Category Archives: Others

【News】 Seppetobe agricultural festival: young men dance in muddy paddy field to pray for huge harvest (Hioki-shi, Kagoshima Prefecture) (June 12, 2016)

On the first Sunday of June every year in Hioki-shi, Kagoshima Prefecture, there is an exciting rice planting festival called Seppetobe. Seppetobe means “leap as high as possible” in the Kagoshima local dialect. Young men in white costumes jump in a paddy field, which is covered with mud, to pray for the productiveness of the year. The young men from some groups according to the districts they live and compete how well a man from each group can carry a long bamboo rod from one corner to another for about 50 meters without tipping it over. A large figure of about 3 meters tall called deodon (meaning the great king … Continue reading

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【Interview series】 2016 Election: Questions at issue – Mayumi Taniguchi, acting leader of women’s online community Zen Nihon Obachan To (National Aunties’ Party) (June 16, 2016)

[Last in a series] <The upcoming Upper House election focuses mainly on economic policies and less on agriculture and rural villages. What will happen to our food resources under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? How did lives in rural areas change under the “economy comes first” policy? These are significant issues that are closely related to the Japanese people. The Japan Agricultural News asked three experts what they think are the issues which need to be addressed in the election.> When we decide which party or candidate to vote for, we should not forget to check whether they kept the pledges they promised during the previous election campaigns and what they … Continue reading

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【Interview series】 2016 Election: Questions at issue – Terumi Yoshida, freelance announcer and radio personality(June 15, 2016)

[Second in a series] <The upcoming Upper House election focuses mainly on economic policies and less on agriculture and rural villages. What will happen to our food resources under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? How did lives in rural areas change under the “economy comes first” policy? These are significant issues that are closely related to the Japanese people. The Japan Agricultural News asked three experts what they think are the issues which need to be addressed in the election.> Current politics appear to be working to strengthen the power of authorities and take away the rights of people. Politicians make policies for major companies that occupy 1 percent of the … Continue reading

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【News】 Monitors’ dissatisfaction for Abe’s farm policy stands at 66 percent, while 41 percent to vote for LDP and 17 percent for DP in proportional representation constituency of the coming election (June 21, 2016)

The Japan Agricultural News conducted an opinion poll among eligible voters, who are mostly farmers registered as agricultural policy monitors of the News throughout the country, on June 20 before the July 10 House of Councilors election is announced on June 22. According to the survey, 41 percent of the respondents replied to a question on their proportional representative vote by saying they will vote for candidates of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the coming election, building up a lead on opposite parties with 17 percent for the Democratic Party (DP) and 9 percent for the Japanese Communist Party. Although a number of respondents farming at rural communities … Continue reading

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【Interview series】 2016 Election: Questions at issue –Shiro Wakui, garden designer (June 14, 2016)

[First in a series] <The upcoming Upper House election focuses mainly on economic policies and less on agriculture and rural villages. What will happen to our food resources under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? How did lives in rural areas change under the “economy comes first” policy? These are significant issues that are closely related to the Japanese people. The Japan Agricultural News asked three experts what they think are the issues which need to be addressed in the election.> Current policies regarding metropolitan and rural areas are contradictory in two ways. While the government promotes regional revitalization, it also advocates the “super mega region plan” to encourage concentration of working … Continue reading

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