TOKYO, Nov. 18 – Pure-white whole cake are to be sold for Christmas. Yes, Christmas cakes are changing, as proposals for strawberry-less Christmas products are spreading little by little. Selling simple cake bases with minimal decoration can help sellers emphasize their value for money and cope with the unstable strawberry supply during peak demand periods, which is caused by extreme summer heat. There are still products featuring strawberries, but they require a stable supply during peak demand. Yamazaki Baking sells “Christmas Cake for Home Decoration” as undecorated cake base for four to six people for 2,160 yen this year. They have no strawberries, the must-haves for Christmas, but the products … Continue reading →

KOCHI, Nov. 17 — Kochi Prefecture is Japan’s top producer of yuzu, a citrus fruit that has been used to season Japanese cuisine, occupying more than 50 percent of the market. The city of Kami in Kochi Prefecture holds the nation’s top share in producing yuzu for fresh fruit consumption. The local Monobe Yuzu brand, out of which 60 percent are destined for fresh fruit consumption, is known for harvesting and sorting involving great care, leading to a strong market reputation as the fruit of the winter. Monobe Yuzu is cultivated in Kami, then sorted at and shipped from the Monobe collection and shipping center of JA Kochi, a local … Continue reading →

One of Japan’s leading toy manufacturers, Tomy Company Ltd., is going to release a new series of sushi-themed toy cars, “Sushi Tomica,” in the latter half of December this year. The toy cars come in the size of authentic sushi and are created by the company’s master miniature toy car designers, who applied their seasoned artistry. The shari (vinegared rice) part of each sushi toy even has a driver’s seat and number plates, making them a perfect car that you can enjoy driving. Sushi Tomica is a series commemorating the 55th anniversary of Tomica toy car production. They will be available at toy stores nationwide and online e-commerce sites for … Continue reading →

KANAGAWA, Nov. 8 — ZEN-NOH Kanagawa, the marketing arm of agricultural cooperatives in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Kumesen Syuzo Co., a distillery in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, have jointly developed Shonan Harumi Rice Whisky made entirely from domestically-grown rice. The new whisky, to be put on sale on Nov. 27, uses the Kanagawa-born rice brand Harumi as an ingredient. ZEN-NOH Kanagawa aims to promote the product as a new step to create high value-added products using low-grade rice varieties. The whisky is made only from the Harumi rice classified as third-class rice, which contains between 45 percent and 59 percent high-quality grains, and germinated brown rice. According to ZEN-NOH Kanagawa, it is … Continue reading →

NAGANO, Nov. 4 — Johnan Manufacturing Inc., a car parts maker of Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, will test-market next spring Folloone, a harvest cart that can detect and follow its user automatically. The cart, with the maximum load capacity of 150 kilograms, will help farmers like grape growers save time and effort needed to move carts during harvesting, more than halving their workload, according to the company. An ultrasonic sensor attached to the front of the cart enables it to detect targets such as people and other carts and move along with them. The cart is equipped with a controller so that it can also be operated manually, letting it go … Continue reading →