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Most Popular(Last 30 days)
- Japan-born Shine Muscat grapes gaining worldwide popularity 123 views
- Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate remains flat at 38% in 2017 111 views
- Japan’s farm product exports hit record 907 billion yen in 2018 101 views
- 【News】Japanese strawberry varieties taken to South Korea without permission, causing estimated losses of 22 billion yen (June 21, 2017) 92 views
- Japan-made bananas attracting attention with development of nontropical plants 76 views
- Japan farmland 2017 prices show decline for 23 straight years 71 views
- 【News】 Convey your love with “sweetheart plants” (Feb. 6, 2014) 59 views
- App developed to estimate weight of pigs from their images 55 views
- Norinchukin Bank invests ¥150 billion in World Bank bonds to support sustainable development projects 53 views
- Restrictions on beef exports bound for Macao lifted 50 views
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Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News
More than 150 hectares of Japan’s forestlands acquired by foreign firms in 2019: forestry agency
TOKYO, Jun. 30 – Forestlands in Japan acquired by foreign firms totaled 163 hectares in 2019, the total area topping 150 hectares for seven years in a row since 2013, according to the Forestry Agency. Eighty percent of foreign companies which obtained forestlands said they made the purchase to hold the forests as assets. In order to mitigate concern among local residents, the agency is asking buyers to present the purpose of purchasing forests. The agency has established a forestland clearing approval system which requires companies to obtain approval from prefectural governors to clear forestlands of a hectare or more. The governors give approval to projects that involve forest clearing … Continue reading
Posted in Farm Policy, Others
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Japan’s municipal governments see 20% decline in agriculture, forestry and fisheries staff numbers
TOKYO, May 29 – The number of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries staff at local and prefecture governments keeps declining. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, the number of officials in charge of the primary sector in municipal and prefecture governments dropped by more than 20% in 15 years. In 2019, the number of officials in general administrative jobs increased slightly, but the officials working to support the primary sector declined notably. It’s essential to enhance local governments’ structure, train more individuals, and improve work efficiency to solve problems and assist people in the primary industry. Yet the reality is vise versa. The statistics are based … Continue reading
Posted in Farm Policy, Food & Agriculture
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Japanese Tatami yoga mat building buzz overseas
FUKUOKA, May 24 -Colorful tatami-like yoga mats made of Japanese igusa soft rush grass are becoming popular worldwide. They have high moisture absorbency properties and odor eliminating effect. “Their good aroma makes it easier to do nasal breathing, which is an essential part of yoga,” and “their surface never gets sticky even when you are sweaty,” some said. The product is called “Tatami Yoga.” It’s designed and commercialized by Ikehiko Corporation, an igusa product planner and producer based in Oki Town, Fukuoka Prefecture. The mats are made of igusa grown in Kumamoto and Fukuoka Prefectures. Igusa, dyed in red, blue, and all other beautiful colors, is woven in a traditional … Continue reading
Prerequisites for market expansion of organic farm products in Japan:Case study of agricultural cooperatives and producers’ groups
July 1st, 2019 Norinchukin Research Institute Co., Ltd. HORIUCHI Yoshihiko, Research Counselor ■Abstract In recent years, while the area under organic cultivation and the market for organic farm products have been posting double-digit growth worldwide, the growth in Japan has been slow and the organic market in the nation remains a niche, still small compared with those of Western countries. This is attributable to various factors, including the difficulty of maintaining stable production of organic products in Japan due to weather conditions. Production costs are high as organic agriculture requires a great deal of labor to weed and distribution expenses are also high since production areas are scattered and are … Continue reading
Posted in Research
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Kanagawa-based botanical garden creating a buzz with “one banana leaf” social distancing proposal
KANAGAWA, Jun. 23 – “Keep one-banana-leaf social distancing with others”. A botanical garden in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, says so in its poster it recently created. It was posted on the walls and the Internet for encouraging visitors to maintain social distancing as a preventative measure against the novel coronavirus, catching the attention of many, especially among social networking service (SNS) users. Ofuna Botanical Garden in Kanagawa Prefecture had been closed since April 10 after the state of emergency declaration, but it reopened on June 9. On the same day, the botanical garden posted a picture of two staff members standing apart from each other with a long big banana … Continue reading