Category Archives: Cooperatives

TOKYO, July 24 ― The Norinchukin Bank, the cooperative financial arm of Japan’s largest farmers’ group, has invested in a startup to help attract more Chinese tourists in Japan. The Norinchukin Bank said on July 23 that it invested an undisclosed sum in Japan Foodie, also known as Nihon-bishoku, which offers a mobile app for Chinese tourists in Japan. Japan Foodie offers app services to Chinese tourists to browse restaurants, make reservations, and order in advance and pay all in their native language. The move comes as the weak yen boosted the country’s travel boom and overseas tourists’ spending on foods in Japan surged to a record high in 2017. … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 1 — The Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA) has launched a study group to enhance cooperation among co-operatives, aiming to help the public better understand what a co-operative is. The JCA, which was set up in April, will release its first report on the issue on the day that coincides with the International Day of Cooperatives in July next year. The day, celebrated annually to raise awareness of cooperatives, is held on the first Saturday of July. This year it falls on July 7. In the report, the JCA is expected to put together examples of how to practice cooperation among co-operatives and the power of the co-operative movement. … Continue reading →

TAKAYAMA, June 18 — A slaughterhouse in Gifu prefecture, home to Hida beef, was approved for beef exports to Australia by the ministry of health, labor and welfare. The move comes as Australia has lifted a 17-year ban on beef imports from Japan in May, which could boost Japanese exports to the lucrative meat market. Shipments of eligible Japanese beef have been allowed to enter Australia without any age limit conditions, according to the agriculture ministry. The slaughterhouse in Takayama city aims to start shipments as early as late July. The facility is also approved for exports to the EU and the U.S. Australia’s lifting the import ban is a … Continue reading →

SAIJYO, June 10 — A Japanese farmer co-operative café has introduced a sweet treat, containing a giant melon that weighs 2kg. Created by the café in Saijyo city, Ehime prefecture, the sweet uses a melon cut in half, which has a diameter of 18 cm. The café names it “Mega Mountain” priced at 1,500 yen ($14). The café sells “Melon Mountain” that uses an ordinary-sized melon at 880 yen ($8). But the sizes of harvested melon are bigger this year, the café operator said.