More Japanese consumers care about low prices than health

TOKYO, March 18 — Japan has always been perceived as one of the world’s healthiest societies, as Japanese consumers are health conscious. But a recent survey suggests otherwise: more Japanese consumers are interested in economizing and willing to pay for convenience. The Japan Finance Corporation (JFC) conducted a survey in January with 2,000 individuals, aged between 20s and 70s. It posed questions what they think important on food. The survey found that the top reason for spending on food was still health, accounting for 42.9 percent, yet down 1.7 points from the previous survey in July 2017. On the other hand, 35.1 percent of the respondents care about lower-priced products, … Continue reading

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Japanese wagyu beef exports to US remain strong this year

TOKYO, March 24 — Japanese wagyu beef exports to the United States are growing at a rapid pace as traditional Japanese cuisine rides a wave of global popularity. Japanese beef shipments to the U.S. reached 186 metric tons for January through March 19, according to data released by the United States Customs and Border Protection. The volume more than doubled from the same period a year ago, already filling around 93 percent of a 200 metric ton tariff rate quota (TRQ) that is allocated to Japan. “The shipments may exceed the 200 metric ceiling by the end of March,” said an official from a trading company. Japanese wagyu beef exports … Continue reading

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JA group, Keidanren to deepen cooperation on Japan farming

TOKYO, March 17 — Japan’s largest farmers’ group and its powerful business lobby group, the Keidanren, have agreed to deepen cooperation in the agriculture sector. Toru Nakaya, the chairman of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, known as JA-ZENCHU, met his counterpart of Keidanren, Sadayuki Sakakibara, on March 16 in Tokyo. The move comes as Japan faces shrinking food demand posed by a rapidly ageing and declining population with low birth rates. Japan has set a target of 1 trillion yen in agricultural exports by 2020. In 2013, the two groups set up a working group to strengthen cooperation in areas of improving agriculture production by using information technology and … Continue reading

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Japan lifts safeguard measure against US frozen beef imports

TOKYO, March 30 — Japan was set to lift its safeguard measure on frozen beef imports from April 1, making the U.S. more competitive with other meat suppliers such as Australia. The agriculture ministry announced March 29 that Tokyo was to reduce the frozen beef tariff rate from 50 percent to 38.5 percent in the fiscal year starting April 1. In August, rising imports of frozen beef triggered the safeguard measure for the remainder of the 2017 fiscal year through March 31. Yet, Japan has retained its safeguard mechanism in the event of a sharp rise in beef imports to exporting countries that do not currently have free trade agreements … Continue reading

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Fugashi snack in shape, color and size of panda poop becoming popular in Japan

TOKYO, March 28 – Matcha green-tea-flavored fun snack introduced this month by a souvenir shop inside JR Ueno Station in Taito ward, Tokyo, is already enjoying huge popularity today. The name of the goody is, believe or not, “Panda no Unko” which means panda poops in Japanese. The new tidbit made of dried wheat gluten is original product created after the birth of Shan Shan (or Xiang Xiang in Chinese), a giant panda cub, at the Ueno Zoo in June last year. The shop, Ueno Land, asked one traditional wheat gluten food manufacturer in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Matsuo, to make this amusing product that resembles a poop of a panda … Continue reading

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