Category Archives: Others

TOKYO, Oct. 30 – At the Japan Mobility Show 2023, held at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto Ward, Tokyo, Toyota’s autonomous-driving mobile shop vehicle attracted visitors’ attention. The vehicle will address the shortage of drivers and assist people having difficulties accessing retail stores in some areas of Japan. The shop car is a little smaller than a minibus and won’t block tr affic even if it’s parked in a house yard. It has no seat but shelves, a fridge, and a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. One of the attractions of the vehicle is that shoppers can enjoy chatting with an artificial intelligence (AI) figure on the screen by talking … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Sept. 26 — The education ministry on Sept. 25 designated Tsujun Bridge in the town of Yamato, Kumamoto Prefecture, as a national treasure and issued a notice in the official gazette. The historic stone bridge is still used to this day to provide agricultural water and it is the first time for a civil engineering structure built for agricultural use to be recognized as a national treasure. Local people hope the designation will help promote agriculture and tourism in the area. Tsujun Bridge, one of the country’s biggest arched stone bridges, was constructed in 1854 during the Edo period to supply agricultural water to a nearby plateau. The bridge … Continue reading →

A traditional breeding system for Tajima-brand Beef in Mikata district (Kasumi Town and Shin-onsen Town) in Hyogo Prefecture was certified as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in July. One of the factors the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognized was how local farmers raise cattle in a space at home called maya and treat the animals as if they are family members. A Japan Agricultural News reporter visited one traditional house with maya, where people and cows live together under the same roof. The house is located in the mountainous village in the Kaijo region, Shin-onsen Town, which sits next to Tottori Prefecture and in … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 24 — Japan is recently exporting more high-yield rice varieties as Japanese-grown rice is increasingly accepted abroad. Rice dealers hope to expand sales channels further with a lineup of reasonably-priced products. Some prefectures are developing new varieties targeting overseas consumers while others are seeking to create added values by exploring agriculture with lower environmental load. Japan’s rice exports are expanding steadily, with shipments in the January-May period rising 30 percent from the same period last year to roughly 13,000 tons. The figure is close to the volume of exports marked in the whole of 2018, reflecting the growing popularity of Japanese-grown rice in foreign countries. Rice growing areas … Continue reading →

IWATE, July 12 — Rice paddy art depicting Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani appeared in his hometown Oshu, Iwate Prefecture. The creation of the artwork on rice fields was resumed following three years of suspension after a group of farmers volunteered to work on it in response to requests from local people. The farmers said they hope Ohtani will continue to thrive just like how he is illustrated in the artwork. Oshu had an organization entrusted with making rice paddy art of Ohtani, but the last time it created the art was in 2019 and its activity has been suspended since then due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In … Continue reading →