Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

Japan Flowers and Plants Export Association to seek government certification as an organization to promote exports

TOKYO, Nov. 5 – Japan Flowers and Plants Export Association, an industrial body working to boost exports of flowers and plants, held a general meeting on Nov. 4 after becoming a general incorporated association to be officially designated under the law to promote exports. The association will carry out procedures to be certified by the government as an organization to step up exports of certain items, so that it can obtain government assistance in promoting sales of cut flowers, garden plants and bonsai potted trees in foreign countries. Under the revised law on facilitating the export of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food which took effect in October, a … Continue reading

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Kurumeki’s terraced rice field holds rice cutting event with outside supporters

SHIZUOKA, Oct. 31 – In late October, a rice harvesting and hanging event was held in tanada (tiered rice paddies) in Kurumeki, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, inviting outside tanada supporters. The participants worked hard, tackling golden ears of rice under the autumn blue sky. Kurumeki Tanada has a long history dating back to the Heian or Muromachi era. In the Sengoku period (the period of civil wars in Japan), the Ii clan supported villagers in cultivating the field. Farmers growing rice with poor water sources and no waterways face difficulties in securing enough water, so they collect rainwater in the rainy season in June to prepare for rice planting. The region … Continue reading

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Old farm equipment turned into work of art

NIIGATA, Nov. 1 – An artwork that looks like farm equipment such as hoes and plows are floating in the air, are attracting attention in Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture. The artwork, titled “Time of Farm tools,” is one of the programs of this year’s Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale, a world-class art festival held once every three years in Tokamachi and Tsunan in the prefecture. Contemporary artist Tatsuo Kawaguchi created the artwork using old farm equipment borrowed from farmers in Tokamachi. Kawaguchi hanged 22 farm tools from the ceiling with wires and fixed them. He asked local farmers to take postures of using the tools and pose while he measured the angles with … Continue reading

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Rest in peace in this tatami-like comfortable coffin

KANAGAWA, Oct. 23 – A design company in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, has created beautiful coffins using igusa rush grass grown in Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. It’s an entirely new option that the company, doode, started to offer to match the diversifying funeral styles. The coffins featuring domestic materials are called “Midori no Okan,” which means a green coffin in Japanese. They are made of igusa rush grass grown in Fukuoka and Kumamoto Prefectures using traditional handicraft skills of “hanagoza” artisans in the Chikugo region in the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture. (Hanagoza is a pretty traditional mattress made of igusa.) Toshin from Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture, weaves hanagoza, … Continue reading

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Hyogo Prefecture sets on improving the scent of Tajima beef

HYOGO, Oct. 23 – The Hyogo Prefectural Government, which is working to further enhance the quality of Tajima wagyu beef produced in the prefecture, has set on improving the scent of the meat. The Hyogo government plans to establish a technology within 10 years to assess the scent of the meat of each cow using genetic data and utilize it for wagyu beef improvement. The prefectural government has already identified components related to aroma and the ones that are found largely in Tajima beef. It hopes scents will become a new indicator for wagyu beef improvement in addition to the quality of fat which many wagyu beef producing regions are … Continue reading

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