Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

【News】 LDP lawmakers opposed to government’s proposals on agricultural co-op reform (Jan. 21, 2015)

  The ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s project team held its first meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, to discuss revision of the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law. Many of some 130 lawmakers with farming connections who attended the meeting expressed opposition to the government’s proposals, including letting outside accountants conduct audits of primary agricultural co-ops and restricting non-farmers’ use of JAs’ services. They also stressed the importance of reflecting farmers’ voices in the process of revision. The government plans to compile a bill to revise the law early next month, but it would be difficult for the parties concerned to reach a consensus on the issue. Lower House member Takamori Yoshikawa who … Continue reading

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【News】 Ruling bloc to discuss agricultural co-op auditing reform (Jan. 19, 2015)

  The ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito will begin intensive discussion this week to prepare a bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operative Society Law, focusing on auditing of primary agricultural co-ops. Agriculture minister Koya Nishikawa is aiming at abolishing the current system of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) conducting audits on primary JAs and introducing auditing by outside accountants. However, the idea contradicts with the ministry’s previous standpoint and Nishikawa has failed to explain reasonably how it will contribute to improving farmers’ income. The LDP’s project team on the law revision headed by Lower House member Takamori Yoshikawa will hold meetings starting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, and … Continue reading

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【News】 Memorial service to mark 20th anniversary of 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake took place in Awaji, Hyogo Prefecture (Jan. 18, 2015)

On January 17, 2015, tens of thousands of people in Hyogo Prefecture gathered at events to commemorate the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. The memorial service to mark the 20th anniversary of the earthquake was also given in Awaji-shi, the city on the Awaji Island known for stock farming and growing onions and loquats, attended by a great number of people including quake-hit farmers. At 5:46 in the morning, the exact time of the earthquake, they prayed for the victims, reaffirming the importance of handing down the lessons learnt from the disasters from generation to generation. The earthquake took the lives of 63 Awaji islanders including some who … Continue reading

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【News】 Sushi rolls become edible artworks (Jan. 13, 2015)

Kotaro Yamada A face of sumo wrestlers appears on every cut of the makizushi (sushi rolls). For Takayo Kiyota, a makizushi artist, a sushi roll is an artistic medium to embed original patterns into the rice. She lays out rice, seaweed, and regular sushi roll ingredients such as gourd so that the cross section will show motifs when the roll is cut. She also uses sesame seeds, greens, and red perillas to add colors to rice for some of her artworks. It takes at least one hour to make a simple one, while she can spend a whole day to make a detailed piece. Kiyota started to work with the … Continue reading

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【News】 Big-Eyed Shinto Guardian to Protect Villagers (Jan. 11, 2015)

  Kotaro Yamada – Ashinoshiri Dosojin  (Nagano Prefecture)  – Ashinoshiri villagers in Ooka district of Nagano-shi, Nagano Prefecture, have a huge grim-looking guardian that sits at the border of the village. It’s an enormous mask of Dosojin, a Shinto guardian for the community made of bundles of straws and mounted on a stone marker. The face with big eyebrows and mustache is intimidating but somewhat charming and striking. Every year on January 7, local villagers replace it with a new one and hold Ashinoshiri Dosojin Festival to pray for good health and good harvest over the new year. “Why don’t we make the mouth a bit bigger?” “This is good. … Continue reading

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