Asia - Japan 
Challenge
Typhoon Hagibis caused record flooding in Fukushima, Japan’s Abukuma River basin in 2019, devastating farmland and damaging equipment.
Solution
Local networks, public subsidies, and adaptive sales strategies helped small-scale farmers recover and build community resilience.
Overview
As climate change leads to larger and more damaging storms, Typhoon Hagibis (2019) caused record rainfall and flooding in Japan, especially in the Abukuma River basin in Fukushima Prefecture. More than 200 mm of rain fell in 48 hours, which was over double the monthly average and led to catastrophic outflow and record peak flows at the Fukushima station (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 2020).
The Abukuma’s waterways were overwhelmed, causing embankment failures. A breach near the Hamao flood control basin in Sukagawa City, Fukushima, caused severe flooding, with overflow washing away the embankment (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tohoku Regional Development Bureau, 2020). The disaster resulted in 38 deaths and damage to more than 15,000 homes (Fukushima Prefecture, 2021).
Face-to-face interviews were conducted by IGES with small-scale fruit farmers who operate fruit farms near the broken levee.
Impact on K Orchard
One responding couple grows apples (70%), astringent persimmons (20%), and grapes (10%) at K Orchard with two part-time employees. During Typhoon Hagibis, floodwaters reached halfway up the trees, shaking off most of the fruit. Apple sales suffered as surface damage rendered them unsellable as gifts. The orchard was completely flooded, with water reaching 70% of the height of parked vehicles. The flooding receded within a day, but farm equipment was severely damaged, and moisture levels in the trees took months to normalize.
Neighboring farmers assisted in cleaning efforts. Total damage was about JPY 5 million (approximately USD 33,000), mainly from apple losses. Grapes and persimmons were unaffected as they had been harvested before the typhoon.
Recovery and support
Representatives from the Local Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) assessed the damage and public health officials inspected hygiene conditions. A city disaster relief subsidy covered 90% of agricultural equipment replacement costs. Farmers also relied on cooperative associations for equipment sharing. Some apples were repurposed and sold as Ganbaringo (a play on words, meaning “fighting apples”) to generate revenue.
Insurance and risk priorities
K Orchard does not participate in mutual aid or insurance systems because the insurance premiums are high and the insurance payouts are insufficient. Investment in frost prevention is prioritized over insurance because the economic risk from frost damage is more substantial than from flooding. Farmers feel that the amount of insurance payouts is not worth the cost, so they are hesitant to join insurance programs.
Community resilience
While business continuity planning (BCP) exists in agriculture, many farmers view it as a fragmented rather than comprehensive strategy. Realization of the value of community relationships was a central takeaway from the disaster. Recovery was expedited through support from neighbors and the sale of Ganbaringo was successful thanks to local networks.
K Orchard established an non-profit organization that promotes agricultural community engagement. The initiative received JPY 3 million from Fukushima Prefecture over three years, with JPY 2.2 million used for farmland development and eco-friendly infrastructure.
Outlook for adaptation in Japan’s agriculture
Strengthening the Japanese agricultural sector’s resilience to climate change will require continued development of agricultural insurance systems, greater awareness of risk, and stronger cooperative networks in preparation for disasters.
Acknowledgements
This report is based on interviews with small-scale fruit farmers in Fukushima Prefecture. Acknowledgement is given to the farmers and organizations that made this knowledge accessible. Reported by IGES, edited and updated by AP-PLAT.
Related Links / References
- Fukushima Prefecture, (2021). Report on damages from Typhoon No. 19 in 2019 (in Japanese)
https://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/sec/16025b/sokuhou.html - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (2020). Overview of flooding on the occasion of Typhoon Hagibis on 12 October 2019 – the 4th report (in Japanese)
http://www.thr.mlit.go.jp/fukushima/pdf/20191218_taifu19_syusuigaiyo_vol4.pdf - Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tohoku Regional Development Bureau (2020). Press release: Completion of the restoration work of the Abukuma River embankments that were breached by Typhoon Hagibis in 2019 (in Japanese)
https://www.thr.mlit.go.jp/bumon/kisya/kisyah/images/81172_1.pdf
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