Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

EHIME, Nov. 4 ― A mandarin orange from Ehime, an apple from Aomori, and an Umeboshi pickled Japanese plum from Wakayama. Believe it or not, all of them are sold in capsules today in vending machines in Japan. The new and unusual fresh food capsule vending machines are drawing attention all over Japan. They are called Gachapon or Gacha. They usually sell small toys in capsules, but today, there are Gacha machines that sell locally-grown fresh food, and they are doing a good job particularly with children. The targets are young consumers who are eating increasingly less fruit and grandparents who are always happy to say yes to their ground … Continue reading →

Sericulture farmers feeding mulberry leaves to GM silk worms (in Maebashi city, Nagano Prefecture, photo by Gunma Sericultural Technology Center) MAEBASHI, Nov. 2 — On November 1, 2017, sericulture farmers in Maebashi city, Gunma Prefecture, shipped cocoons of genetically engineered (GM) silkworms that produce green fluorescent silk yarns for the first time in the world. On November 13, the cocoons will be sent to Miyasaka Silk Reeling Company in Okaya city, Nagano Prefecture. Then all the silk yarn produced by the mill will be sold to a Kyoto-based textile company, Hosoo Co., Ltd. which is planning to use them to make original interior products. The silk yarns glow green under … Continue reading →

NAGANO, Oct. 30 – Matsumoto city, Nagano Prefecture, held the 1st All Japan Food Loss Reduction Conference on October 30, 2017. At the conference, the city introduced one of its key efforts called “30-10 (sanmaru-ichimaru) Movement,” and run a panel discussion of restaurant and retail store owners and consumers to confirm the shared commitment to expanding the food loss reduction movement across the country. The participants also endorsed the decision to name October 30 “food loss reduction day” in Japan. The country, which depends on imports for about 60 percent of its food, discards 6.21 million tons of edible food every year. The purpose of the meeting was to build … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 2 – Growers of Shine Muscat grapes are recently enjoying brisk business, backed by the overwhelming popularity of the variety known for its sweet and aromatic taste and large, seedless berries that can be eaten without peeling. After the variety was registered in 2006, its cultivation quickly spread nationwide to become the leading breed. It is also gaining popularity in overseas markets, prompting foreign buyers to contact growers to do business with them directly. Because the variety has long shelf-life, it can be shipped through winter even after the production peak is over, helping to boost farmers’ profits. Farmers expanding production as buyers flock to the variety at … Continue reading →