Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

Hospitalized patients enjoy virtual strawberry picking using sense sharing technology

IBARAKI, Dec. 22 — Patients hospitalized at Shimuraomiya Hospital in Hitachiomiya, Ibaraki Prefecture, experienced on Dec. 21 picking strawberries virtually in a hothouse located 10 kilometers away. The patients wore on their arm a sensor that transmits their movements to a robot in a remote location using a technology called BodySharing. They cheered and clapped as they saw in a monitor a robot picking strawberries. The technology, which has been developed by H2L Inc., a startup based in Tokyo’s Minato Ward, involves detecting with a sensor an arm’s muscle movements, as well as the inclination of the arm and the speed of its movements, and sending the data to a … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on Hospitalized patients enjoy virtual strawberry picking using sense sharing technology

A wide variety of daikon radishes displayed at washoku exhibition in Tokyo

TOKYO, Dec. 17 — Slim, long, round, red, big — the replicas of 25 local daikon radish varieties from across Japan is attracting attention of visitors at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo’s Taito Ward. The display is the main feature of a special exhibition on washoku Japanese cuisine that illustrates how the unique culture of Japanese food was formed, from various perspectives including science and history. The exhibit was organized to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of washoku’s inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2013. It is supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Photos | Comments Off on A wide variety of daikon radishes displayed at washoku exhibition in Tokyo

To welcome new year happily

MIYAGI, Dec. 14 – In Kami Town, Miyagi Prefecture, makers of shimekazari, a traditional Japanese New Year’s decoration, have entered the busiest time of the year. To  prepare approximately 6,000 shimekazari Kazuko Ito, 73, and nine female farmers and neighbors gather at her house, adding the finishing touches to the shimenawa straw rope ornaments by decorating them with mizuhiki paper cords, hiba tree leaves, rice straws, etc.They use Hitomebore rice straws cultivated at Ito’s rice field and hiba leaves from local “Igune (homestead woodlands).” Shimezakari-making by female farmers began approximately 40 years ago to make their pocket money. “We do this to welcome the new year happily, like we buy … Continue reading

Posted in Photos | Comments Off on To welcome new year happily

A new take on Japanese traditional New Year’s food — stacked boxes of fruits

TOKYO, Dec. 12 — As Japan awaits the first New Year holidays after the legal status of the novel coronavirus was downgraded to a common infectious disease, a new type of osechi traditional New Year’s assortment of food is attracting attention — one filled with various kinds of fruits. Funasho, a major intermediate wholesaler operating at Tokyo’s Ota Market, sells at its online store fruits osechi, a set of three stacked boxes containing domestically-grown fruits in season. It is their first attempt to sell fruits in triple-stacked osechi boxes. In the first box, large-size white strawberries from Saga Prefecture and red strawberries from Tochigi Prefecture are placed next to each … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Photos | Comments Off on A new take on Japanese traditional New Year’s food — stacked boxes of fruits

Jewelry born from agriculture-welfare collaboration

NAGASAKI, Dec. 10 – “Sakura+ (sakura plus),” a vocational support center for persons with disabilities in Omura City, Nagasaki Prefecture, is making flower resin jewelry using locally-produced carnations. Several local corporations are placing orders for the attractive regional products. Sakura+ purchases carnations directly from local growers and places them in silica gel to make colorful dried flowers. Then, it casts the flowers in resin using molds and polishes to produce authentic flower accessories. Responding to new orders, Sakura+ expanded the lineup to include brooches, for example. So far, it has received orders for more than 300 products. The vocational training center began making items using agricultural products approximately two years … Continue reading

Posted in Photos | Comments Off on Jewelry born from agriculture-welfare collaboration