Miyagi

Miyagi has a relatively mild Pacific coast climate within the Tohoku region, with rice-growing areas expanding around the Sendai Plain. The alluvial plain formed by the two major rivers, the Kitakami River and Abukuma River, has soil with an excellent balance of drainage and water retention suitable for rice paddies, making it a major production area for good-tasting rice such as Hitomebore (rice) and Date Masayume (rice). In the plain areas south of Sendai City, there is little snowfall even in winter, and some areas can ship vegetables year-round. The sea area from the southern Sanriku coast to the Oshika Peninsula is a rich fishing ground where the Oyashio current from the north and warm currents intersect, and the three ports of Kesennuma, Ishinomaki, and Shiogama function as major fishing ports. The cultivation of oysters, scallops, and sea pineapples (hoya) is active in the calm inner bay of Sendai Bay, and oysters from Matsushima Bay are highly recognized domestically. In the inland areas, dairy farming and livestock raising are developed against the background of the Zao mountain range, and the Sendai Gyu (beef) brand is established. Strawberry cultivation is active in Watari District, and Miyagi original varieties such as Mouikko (strawberry) and Nikoniko Berry (strawberry) form production area brands.

Source: MAFF Crop Statistics (Reiwa 5 / 2023), JMA historical weather data

The point where Miyagi agriculture differs from other prefectures in the Tohoku region is that agriculture has been developed while holding the large consumption area of Sendai internally. Proximity to a city of 1,000,000 population created favorable conditions for distributing high-value-added agricultural products in the form of local production for local consumption. It is typical that Sendai Gyu, Matsushima oysters, and Miyagi rice have all been recognized in conjunction with the city brand as good food available in Sendai. On the other hand, the Sanriku coast suffered catastrophic damage in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and the seafood processing industries in Ishinomaki and Kesennuma were forced to undergo long-term reconstruction. Still, in the reconstruction process, cooperation between production areas and the maintenance of direct sales routes progressed, creating new distribution channels connecting producers and consumers. The multi-layered structure in which inland fruit trees and vegetables are added to the two axes of rice farming and livestock raising in the plains and fisheries and aquaculture on the coast is the underlying strength of Miyagi agriculture.