Analysing Dairy Farming in Japan through the TV Drama 'Natsuzora' (‘Summer Sky’)

Abstract

As the global concern with animal welfare grows, the roles of animals in various cultural and historical settings need to be examined. This study analyses a popular Japanese TV show, Natsuzora (‘Summer Sky’), aired in 2019, that shows the life of a dairy farm in post-war Japan from the 1940s to the 1970s, when the consumption and production of meat and dairy gradually increased with technological development. This is contrasted with the present time, against the backdrop of the Tokyo Olympics 2020, and a rise in awareness regarding animal welfare. The study analyses of the story of Natsuzora and the different reactions towards it from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Animal Rights Center. It also scrutinises the social and historical background of the drama by referring to agricultural statistics from the 1940s to the present.