Milk production, which was essentially nil during the Edo Period (1603-1868), did not begin in Japan until the Meiji Era (1868-1912).
But by 1975, there was already one dairy cow for every 62 Japanese people, and milk had been a standard part of school lunches for at least two decades.
Dairy farming is tough but rewarding work. It has the benefit of year-round income, but on the other hand, cows require daily early morning and evening feeding and milking. It¡¯s hard to leave the farm, and the number of sons or daughters who are taking over small enterprisedairy farms are few.
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