Category Archives: Cooperatives

“JA Yaeyama” young cattle vessel carrying calves from island to island (in Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa Prefecture)

OKINAWA, July 30 ― A boat owned by an agricultural cooperative in Okinawa (JA Okinawa) is playing an important role in Yaeyama islands, which are 400 km away from the main island of Okinawa and at the southwest end of Japan. The vessel is exclusively designed for moving young cattle from an island to an island to deliver the calves produced by farmers on small islands to Ishigakijima Island. The calves will be then transported to the mainland of Japan. The ship has been in service for more than 40 years since the first JA boat was introduced. A little past noon on July 13, 2017, the vessel “JA Yaeyama” … Continue reading

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‘Nishio Matcha’ granted first trademark in overseas tea market

NISHIO, July 30 — Nishio Matcha, finely ground Japanese green tea, has been granted a trademark for the brand name by Taiwan, its first overseas registration at a time when fake matcha has been on the rise in markets across Asia and in the United States. The trademark registration aims to help the traditional product from central Japan attract new markets seeking high-quality and healthy foods. With its health benefits, matcha has been popular and used in everything including lattes, cupcakes and ice cream. The brand logo illustrates a green deep tea bowl and a bamboo tea whisk, with English letters saying “Nishio Matcha.” The Nishio Tea Cooperative, a group … Continue reading

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ZEN-NOH elects Yutaka Nagasawa as new Chairman

TOKYO, July 26 ― National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH) elected Yutaka Nagasawa a (Chairman of Administrative Committee of Yamagata Prefectural Headquarters) as new Chairman of ZEN-NOH supervisory board on July 25, 2017, succeeding ex-Chairman who has finished out his term. Nagasawa stressed at the press conference that he is willing to create new, fresh ZEN-NOH.

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JA Bank deposits exceed 897 billion US dollars in June

TOKYO, July 14 — The financial arm of Japan’s agricultural cooperatives says its deposits, known as JA Bank, have reached more than 100 trillion yen (some 897 billion dollars), at a time when the country’s low interest rate environment is expected to stay for some time. JA Bank deposits totaled 100.48 trillion yen at the end of June 2017, Norinchukin Bank said. The bank achieved the 100 trillion yen target more than a year ahead of its 3-year business plan. The bank said it will continuously provide services that meet customers’ needs and increase market share.

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Japan’s cooperatives promoting its concept listed on UNESCO

TOKYO, July 16 — Cooperatives Japan’ homepage has added a new page which explains the idea and practice of organizing of common interests in cooperatives. The concept of cooperatives has been in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2012. The aim is “to increase awareness about co-operatives and to promote their growth,” the organization said on its site. The history of cooperatives can be traced back to 1840s in Germany and more than 900,000 cooperatives with some 800 million members are active in more than 100 countries, according to the Bonn-based International Raiffeisen Union (IRU). The form of cooperatives ranges from banks or credit unions, grocery stores, known as co-op, … Continue reading

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