Similar to Lake Tai being called the land of fish and rice, Japan, sharing a similar climate and geography, is also heavily dependent on these two agricultural products. Rice and fish were the main agricultural products in Japan, and people ate them daily. Among other crops, rice is the most popular crop in Japan. This applies to almost all regions of East Asia. Because of its flavor and many uses, Asians do not like barley or corn but much prefer rice. As for rice, the Japanese could use it to prepare many dishes, including sushi, porridge or fried rice. During the 1800s, the Japanese used a special approach called the tenant system to grow these crops in order to promote efficiency. The tenant system, also known as landlords, is similar to a slave system in ancient Europe or America where the tenant is owned. the owner of the house and had to periodically pay the owner a fixed share of the crops. This system was very effective as the tenants had to work hard otherwise they would not be able to deliver the crops. As a result, Japan accounted for 15% of global rice production. During the Meiji period (1870s), the Japanese government dramatically increased the tax rate to increase revenue. As a chain reaction, landlords in Japan began demanding larger portions of rice from their tenants, which led to tenants' inability to pay rent. Therefore, many of these tenants' wives and daughters were sent to textile mills as a form of rent. Subsequently, the Japanese population began to grow rapidly, thus reducing the cultivable areas in Japan. Furthermore, the younger generation who preferred other occupations did not highly value agricultural practice, further decreasing the population of farmers in Japan. Although… middle of the paper… as long as they made the god happy, God would protect them in the future. Reference "Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in Japan". Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, November 5, 2014.Web. May 12, 2014."Agriculture in the Empire of Japan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, July 5, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014."Amaterasu." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, July 5, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014."Amaterasu." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, July 5, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014."Economy of Japan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, November 5, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014."Izanagi." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, December 5, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014."Japanese Mythology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, November 5, 2014. Web. May 11, 2014."Kuebiko." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, July 5, 2014. Web. May 12, 2014."Suijin." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 5 July 2014. Web. 12 May 2014.