Category Archives: Others

【News】 Foreign firms’ entry into Japan’s solar power business prompts local residents’ concerns over development (April 29, 2014)

  Hiroko Obara Enterprises based in foreign countries such as China are recently expanding purchases of land and forests in Japan to start solar power generation projects. Since there are no obligations for them to consult local governments in advance to set up solar panels, some projects have led to disputes with nearby residents because they have been implemented without local approval. Some worry that the panels could turn into industrial wastes after the feed-in tariff scheme for renewable energy ends, while others are concerned over their possible adverse impact on the ecosystems. In the northern part of Nishigo village in Fukushima Prefecture lies a 130-hectare land which has been … Continue reading

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【News】 2:46 p.m. – Three years after (March 12, 2014)

  Kotaro Yamada On March 11, three years after the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, a man was visiting a memorial monument in Ukedo in the town of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, to pray for the victims of the disaster at 2:46 p.m., the time when the earthquake struck the area. Chimneys of the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, some 6 km away from the monument, can be seen standing in the distance. Ukedo still remains designated as an evacuation zone after the outbreak of the nuclear crisis, restricting people from entering or living in the area, hampering restoration from the disaster. In the nearby fields, which used to be … Continue reading

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【Feature】 Sleeve covers – an idea for fashionable farm work outfits (Jan. 9, 2014)

Students of Wayo Women’s University in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, have been designing fashionable and practical outfits for farmers, based on their experiences at agricultural workshops and a survey they conducted on farmers. The university has been holding agricultural workshops for their students since the 2011 school year as a three-year project. Wakana Sawadaishi, 23, designed sleeve covers with adjustable length to protect the arms and clothing from dirt and debris. The covers, which were displayed at the university’s culture festival, attracted attention of many visitors. Sawadaishi chose a pink fabric with flower prints, because she wanted a wearer to feel happy whenever she sees her arms during farm work. Lower … Continue reading

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【News】 Watch out for snow removal related accidents (Dec. 25, 2013)

  Hiroko Obara, Junichi Miura The number of deaths related to snow has topped 100 for three consecutive years since fiscal 2010, and the situation is getting worse every year. Since lower temperature and more snow are predicted this winter, local governments and experts are calling on people to take accident prevention measures such as avoiding removing snow from rooftops without help from neighbors. Earlier this month, a man in his 70s of Kamo, Niigata Prefecture, died after falling down from a rooftop when he was removing 30-cm-deep snow from a vulnerable tin roof of a work shed all by himself.   According to Tadatsugu Tsurumaki, head of the residents’ … Continue reading

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【News】 Salted salmon in season (Dec. 13, 2013)

Takuo Fukumoto As winter deepens, production of salted salmon is at its peak in Murakami, Niigata Prefecture. Agricultural corporation Shinko Nosan is busy preparing salmon, curing them with salt and drying them for fermentation. The company’s main business is rice production, but it also engages in production of salted salmon for year-end gifts as a source of revenue during winter. They dress salmon, carefully removing dark flesh and internal organ membranes, and rub salt into it, leave it for up to a week and then wash away the salt and hang it for drying. It is dried for roughly three weeks to bring out the best flavor. Shinko Nosan dresses … Continue reading

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