New songs by late Haruo Minami released to promote rice flour

TOKYO, Dec. 13 — New songs by late Haruo Minami, Japanese iconic enka singer, has been released. The songs feature Japanese rice flour, a staple food that doesn’t have gluten. As the incidence of gluten sensitivity and irritable bowel syndrome increases, the global demand for rice flour as a gluten-free alternative to wheat products, such as bread and snack foods, is expected to rise. So, the Japan Rice Flour Association took a bold step: make a song to tell how rice flour is healthy and good for you. Seven songs are included in a CD album released on Dec. 13 by Teichiku Entertainment. The Japanese company collaborated with the agriculture … Continue reading

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Tradition of eating udon at new home bath continues in Japan

MITOYO, Dec. 10 — Some people in Kagawa prefecture, western Japan, are keeping alive a dying tradition: eating udon noodles at a newly built home bath. Udon is a chunky white wheat noodle with straight edges that is a specialty of Kagawa prefecture, and is better known as Sanuki udon. Ryuji Onishi, 27, enjoys eating udon that his wife cooks at his newly-built home bath in Mitoyo city, west of Kagawa. His new home was constructed at a site on his 80-year-old grand-father’s land, and Onishi followed the udon tradition. Onishi’s mother explains: “It starts with the eldest taking a new home bath and then the family takes turns according … Continue reading

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JA Wakayama pushes Japanese kaki exports to United States

WAKAYAMA, Dec. 19 — A farmers’ group has shipped its kakis for the first time from Japan to the United States, as a potential market for the Japanese fruit. JA Wakayama, an agriculture cooperative in Wakayama prefecture, plans to export nearly 900 kilograms of kakis this year. They will be mainly sold at Japanese supermarket chains in the U.S. “Following market analysis, we have started seeking potential customers in the U.S.,” said a JA Wakayama official. Another official said: “We have sets our minds on the U.S. market now. We will expand our exports to boost our farmers’ income.” Japanese kaki will be sold as high as double the prices … Continue reading

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ZEN-NOH Aomori pushes Japanese apple exports to Vietnam

AOMORI, Nov. 29 — Japanese apple growers in the northern region hope to export more apples to Vietnam at a time when the domestic market has been shrinking. The ZEN-NOH Aomori group, which is responsible for the sale of agriculture products in Aomori prefecture, resumed exporting its apples to Vietnam in 2015 when the Southeast Asian country lifted a 5-year ban on apple imports from Japan. But the export volume was disappointing at 119 tons in 2016, as strong rains and winds destroyed crops in the Aomori region. The group aims to triple the exports to Vietnam to 350 metric tons this year, with their variety of “Fuji” “Kinsei” “Jonagold” … Continue reading

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Japan sets up group to get young people excited about farming

TOKYO, Dec. 18 — The agriculture ministry has set up a working group to discuss how to make farming an appealing career choice for the young generation amid the sector’s widespread labor shortage in Japan. The move coincides with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe launching “work-style” reforms as part of his high-profile administration’s agenda. The job offers to applicant ratio in the agricultural sector was 1.63 in 2016. That was higher than the average of all industrial sectors at 1.39, pointing to a labor shortage in the agricultural sector. As Japan’s population of older people is growing at an unprecedented rate, the farming industry is facing a severe shortage of young … Continue reading

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