it is recorded as "farmland" in the land registry, it is still considered farmland. Even a seemingly unused plot with just overgrown grass may require conversion approval if it is legally designated as farmland.