Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

Gem of the region: wind-hanging persimmons of Hata, Higashi Izumo, Shimane Prefecture

SHIMANE, Dec. 4 – Hata Region in Higashi Izumo Town, Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, is in the busiest season for producing Maruhata Hoshi-Gaki (Maruhata-brand dried persimmons). Sheds dedicated to drying persimmons, called kaki-goya in Japanese, are filled with curtains of yellow-red persimmons dancing in the wind. A 75-year-old farmer and owner of a shed, Chie Morihiro, sorts and peels locally-produced persimmons on the first floor and hangs them in the well-ventilated rooms on the second and third floors. She processes approximately 1,300 persimmons a day. She carefully controls the rooms’ moisture by opening and closing the windows to air dry the fruits for about a month until they turn light … Continue reading

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The wisdom of steep-slope cultivation handed down in the Nishi-Awa area in southwest Japan

TOKUSHIMA, Dec. 4 — The Nishi-Awa area in the western part of Tokushima Prefecture is surrounded by steep mountains at high altitudes of between 100 and 1,000 meters above sea level, and the slopes are so steep that a unique farming method has been adopted to cultivate them as they are instead of converting them into terraced fields. The unique techniques and wisdom have been handed down for more than 400 years to grow indigenous varieties of buckwheat and millet. In March 2018, the steep slope land agricultural system of Nishi-Awa was designated as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United … Continue reading

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Tea farmer’s daughter in 11th grade selling line of hand-made accessories featuring tea leaves in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture

MIE, Nov. 22 – The line of hand-made accessories featuring tea leaves made by a 17-year-old daughter of a tea farmer in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, is drawing attention. The daughter, Run Shimizu, is in her second year of high school in Japan. She uses premium kabusecha tea leaves to make her original eye-catching accessories made of transparent resin with floating tea leave and sold more than 60 pieces since April. All her items, including earrings, hairpins, and rings, are sold with a note of the name of the tea variety she used, such as “Sae Akari” or “Sofu.” Shimizu uses tea leaves from her parents’ tea company, Marushige Shimizu … Continue reading

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Japan’s southernmost winery created in Okinawa Prefecture

OKINAWA, Nov. 23 — Japan’s new southernmost winery was set up in the village of Onna in Okinawa Prefecture. Production of grapes is extremely low in Okinawa where there are a lot of hot days, but agriculture production corporation Okinawa Budou cultivates a native grape variety that colors well even under warm climate conditions in order to produce wine. It had been outsourcing wine making but obtained a production license and started producing wine by itself. It hopes the product will take root like beer and awamori distilled liquor as Okinawa’s new alcoholic beverage. Koji Nakata, 58, head of Okinawa Budou, and his wife Tomoko, 48, grows Ryukyu-ganebu, a wild … Continue reading

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UN proclaims 2025 as International Year of Cooperatives to help raise awareness about contribution of cooperatives to SDG implementation

TOKYO, Nov. 18 – The United Nations (UN) decided to proclaim 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives to share the roles and values of cooperatives and their contributions to socio-economic development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) internationally and increase public awareness. The UN decision was announced in Japan by the Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA) on November 17. The UN sets up an “International Year” to highlight critical global themes and encourages its member countries and related parties to strengthen their activities. It’s the second time for the UN to declare the International Year of Cooperatives, following the one in 2012. On November 3, 2023, The … Continue reading

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