Author Archives: The Japan Agricultural News

Nagano Prefecture creates movie to show right ways to stay safe from bears

NAGANO, Dec. 4 – Imagine. If you encounter a wild bear, what will you do? Nagano Prefecture made a short movie to show you what you should do to avoid the risk of bear attacks. It aims to reduce the risk of bear damage to humans by instructing the right ways to handle an unexpected encounter with a wild bear, as the numbers of bear sightings and personal injuries are on the rise in Japan. “It’s a unique initiative in Japan,” said an official from the prefecture department in charge of bird and wild animal damage control and gibier use promotion. In Nagano Prefecture, between April and October this year, … Continue reading

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[Noh no Ikebana for every season] “Best wishes for peaceful new year!” Ikuko Kikuchi in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, put her wish to welcome guests into her new-year arrangements

IWATE, Dec. 18 – People are trying to cheer up themselves and others by preparing special new-year celebrations while the pandemic continues. Ikuko Kikuchi in Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, put her every thought into her new-year arrangements at home to wish that the new year will be peaceful and that she can invite someone home again. ・Demonstrating her omotenashi-mind inside and outside “The theme of the arrangements is ‘Welcome to our home!’ I made three arrangements for the entrance to express my wish to welcome my guests. I put a fresh-picked cabbage, a head of broccoli, and other vegetables in a mortar. By doing so, I want to show that … Continue reading

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Japan-U.K. trade deal takes effect

TOKYO, Jan. 3 – A post-Brexit trade agreement between Japan and the United Kingdom came into force on Jan. 1, providing the same level of tariffs on farm produce as the existing trade pact between Japan and the European Union. No new import quotas were set for the U.K. on 25 items that currently benefit from reduced tariffs under the Japan-EU deal. But for 10 of the 25 products, including soft cheeses such as blue cheese and wheat-related food preparations, Britain will be able to use any low-tariff quota left over by the EU. As for agricultural products exported from Japan, the U.K. abolished tariffs on major items including beef … Continue reading

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Hida beef producers celebrates new Hida-gyu wrapping bus debut in Gifu Prefecture

GIFU, Nov. 28 – A highway express bus with a bus wrap of newly-designed Hida beef images will start operating on November 28, 2020. A council of Hida beef producers and a local bus operator, Nohi Noriai Jidosha Co., Ltd., will operate the Hida beef wrapping bus for three years, mainly on the routes that connect Takayama with Nagoya and Tokyo. On one side, the bus has an impressive image of a woman eating Hida beef, and on the other side, it has a 3-D image of big beautiful pieces of Hida beef. It runs across Japan to boost the Hida beef industry’s operation, which was hit hard by the … Continue reading

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Ox-shaped lucky daruma doll making at peak before New Year’s Day in Japan

KANAGAWA, Nov. 12 – A shop in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, is now super-busy making cow-shaped lucky dolls called “eto daruma” for sales during the year change period. Arai Darumaya is an old firm specialized in producing “Soshu daruma,” a papier-mache doll with a long-established tradition that dates back to the Keio era, more than 150 years ago. The shop makes an original animal-shaped daruma doll every year as a lucky charm for the new year. In the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2021 is the year of the ox, so it’s currently making the dolls in the shape of a milking cow. The local artisans paste several pieces of “washi” traditional paper … Continue reading

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