When Junichi Kobayashi faced the prospect of losing his job, he chose an unusual course of action: he decided to become a farmer.

Best of a bad job: agricultural work is strenuous and poorly paid but growing numbers of unemployed Japanese are turning to the sector

Mr Kobayashi, who grew up in Saitama city and was a classified advertising salesman, had little direct experience of working the land. But with the Japanese economy battered by the sharp deterioration in global demand and his own employer forced to restructure, the 36-year-old decided he needed to be able to support himself regardless of economic conditions.