Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

【News】 Exports of the primary sector’s products and foods increased by 2.1 percent in Jan.-June 2016: MAFF surveys (Aug. 11, 2016)

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) made an announcement on August 10 that export values of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods for the first half of the year 2016 totaled 362.2 billion yen, 2.1 percent up over the same period of the previous year. The total export of these products consists of 224.0 billion yen of agricultural products and foods, 10.7 percent up over the period of January-June 2015, 12.9 billion yen of forest products, 2.8 percent up, and 125.4 billion yen of fishery products, 10.2 percent down. With regard to the commodity-wise export value, apples hit the biggest amount of 6.2 billion yen during the first … Continue reading

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【News】 New items for vegetable growing and cooking now increasingly sold for summer vacation homework of school kids (Aug. 10, 2016)

Various topics related agriculture and cooking have been proposed to school kids for their “summer vacation study projects” by many kinds of companies aiming to boosting sales of their respective products. The topics include “finding difference in taste of vegetables” and “observing process of growing vegetables.” Oisix Inc., operating an online market of organic farm products at Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, is marketing two kinds of cooking ingredient packages named “cooking kit,” prepared specially for school children. One of these “cooking kits” contains ingredients for a gratin, including three varieties of fresh egg plants. A sheet of memorandum is also available in the package, guiding school pupils to make an observation record … Continue reading

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【News】 ZEN-NOH to assist aging residents at large-sized condominium buildings in opening their own marché (Aug. 9, 2016)

ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations), agricultural cooperatives’ (JAs’) national business organization, headquartered at Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, launched a business of assisting condominium residents in opening a small-sized farmer’s market named “marché” in their common area of the large-sized condominium building. The opening of marchés at condos in big cities’ residential resion is expected not only to be useful for the residents to create a network of communication among themselves, but also helpful for aged residents to access their own “marché” within their residential area. Aged people called “disadvantaged shoppers” are increasing among condo residents as well, who have difficulties in accessing grocery stores located at distant places. ZEN-NOH now … Continue reading

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【News】 Green tea tasting workshop opens for international tourists at the hot spot of Asakusa in Tokyo (Aug. 7, 2016)

Japanese green tea tasting workshop has been held for international tourists at Asakusa in Tokyo, one of the most popular sightseeing spots among foreign visitors in Japan, since the end of this July. The Japanese green tea café organizing the workshop aims at boosting sales of the green tea by providing international tourists with proper information on making good green tea with a Japanese teapot called “Kyusu,” which is not familiar with those tourists. The workshop, in which participants enjoy a program of experiencing green tea tasting, was initiated at the café operated by Japonica Lodge, a new type of inbound travel service companies, based at Taito-ku, Tokyo. The café … Continue reading

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【News】 Dialogue for developing agriculture into growth-oriented industry to continue: Agricultural Minister and JA group representatives agree (Aug. 6, 2016)

Representatives of agricultural cooperative (JA) organizations, led by Choe Okuno, president of JA-ZENCHU (Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives), paid a courtesy call on Yuji Yamamoto, newly appointed Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), at MAFF’s office in Kasumigaseki, Tokyo on August 5. inister Yamamoto and delegates of the JA group shared a common perspective of developing Japanese agriculture into a growth-oriented industry. They also agreed to promote close dialogue between themselves by meeting together on a regular basis. At the meeting with MAFF’s new leader, JA-ZENCHU’s president Okuno congratulated Yuji Yamamoto on joining the new Cabinet as the Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Minister Yamamoto responded to the … Continue reading

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