The agricultural sector in Japan is characterised by the Asian small-scale farming system. The relevance of the study is determined by the problem of food security in Japan, as one of the important components of national security. Unfavourable conditions makes this ambition particularly difficult to achieve: a shortage of natural resources (mainly soil) and the presence of restrictions on the production potential, when imports are an important factor that balances public demand and the available supply of products. Japan's high dependence on the international market in providing sufficient food and energy resources makes the country vulnerable in the face of possible unforeseen economic and political situations developing in foreign markets. The state's policy to achieve food security is to reform the agricultural structure and develop methods of avoiding the system of small owners, and to support and develop the multifunctional role of agriculture and rural areas. The purpose of the study was to provide a comprehensive assessment of Japan's food security, a comprehensive analysis of food production and consumption at present, and to identify trends in food supply and demand, as well as food imports in Japan. To achieve this goal, the following groups of methods are used: dialectical method of scientific cognition, general scientific and special methods. It was established that for the development of the agricultural sector and, as a result, to ensure food security in Japan, it is necessary to: launch rapid progress through the inclusion and construction of a value chain; use digital technologies in the field of food and agriculture, training farmers who use such technologies; attract human resources, investments and technologies to the industrial sector in various forms; develop domestic and international social and economic changes, such as creating opportunities for production, consumption, and investment; increase agricultural production; accumulate and consolidate agricultural land and develop livestock; and open up new export markets.