Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

HOKKAIDO, Sept. 7 — Production of pelletized compost Shimizu Yuki is in full swing at a composting facility of JA Tokachi Shimizu, an agricultural cooperative in the town of Shimizu in Hokkaido. The pelletized compost is produced by mixing cattle and chicken manure collected in Shimizu, a major dairy farming region. The pellets are spread out on the ground in front of the composting facility to be sun-dried as part of the finishing process. Summer is the season best fit for pelletized compost production because the product can be manufactured at lower energy costs thanks to high temperatures that speed up fermentation and strong sunlight that helps drying. As production … Continue reading →

ISHIKAWA, Sep. 8 – In Shiroyone Senmaida rice terraces in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, approximately 100 rice paddy owners and high school students harvested rice on September 7 for the first time after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Most of the 1004 rice terraces suffered damage, including cracks, from the earthquake on Jan. 1. Shiroyone Aiko Kai, the local group responsible for maintaining the terraces, restored approximately 120 before the plowing season. A group of locals volunteered to plant rice in May. Paddy owners chose Noto Hikari, an early season variety developed by the prefecture to secure longer time for restoration works after harvesting. The rice harvest began on September 3 … Continue reading →

Tokyo, Aug. 31 – Dishes using plenty of vegetables will help you beat summer fatigue and sharpen your appetites. So, restaurants in Japan are offering highly satisfying dishes targeting a wide range of customers, including those who are concerned about nutritional balance and those who want something with more meat. They are suggesting making it a habit to choose a vegetable-rich diet. With Green is a restaurant chain headquartered in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, famous for serving super-large bowls of salad that satisfy everyone’s stomach. It recently opened many new restaurants and grew in the number of outlets from 10 in 2020 to more than 30 in August 2024. It added … Continue reading →

HOKKAIDO, Aug. 24 — Suzuki Farm in Hiroo, Hokkaido, started selling grass-fed milk — milk produced from cows raised with only grass — frozen, becoming the first to do so in Japan. The farm succeeded in preserving its Tokachi Organic Milk without losing its flavor through quick freezing. If kept frozen, the durable life period of the product will be largely extended to three months, giving the farm a competitive advantage in expanding its sales channels. Suzuki Farm, located in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region, the country’s top milk-producing area, raises 130 cows, out of which 60 are delivered cows and 10 are beef cattle, on a 66-hectare pasture. In December last … Continue reading →

AKITA, Aug. 23 – A Japanese local agricultural cooperative in Akita Prefecture, JA Akita Shinsei, began selling a box of assorted local agricultural products on August 20 to support local farmers hit by heavy rain that caused significant agricultural damages in July. The JA will use 10% of the revenue to support regional farmers. “We’d like to ask consumers to eat more agricultural products to support affected farmers,” a JA staff said. The box contains four packs of precooked Akitakomachi rice (200g), four packs of precooked Hitomebore rice (200g), three servings of Akita Yuri Beef curry sauce, and three bags of Inaniwa Udon noodles made of rice powder (180g). One … Continue reading →