Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

Over 50 mini trucks gather from all over Japan at Tokyo Mobility Show 2023

TOKYO, Nov. 4 – “Kei Truck Market” was held in Tokyo on November 3, 2023, to sell local products on the beds of Japanese mini trucks dubbed keitora in Japanese. Farmers and several keitora ichi (kei truck market) associations gathered at the venue with more than 50 mini trucks carrying processed products and seasonal agricultural produce, and the venue was full of people enjoying shopping. The event was part of the Japan Mobility Show, an exhibition of the latest automotive technology at the Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, Tokyo. One of the most popular attractions at the market was an all-you-can-pack sale of green peppers by a truck that … Continue reading

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Fruit cultivation on small plots in Yamanashi Prefecture nurtures biodiversity

YAMANASHI, Nov. 6 — The Kyoutou region of Yamanashi Prefecture in central Japan boasts more than 1,200 years history of fruit cultivation and is a place where cultivation of grapes began in Japan. The region, consisting of the cities of Yamanashi, Fuefuki and Koshu, is located in the Kofu basin, roughly 100 kilometers — within a 90-minute drive or train ride — from Tokyo. Most of the agricultural land in this region is located on an alluvial fan with substantial slopes and undulations. Yamanashi Prefecture is the country’s top producer of grapes, peaches and plums, thanks to Kyoutou’s alluvial fan fruit cultivation system, which is included in the list of … Continue reading

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Candy apples contributing to reducing food losses

TOKYO, Oct. 24 — Vivid Garden Inc., a firm based in Tokyo’s Minato Ward that operates the Tabechoku online farmers’ market, has offered a set of candy apples using five different apple brands in cooperation with candy apple specialty store Pomme d’Amour Tokyo. The candy apples, which were available for a limited period, were made using apples that had been impacted by the extremely hot weather and turned out to be too small in size to be marketed. The firms came up with the idea in an effort to reduce food losses. The five unique apple varieties used for the candy apples include Gunma Meigetsu which is rarely seen in … Continue reading

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Driverless pop-up shop vehicle with AI concierge gathers attention at Japan Mobility Show 2023

TOKYO, Oct. 30 – At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, held at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, Tokyo, Toyota’s autonomous-driving mobile shop vehicle attracted visitors’ attention. The vehicle will address the shortage of drivers and assist people having difficulties accessing retail stores in some areas of Japan. The shop car is a little smaller than a minibus and won’t block tr affic even if it’s parked in a house yard. It has no seat but shelves, a fridge, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. One of the attractions of the vehicle is that shoppers can enjoy chatting with an artificial intelligence (AI) figure on the screen by talking … Continue reading

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Broccoli! Nutritious and photogenic!

HYOGO, Oct. 22 – A gigantic broccoli welcomes visitors to Kobe at the observation deck of Kobe Airport in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. It’s a 3-meter-tall 500-kilogram artwork named “Broccoli” made of fiber-reinforced plastic. It was made in 2022, inspired by one of the miniature creations of a Japanese photographer. Today, it’s a famous photo spot. Kobe city has approximately 66 hectares of fields producing broccoli. “We want people to learn about our locally produced broccoli and eat it after seeing this,” a Kobe City government official said. “This is so big. We are surprised,” a mother and her daughter from Ono City, Hyogo Prefecture, said.

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