Paper short abstract:

Paper long abstract:

Japan's Hokkaido region is popularly known as 'Milkland' underscoring the importance of the dairy industry. However production costs in Japan are much higher than in surrounding nations. In order to bolster the domestic industry, for example justifying large subsidies, a constant 'State of Crisis' must be maintained. This is generally communicated in terms of food safety, security, and self-sustainability; the need to protect Japan and Japanese. However, these are not the actual causes of the crisis in Japan's dairy industry; a crisis that is both local and international in scope. Based on 19 months of ethnographic research on Hokkaido dairy farming and recent work in social theory, philosophy, and anthropology this paper addresses what the human, animal, and ecological costs are in maintaining a domestic dairy industry in Japan. This includes the treatment of migrant workers, animal welfare, and destruction of local communities and landscapes.