Category Archives: Others

Keiko Nakamura, Director General of JT Biohistory Research Hall Five years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake. Disaster-hit regions are struggling to restore food and agriculture, the basic forms of life, which were destroyed by earthquake and tsunami. The biggest concern lies over the effects of the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant. Most of the radiation contaminated areas are agricultural fields, forests and mountains. All the people who consume farm items produced in the region, as well as the owners of the lands, want to know the actual conditions of contamination. Radioactive substances absorbed in soil The University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Agricultural … Continue reading →

【News】 Japanese Sake most popular souvenir among Chinese tourists growing interests in safety and taste of Japanese foods and beverages (March 8, 2016) Among souvenirs of foods and beverages purchased by Chinese tourists during their stays in Japan, Japanese sake (an alcoholic drink made from rice) is most satisfactory to them, according to a survey conducted by Japan Finance Corporation (JFC). 500 Chinese people visiting Japan in past twelve months participated in an internet plural-answer survey implemented by JFC this January. The Japanese sake was rated as the No. 1 souvenir by 50 percent of those Chinese tourists, followed by chocolate snacks (39 percent) and cookies (33 percent). Decisive factors … Continue reading →

March 11 marks the 5th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The three prefectures in the Tohoku region – Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima – and other areas hit by the earthquake and tsunami are still midway through the reconstruction process. We first have to face the reality in order to think of what we can do for the future. How to recover agriculture, the primary industry, becomes the key to revitalizing the regions. We believe the focus should be “working together” and “connecting.” We must continue to closely support people in the regions facing hardships. Poet Shuntaro Tanikawa wrote in his poem “Words” right after the disaster: Everything was … Continue reading →

As of January 31, 2016, 15,920 hectares, 74 percent of farm lands devastated by the tsunami waves triggered by the March 2011 Japan earthquake have been recovered in disaster-stricken prefectures, according to a report released on March 1 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). MAFF’s minister Hiroshi Moriyama said at the press conference, “Recovery works are progressing as planned. Farmers will be able to grow crops next year on more than 80 percent of farm lands hit by the tsunami.” On March 11, Japan will mark the fifth anniversary of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. In Fukushima prefecture, however, only 30 percent of devastated farm lands … Continue reading →