Abstract: In the late 1960s, the worlds food surplus situation was coming to an end and the worlds food supply could not meet the huge demand of the Japanese people for food. In the early 1970s, as the Soviet Union purchased grain from the United States on a large scale, the United States and even the international grain reserves fell and the United States began to restrict the export of soybeans and other agricultural products, triggering a rise in global grain prices and the outbreak of the world food crisis. At the same time, Japan was not only facing a poor domestic cereal harvest but the operation of the fishing industry was also beginning to deteriorate. Summarizing the reasons for Japans food crisis in the 1970s and its subsequent response strategies, it is found that Japans food crisis is mainly related to the Soviet Unions massive import of food, the United States export restriction policy on soybeans, extreme abnormal weather, the contradiction between Japans population expansion and insufficient agricultural labor force, as well as the changes in Japans consumption structure. In order to cope with the food crisis in Japan and to alleviate the panic of the Japanese people about the food crisis, the Japanese government had taken measures such as stabilizing food imports and exports, cultivating agricultural professionals, stabilizing fishery operations, and promoting rural modernization.

Key words: world food crisis, Japanese food crisis, food supply, food security