Category Archives: Others

【Opinion】How should we define washoku? (Dec. 19, 2016)

[By Isao Kumakura, President of the National Assembly on the Preservation and Continuation of Washoku Culture] Three years have passed since washoku, traditional Japanese dietary culture, was listed by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. In February 2014, the National Assembly on the Preservation and Continuation of Washoku Culture was launched to promote the culture. One of its main activities is to hold washoku tasting events on Nov. 24, designated as Washoku Day, at elementary and junior high schools nationwide. This year, some 3,000 schools participated, up 50 percent from a year before. On the other hand, most of the questions we receive continue to be “What is washoku?” In … Continue reading

Posted in Others | Comments Off on 【Opinion】How should we define washoku? (Dec. 19, 2016)

【Opinion】Japan’s wheat imports a possible key to solving its territorial dispute with Russia (Dec. 6, 2016)

[By Masaru Yamada, The Japan Agricultural News Special Senior Writer] Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual presidential address to Russia’s Federal Assembly, delivered at the Kremlin in Moscow on Dec. 1, attracted global attention, as many were concerned over what kind of relationship he is trying to build with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump. For Japan, which is expecting a bilateral summit later this month, the focus was on whether he gives any hints on his intentions regarding a territorial dispute between the two countries. Although not widely reported, Putin made an interesting remark on the nation’s agriculture sector in his address. “Agricultural produce exports bring in more revenue today than arms … Continue reading

Posted in Others | Comments Off on 【Opinion】Japan’s wheat imports a possible key to solving its territorial dispute with Russia (Dec. 6, 2016)

【Opinion】The globalization myth debunked (Dec. 6, 2016)

[By Hidehiro Kikuchi, President of the Japan Monetary and Financial Policy Research Institute] On June 23, the British voters who supported the nation leaving the European Union won in the referendum, and on Nov. 28, the world was shocked to see Republican candidate Donald Trump win in the U.S. presidential election. As a matter of fact, I was expecting both of the results. I won bets with many of my friends and they treated me to lunch. In both countries, which were the first to adopt globalization and neoliberalism – policies that only works for the rich – the state is weakened by ballooning debt and is divided because of … Continue reading

Posted in Others, Trade Talks | Comments Off on 【Opinion】The globalization myth debunked (Dec. 6, 2016)

【Opinion】The end of global capitalism has begun (Nov. 28, 2016)

[By Tatsuru Uchida, Philosopher and Martial artist] U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal on his first day in office. Although the TPP framework was a policy led by the United States, all of the major candidates in the presidential election expressed opposition to the deal in their campaign pledges. Meanwhile in Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party had been clearly against the TPP framework in the 2012 general election, but made a complete turnaround after the election to eagerly promote the framework. Policy shifts in Japan and the U.S. What do the policy shifts in Japan and the U.S. represent? If … Continue reading

Posted in Others, Trade Talks | Comments Off on 【Opinion】The end of global capitalism has begun (Nov. 28, 2016)

【Editorial】Let’s fight together against the attack on cooperatives (Nov. 29, 2016)

The recent turmoil over a report by the government’s Regulatory Reform Promotion Council on agriculture cooperatives reform, filled with irrational arguments, was settled after some maneuvering by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Radical and extreme phrases were deleted from the report for the time being, but it is highly likely that attacks on cooperatives will continue in the future. In response, cooperatives at home and abroad issued statements of protest against the report, calling for the need to protect the organizations’ core principles of autonomy and independence. The government and the LDP should take them seriously. Cooperative organizations around the world are furious and are alarmed by the situation. The … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Others | Comments Off on 【Editorial】Let’s fight together against the attack on cooperatives (Nov. 29, 2016)