Experience in promoting smart agriculture development with a focus on Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives and its implications for China

Agricultural activities in Japan have been limited to the aging and diminishing labor force, as well as the small plots of cultivated land in mountainous regions. Therefore, smart agriculture has been launched to ensure food security in Japan. A systematic framework has been provided to support the digitization of forestry and aquaculture, including the basic Law and national strategy. Numerous technological innovations have also involved machinery automation, information systems, rural network transformation, agricultural aviation, and plant factories. Modern agriculture has allowed the 1 404 000 core farmers and the majority of the elderly population to achieve nearly 130 million people self-sufficient in the major food. Among them, the Japan Agricultural Association has played a pivotal role in this transformation, covering the various processes at multiple levels and departments. These fundamental facilitates have provided crucial support to implement smart agriculture. This study aims to analyze the trajectory and efficacy of smart agriculture in Japan. The valuable insights were then obtained for the several suggestions. Firstly, it was very necessary to innovate the agricultural system and mechanism, in order to create the channels for the seamless circulation of information, manpower, and resources. The agricultural environment was sustained to leverage the strengths of diverse entities, such as local governments, universities, and enterprises. Long-term empirical research was performed on smart agricultural technology in rural revitalization. These insights should be adapted to the local conditions in the agricultural production, sales, promotion, and management from the Japanese Farmers' Association's experience. The findings can greatly contribute to the revitalization of rural areas in China. In turn, the trajectory of rural modernization can be accelerated to position as a formidable force in the realm of smart agriculture. These lessons can also be incorporated into sustainable and technologically advanced agricultural systems.