Japan needs to improve self-sufficiency rate: farm minister

TOKYO, Aug. 11 ― Japan’s Agriculture Minister Ken Saito has stressed the government will double its efforts to help farmers enable to keep growing products that people want to eat in order to improve the country’s food self-sufficiency. The calorie-based rate of self-sufficiency remained flat at 37.78 percent in 2017, according to the ministry. That was the second lowest level, despite a recover of harvest after heavy rains in northern Japan. “The biggest problem is Japanese are increasingly moving away from rice,” Saito said at a Aug. 10 press conference, attributing the low self-sufficiency rate to declining consumption of the country’s staple food. “We need to create an environment which … Continue reading

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Japan and US end ministerial talks on trade with no progress

WASHINGTON, Aug. 12 ― Japan and the U.S. completed their first ministerial meeting under a new framework on bilateral trade issues, with agreeing to continue talks, though officials offered few details. The first round of the talks came after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the U.S. President Donald Trump agreed in April to set up the new framework to discuss “free, fair and reciprocal (FFR)” trade. “We had a frank exchange of views and deepened mutual understanding,” Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters after the two-day meeting that ended on Aug. 10. According to sources, Motegi had a one-on-one meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Robert Lighthizer, for more … Continue reading

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[Editorial] New Japan-U.S. trade talks must never lead to another FTA (Aug. 12)

Earlier this month, Japan and the United States held their first meeting under what they call “free, fair and reciprocal” trade talks, and the U.S. called for launching negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). Japan should never accept a Japan-U.S. FTA, as it will deal a heavy blow to Japan’s agriculture. The government and the ruling coalition should make clear their stance of adamantly refusing such a deal when they engage in future negotiations. Economy revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who is also in charge of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) multilateral accord, and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will lead the dialogue, dubbed the FFR talks. The two governments … Continue reading

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Bonsai sugar cookies are delicious way to show Japanese art

YOKOHAMA, Aug. 4 ― Risa Hirai decorates bonsai with royal icing on cookies. Bonsai translates in Japanese to “tray planting,” an art that uses cultivation techniques to produce small trees, which mimic larger scale ones, in shallow spaces. The 28-year-old Japanese cookie artiest specializes bonsai on baked cookies. She uses an icing bag like a pen to draw lines, swirls or any other designs that are as simple or complex as she likes. Once cookies are decorated, they can be stored in a freezer container for up to three months, she says. She sells her cookies, which cost about 700 yen ($6) and above per piece. Hirai also decorates sukiyaki, … Continue reading

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Japan’s farm group sets up a base in Taiwan to expand exports

TOKYO, Aug. 2 ― Japan’s largest farmers’ group has opened its marketing base in Taiwan to boost Japanese farm and food exports. This is the fifth overseas base for the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association (JA ZEN-NOH). The marketing arm of JA group has export hubs in the U.S., the U.K., Singapore and Hong Kong. Taiwan is No. 3 destination for Japanese agricultural exports, after Hong Kong and the U.S. Shipments of Japanese farm exports to Taiwan totaled 65.4 billion yen in 2017, accounting for 13 percent of the total food exports. Taiwan is the biggest buyer of Japanese apples, but it also emerged as the top destination for … Continue reading

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