Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

【News】 Producer’s photo displayed on monitor screen at farmer’s market cash counter provides customers with a feeling of security: JA Chichibu, Saitama prefecture (Aug. 29, 2016)

【News】 Producer’s photo displayed on monitor screen at farmer’s market cash counter provides customers with a feeling of security: JA Chichibu, Saitama prefecture (Aug. 29, 2016) When a two-dimensional barcode (Quick Response Code) of a farm product is read at a cash counter of farmer’s market operated by Chichibu Agricultural Cooperative (JA) in Saitama prefecture, a portrait photograph of the producer comes on the monitor screen with his or her message of “I have grown this crop!” as well as a name of the product and its price. A number of farmer’s markets display a set of member farmers’ photographs on the wall, but few of customers reading producer’s name … Continue reading

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【News】 FY 2017 MAFF’s budget request is 2.6 trillion yen: farm land improvement project 20 % up on FY 2016 (Aug. 26, 2016)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is finalizing its outline request for agriculture, forestry and fisheries-related budgets for FY 2017. The amount of MAFF’s estimated budget request for the next fiscal year totals 2.635 trillion yen, 14 percent up on its budget allocated for FY 2016, while it is almost similar to its budget request for FY 2016. Stakeholders will shift their focus to how the MAFF’s budget request will be met at the final budget compilation this December. MAFF requests the Ministry of Finance to allocate a farm land improvement budget of 355.5 billion yen for its agriculture and rural society consolidation projects, 20 percent more than … Continue reading

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【Opinion】Messages from the wartime generation (Aug. 13, 2016)

[By Kayoko Ebina, writer and essayist] I often hear the phrase “Let’s hope the postwar era lasts for good,” but I hate that idea. The postwar period is dreadful. Because I was a war orphan, the postwar period was to me a lonely battle of life and death. Wearing sneakers with holes and shorts which were so tight that my thighs hurt, I wandered about in the burned ruins searching for food and the remains of my family. War should never happen. We must never start a war no matter what. I want to say this to all the people in the world from the bottom of my heart. Let’s … Continue reading

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【Opinion】 Japan’s position on the United States and rice (Aug. 9, 2016)

[By Masaru Yamada, The Japan Agricultural News Special Senior Writer] Several Chinese coast guard ships have entered Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands since last week, and Japan’s Foreign Ministry has lodged protests with the Chinese government by summoning Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua. In diplomatic relations, whenever some party makes a false argument or a wrong move, the basic rule is to put forth a counterargument and claim they are factually inaccurate. If it was between individuals, it might be alright to act like an adult and remain silent, but that shouldn’t be the case when it comes to business or diplomacy. If you don’t make counterarguments … Continue reading

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【News】 More than 50 percent of Japanese consumers have functional dairy food, yogurt, in past twelve months for protecting themselves against colds (Aug. 23, 2016)

A private research company revealed a report that 51 percent of consumers ate or drank yogurt or yogurt drinks during past twelve months, expecting their publicized health benefits. The new food labelling system named as “Foods with Function Claims,” which was launched last year, has been giving a push to boosted consumption of the yogurt products. It is expected that product development of yogurt will be further activated in the coming years. ANTERIO Inc., one of the leading companies in the field of marketing researches especially on health-care products, based at Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, conducted a health care survey with postal questionnaires sent to 2300 consumers aged 16-69 in the country. … Continue reading

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