Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

Cool Japan Fund to open Japanese food shops in Europe with first one opening in London in 2018

TOKYO, Oct. 4 – Cool Japan Fund (CJF), a public-private fund for boosting overseas demand for Japanese products and services, announced on October 3, 2017, a plan to support the opening of a series of Japanese restaurants and grocery stores equipped with open kitchens  in Europe. It plans to open the first grocery store in London during the first half of 2018, and possibly, second and third ones in Paris and Milan shortly after. The expansion into Europe will hopefully allow the fund to deliver the Japanese food culture to more consumers, sell groceries from all over Japan in overseas markets, and promote the export of agricultural products from Japan. … Continue reading

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New Zealand’s investor makes first kiwifruit harvest in Japan

TSUNO, Oct. 9 — A firm with New Zealand’s capital has made its first harvest of kiwifruit in southern Japan. That could create a successful grower business and the long-term benefit in a marginal and ageing community. Mikiwi, the Japanese subsidiary of the New Zealand investment company, has partnered with Japanese growers to grow kiwifruit in Tsuno town, Miyazaki prefecture. It invested 360 million yen to produce 6.4 hectares of kiwifruit in 2014. The New Zealand investor said at a press conference on Oct. 8 that it expects between 40 and 45 tons of kiwifruit in Japan, with revenue of 14 million yen for this fiscal year ending in March … Continue reading

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Chubu Centrair Airport can now inspect Japanese-grown food

TOKYO, Oct. 8 — Japanese inspectors have set up a service counter for plant and animal quarantine within the terminals at Chubu Centrair International Airport, the main gateway for the central Japan. That will make it much easier for foreign visitors to have Japanese-grown fruits and vegetables inspected and obtain relevant certification before taking them to their home countries, the agriculture ministry said. Previously, such a quarantine service was located far from the departure and arrival terminals at airports, and it has been time-consuming for travelers to get inspection certificates. The government is looking to promote Japanese-grown agriculture products overseas, and it has installed a quarantine service counter within terminals … Continue reading

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Japanese-grown carnations wane as imports rise in Japan

TOKYO, Oct. 5 — Japan’s production of carnations has fallen in recent years, as cheap imports flood the market, data from the agriculture ministry shows. The imports of carnations in 2016 rose 6% from a year earlier to a record 361.6 million flowers. They account for nearly 60 percent of the Japanese market. The biggest exporter is Colombia, which saw a 7% surge from a year earlier to 236 million. China and Vietnam also each saw a 7% increase. On the other hand, the production of carnations has declined in Japan. Japan produced 251.5 million carnations in 2016. The volume was a record low since 1976, the oldest year for … Continue reading

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Japan and Hong Kong sign agreement to promote Japan’s food exports

TOKYO, Oct. 3 – Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) agreed on Oct. 2 to strengthen cooperation aimed at boosting Japan’s exports of food, farm and marine products to Hong Kong. Agriculture minister Ken Saito and HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong signed a memorandum with additional clauses for cooperation, including promotion of Japanese cuisine, at the ministry in Tokyo the same day. Hong Kong is the world’s largest exporter of Japanese food and agriculture products. The ministry and the council signed a memorandum on export promotion in 2012 to recover Japan’s exports which had been reduced after the Fukushima No. 1 … Continue reading

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