Category Archives: Others

Foreigners buy 148 hectares of forestry across Japan in 2017

TOKYO, May 5 — With growing concerns over real intention for purchase of forest land in Japan, data from the forestry agency has showed that foreign ownership of forestry remains high. There were 44 cases of foreign funds acquiring a total of 148 hectares of forestry across Japan in 2017. That was lower than a year earlier by 54 hectares, but relatively high since the government’s survey started in 2010. The accumulated acquisition of forestry by foreigners totaled 1,589 hectares in 2017. The biggest buyer was a U.S. corporation, which acquired 66 hectares of forestry in Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture, to built solar power plants. That accounts for some 60 … Continue reading

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Japanese tea maker creates new logo for overseas promotion

TOKYO, April 3 — The Japan Tea Export Council has unveiled a new trademark to promote Japanese tea products overseas. The council, comprised of Japanese tea makers, has witnessed the growth in counterfeiting of Japanese tea products in overseas markets. The move aims to give credibility and assurance to consumers in the global market, it said. The brand logo illustrates a bird with two green leaves crossing the ocean. The English letters say “Japan Tea” and “Japan Quality”. “We hope that this new logo will be strongly associated with the high-quality of Japanese tea in the global market,” a council official said.

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Japanese researchers develop new variety of red beans

TOKYO, April 7 — Japanese agricultural researchers for the first time have developed a new variety of red beans, an ingredient extremely common in Japanese cuisine. Kyushu Okinawa Agricultural Research Center, a southern unit of the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), named the new variety as “Kyushu No. 171”. There had only been native varieties of red beans in Japan, and crops had never been developed breeding. The new variety allows making soya processed foods, such as tofu, with pink-color like sakura flowers. The researchers expect to plant the crops in Kumamoto prefecture this year.

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Fukuoka research team develops dual temperature zone container to be tested for fruit and vegetable exports to Hong Kong

FUKUOKA, April 3 – A research team in Fukuoka Prefecture has developed a dual temperature zone container for shipment of fruit and vegetables, which will be tested to export Japanese farm produce to Hong Kong starting later this year. The container can be divided into two compartments of equal size with temperature gap of up to 20 degrees centigrade, enabling shipment of chilled cargo and frozen cargo together in one container, reducing the risk of damaging temperature-sensitive products. The container also comes with a plasma generator to keep the products fresh. Developers hope the containers will pave the way for mixed-load, small-lot exports of high-quality Japanese produce. A research team … Continue reading

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Japan’s Kindai University to offer IPR program on agriculture

TOKYO, April 1 — Japan’s Kindai University is to offer an agribusiness program on intellectual property rights related to food products at its agriculture faculty from September. The program is a first attempt by the agriculture ministry to collaborate with a university on this subject. The ministry hopes investing in education on IPRs may help prepare a new generation to lead Japan’s agriculture industry. The move comes at a time when theft of Japanese agriculture breeds is hurting the nation’s exports. In 2015, Japan set up its GI system to guarantee the protected status of food products, helping farmers to differentiate their products from competing products in the market. Moreover, … Continue reading

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