Night Harvests: Battling Heatwaves in Japan's Agricultural Sector

Motoaki Iijima, a flower farmer in Japan, is adapting to severe heatwaves by working nighttime hours. As temperatures soar, farmers are changing their schedules to protect themselves and their crops. This shift highlights the broader challenges faced by Japan's aging agricultural workforce in the face of climate change.

As harsh heatwaves turn Japanese summers into survival challenges, Motoaki Iijima, a flower farmer, has adapted by working through the night. His illuminated greenhouse near Tokyo glows after sunset. Intense daytime temperatures, sometimes deadly, have forced farmers across Japan to reassess traditional agrarian timelines.

Iijima, who converted his family's rice farm to a flower farm, began nighttime work after a worker suffered heatstroke in 2020. With Japanese summers growing hotter, farmers, including Iijima, are increasingly active under cooler night skies. His efforts underscore a nationwide shift as Japan's primarily older farming population faces mounting heat stresses.

This seasonal danger has led to increased regulations and innovations in agricultural practices. While some farmers employ advanced tech, Iijima's farm adapts manually, with workers hustling at dawn to avoid dangerous heat. The government has introduced measures to counteract the rising threat of heat stress on productivity and well-being in Japan's vital agricultural sector.