Long-term production data for six major crops at the prefectural level in Japan from 1883 to 2022

We compiled 140 years of annual production, cultivated area, and yield records for six major crops (rice, wheat, barley, soybean, potato, and sweet potato) across all 47 prefectures from the national statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and its predecessors for the period 1883–2022. This comprehensive dataset enables analysis of long-term trends in crop productivity influenced by advances in genetics, breeding techniques, and changes in agricultural policy and practice. Furthermore, it supports investigations into the impacts of climate variability on agriculture over more than a century. The high temporal and spatial resolution of this dataset makes it a valuable resource for researchers aiming to understand the interplay between environmental change and food production in Japan.<br>The data can be downloaded in one archive file (<b><i>CropProduction_JP_1883-2022.zip</i></b>), which contains four data sets: <b><i>CropProduction_JP_1883-2022.csv</i></b> : crop production between 1883 and 2022<b><i>Japanese_Calendar.csv</i></b> : The Japanese calendar system<b><i>Prefecture_Code.csv</i></b> : The prefecture codes as a CSV spreadsheet <b><i>CropProduction_JP_DataSources.xlsx</i></b><b>.</b> : Data sources as an Excel file.Since 1947, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and its predecessors have conducted an annual crop statistical survey. The data sources are listed in the Excel file <b><i>CropProduction_JP_DataSources.xlsx</i></b><b>.</b> The data from the oldest sources were compiled under the Japanese calendar system; in our dataset, the four Japanese eras are expressed using the first letter of their names (M, Meiji; T, Taisho; S, Showa; H, Heisei; and R, Reiwa). The years were converted to the Western calendar system (<b><i>Japanese_Calendar.csv</i></b>). Data were identified by original codes developed by us for this database corresponding to the 47 prefectures and 10 regions (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku, Kanto-Tozan, Tokai, Kinki, Chugoku, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa) in Japan (<b><i>Prefecture_Code.csv</i></b>).