TOKYO, July 11 ― Japan’s food exports rose for the third consecutive month in May, with growing steadily to reach the nation’s target of 1 trillion yen in agricultural exports in 2019, official data has showed. Shipments of products such as agri-food, meat and seafood rose 22% to 70.2 billion yen in May, which was 12.5 billion yen higher in the same month a year earlier, according to the agriculture ministry. Combining January to May, the nation’s food exports rose 15% to 353.3 billion yen from the same period a year earlier. Japan has set a target of 1 annual trillion yen in agricultural exports in 2019, and it needs … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 20 – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan will not make compromises that go beyond the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement in the new bilateral trade talks with the United States. In an interview with The Japan Agricultural News held at the Prime Minister’s Office on July 19, Abe discussed Japan’s stance in the ministerial-level “free, fair and reciprocal” trade talks, dubbed the FFR talks, to be held soon. He also commented on farmers’ criticisms on how farm policies are decided. Q. Farmers are increasingly worried over the Abe administration’s trade policies, as the government has been signing one trade deal after another, including the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 6 — Japan’s agriculture ministry has launched “Let’s Wagohan,” at a time when Japanese companies and the government eye new ways of spreading Washoku traditional Japanese cuisine at home and abroad. The “Let’s Wagohan” is a project where the private sector presents Washoku menu that uses homegrown farm products. The move coincides as five years have passed since Washoku was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The government wants to boost consumption of Japanese agricultural products as Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup 2019 matches as well as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.