Category Archives: Others

TOKYO, Jan. 10 – The export of Japanese rice to Greater China (China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong) is surging. The demand for Japanese rice in those markets is growing as more people started to dine at high restaurants and cook more at home, while work-from-home policies are prevailing to stop the spread of the Covid-19. Also, there is a stronger demand from young people there who started to enjoy cooking at home. According to a person involved in the agricultural wholesale market in Beijing, Japanese rice is one of the favorite ingredients among local young home cooks. The number of young people who enjoy cooking at home is increasing due … Continue reading →

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 →

IBARAKI, Dec. 3 – An agricultural cooperative group in Ibaraki Prefecture (JA Group Ibaraki) and Kubota Corporation held a very new agricultural machinery show at the JA Agricultural Machinery Center in Ibaraki Town, Ibaraki Prefecture. The show was held in a setting like a drive-in theater, avoiding 3Cs (closed, crowded, and close-contact environments) and the spread of COVID-19 for the first time as an agricultural cooperative in Japan. A 270-inch monitor was placed on one side of the center stage to display product descriptions. Approximately 130 people, mostly corporative members, booked the tickets in advance and enjoyed the show sitting in 67 vehicles in the parking lots. The attendees listened … Continue reading →

HOKKAIDO, Nov. 26 – Japan’s Wagyu Registry Association has chosen Hokkaido as a host prefecture for the final stage of the 13th National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu in 2027. The quinquennial all-Japan wagyu Japanese beef cattle show, commonly known as Wagyu Zenkyo, is held to confirm how the quality of wagyu is improved nationwide. The largest agricultural and livestock product fair in Japan will be held in Hokkaido for the first time. Hokkaido is a thriving producer of wagyu cattle and calves. In the fiscal year 2019, the northernmost prefecture of Japan ranked second in wagyu calve production. The prefecture expects that hosting the 2027 Wagyu Zenkyo will boost its … Continue reading →