Category Archives: Cooperatives

【Japan Report】 Rice farmers concerned over possible increase of U.S. exports – Odate, Akita Prefecture (May 19, 2015)

  Tomokatsu Sowa Amid reports that Japan and the United States are considering expanding Japan’s import quota for U.S. rice in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, Japanese farmers in rice growing regions are voicing worries and anger, saying that increased imports would ruin their efforts to balance domestic supply and demand by reducing production of table rice and shifting to production of rice for livestock feed. “Don’t they care if the government’s policy to tighten supply-demand balance of rice ends up in failure?” says Shusaku Watanabe, 78, who heads Oshigenai, an agricultural producers’ co-operative corporation in the city of Odate, Akita Prefecture. Hit by dropping rice prices, Oshigenai went into … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture, Trade Talks | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Japan Report】 Rice farmers concerned over possible increase of U.S. exports – Odate, Akita Prefecture (May 19, 2015)

【Editorial】 Agricultural co-ops reform – for whom and for what? (May 14, 2015)

  The Diet will begin deliberations on the bill to revise the Agricultural Co-operatives Society Law on Thursday, May 14. The government says it places top priority on the bill in the current Diet session. The point at issue will be whether the revision will realize the government’s goal of increasing farmers’ income. The bill includes revisions on issues which have much to do with the essence of agricultural co-operatives, such as the scope of their business and who should be assigned to their board of directors. As the revision will be a historical shift for the Japanese agricultural co-ops group, we urge lawmakers to conduct thorough deliberations, taking into … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Editorial】 Agricultural co-ops reform – for whom and for what? (May 14, 2015)

【News】 Gachapon by farmers’ association has pickled plum in capsule! (May 9, 2015)

Insert two 100 yen coins into the machine and turn the handle to get the product. But please note it’s not a toy but a real umeboshi, a Japanese pickled plum, in a capsule. This amazing experience is brought by Gachapon coin-operated capsule umeboshi (not toy) vending machines, which are introduced by Kishu Minabe Umeboshi (Pickled Plum) Producers Association based in Minabe-cho, Wakayama Prefecture. The association introduced them in order to encourage children to eat more umeboshi, and accordingly to recover its consumption. It seems that they are doing a good job. The first capsule umeboshi vending machine was introduced in late January quite successfully. So now, you can find … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture, Photos | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Gachapon by farmers’ association has pickled plum in capsule! (May 9, 2015)

【Opinion】 Fragile”alliance of hope”could be a pie in the sky (May 5, 2015)

Senior special writer, Masaru Yamada Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returned to Japan on Sunday, May 3, after a visit to the United States which included a meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and a speech at the U.S. Congress. Abe seems satisfied with the fact that he and Obama could reaffirm the importance of the Japan-U.S. alliance. However, Abe’s remarks made in Washington indicate nothing but Japan’s intention to follow the U.S. global strategy like a shadow in every aspect from foreign and military policies to economics. For two months in the end of last year, the writer interviewed people from farm lobbying groups in Washington concerning the Trans-Pacific Partnership … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture, Trade Talks | Tagged | Comments Off on 【Opinion】 Fragile”alliance of hope”could be a pie in the sky (May 5, 2015)

【News】 Carp-shaped streamers fly over rice paddies in cool breeze (May 3, 2015)

Kotaro Yamada – Iki-iki Yamada Koinobori Festival (Katori-shi, Chiba Prefecture) – In late April every year, the village in Katori-shi, Chiba Prefecture, turns colorful with rows of 200 carp-shaped streamers flying over rice paddies and local farmers doing their usual jobs, puddling soil and planting rice. The scene is already one of the early-summer features of the village. “I feel so good when planting rice sometimes looking up at Koinobori,” said Toshihiro Sugaya, 62, as he stopped his hands and smiled. He is a local farmer whose paddies are right under the great Koinobori display. The villagers of Katori-shi or the village previously called Yamada-cho decorate the area with Koinobori streamers … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture, Photos | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Carp-shaped streamers fly over rice paddies in cool breeze (May 3, 2015)