Category Archives: Others

【Series】 Disaster victims and their challenges: Part 1 – Temporary housing units (Sept. 11, 2013)

  Hiroki Sakaue Two and a half years after the March 11, 2011, Great East Japan Earthquake, frustrations remain high for displaced victims struggling with worries over unclear future and isolation due to broken family ties and local community bonds. Local medical services which support the people’s health are also in a critical condition. The Japanese government insists on taking reconstruction measures with consideration for the people of the quake-hit areas, but it is questionable whether the measures really contribute to the top priority goal of rebuilding the people’s lives. 320 people who evacuated from Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, after the Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant accident live in temporary housing … Continue reading

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【News】 Edamame beans in Akita gaining popularity as ingredient for desserts (Sept. 4, 2013)

Edamame green soybeans are becoming more than a classic sake nibble. Edamame produced by an agricultural cooperative in Daisen, Akita Prefecture (JA Akita Obako), is increasingly used as ingredients for other food products, especially desserts. Firms and hotels in Akita are developing original premium sweets using processed edamame, contributing to making Akita-grown beans more appealing. JA Akita Obako is the top producer of edamame in Akita, with acreage of 181 hectares in fiscal 2013, 1.3 times as large as five years ago. Along with the expansion of production, the cooperative was faced with the need to cope with the increase of non-standard products. To raise farmers’ incomes and to respond … Continue reading

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【News】 Shrinking production of non-GM soybeans abroad gives a headache to Japanese importers (Sept. 3, 2013)

Kazuhiro Takamatsu Japanese trading firms are having difficulty coping with supply shortage of imported non-GM soybeans which Japanese consumers prefer. Production of non-GM soybeans are declining, as the bad weather and increase of demand in emerging markets are pushing up soybean prices in the global market, prompting farmers to move away from time-consuming production of non-GM soybeans. Soybean dealers, also hit by the weakening yen leading to rising prices of imports, are turning to domestically-produced soybeans and are calling on the government to take measures to encourage soybean production. An official of a major Japanese trading company which imports non-GM soybeans from the United States and Canada says all the … Continue reading

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【News】 Japan to join treaty on sustainable use of plant genetic resources in October (Aug. 15, 2013)

  The Japanese government has announced that it will join the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in October, with the aim of facilitating information sharing and technology transfer of genetic resources necessary to develop new or improved varieties. The treaty is intended to ensure conservation and sustainable use of the world’s major agricultural seeds, as well as fair distribution of benefits from their use among member countries including developing nations. 128 countries and the European Union have ratified the treaty, which was approved in Rome in 2001 at the conference of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization. The list of plant genetic material subject … Continue reading

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【Series】 The Chernobyl disaster, 27 years of building trust: Part 4 – Radiation education nurtures awareness of history and health (Aug. 9, 2013)

  Tomokatsu Sowa Strelichevo junior high school in Khoiniki district of Belarus’ Gomel region was closed after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, but resumed in 2003. Currently, some 150 students between fifth grade of elementary school and third grade of junior high attend the school, revitalizing the area. In 2006, the Belarus government built a radiation culture center inside the school with the support of the private sector. The center has a radiation measuring device which can be used by students to deepen understanding for radioactive substances. The device is used in chemistry and physics classes and in club activities. On Saturdays, students operate the device to measure radiation in food … Continue reading

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