Translation guide
Describes a poor crop yield, often due to weather, pests, or other factors. In Japanese, this is commonly expressed with specific nouns and verbs.
To say that the harvest was bad or the crop yield was low.
The most common and direct term for a bad harvest or crop failure. Used in news and daily conversation.
This year's harvest was bad.
The bad harvest caused rice prices to rise.
Also means poor harvest or crop failure, slightly less severe than 凶作. Commonly used.
We've had poor harvests for years.
A more descriptive phrase meaning 'the harvest is bad'. Can be used for any crop.
The potato harvest was bad this year.
To emphasize that the harvest failed completely, often due to a natural disaster.
To talk about a bad harvest for a particular crop, often using the crop name.
Pattern to say a specific crop had a poor harvest. Replace [crop] with the crop name.
The mandarin orange harvest is poor this year.
凶作 (きょうさく) implies a more severe crop failure than 不作 (ふさく). 不作 can simply mean a below-average yield, while 凶作 suggests a disaster-level failure.