Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

【News】 Convenience stores and dairy manufacturers focus on “Easter” holiday retail sales promotion (March 25, 2016)

Goods for a limited time are appearing in the market one after another towards an “Easter” holiday on March 27. In recent years egg marketing firms have carried on sales promotion campaigns coinciding the Easter holiday. This year non-egg-marketing corporations such as convenience store chains and dairy manufacturers are conspicuous by their participation in the nation-wide sales campaign. According to a private research company, almost 90 percent of the Japanese people recognize the date of Easter. A number of companies are paying attention to a new date of holiday retail sales promotion, which has been added to a calendar for marketing business in Japan. One of the largest convenience store … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 Convenience stores and dairy manufacturers focus on “Easter” holiday retail sales promotion (March 25, 2016)

【News】 G7 Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting to discuss global challenge of food security (March 23, 2016)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) announced on March 21 an agenda of the Group of Seven (G7) Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting to be held at Niigata-shi, Niigata prefecture on April 23-24. The agenda of the G7 Agricultural Minsters’ Meeting covers key subjects such as technical development for raising agricultural productivity to achieve global food security, promotion of active participation of young males and females, and acquirement of human resources in rural communities. The Ministers plan to adopt a “Niigata Declaration” as fruitful results of their talks. The G7 Agricultural Ministerial Meeting will be held to coincide with the Ise-Shima Summit. This is the second time in … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 G7 Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting to discuss global challenge of food security (March 23, 2016)

【News】 Japan and China agree to further promote cooperation in agriculture at vice-ministerial meeting (March 22, 2016)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) and the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China (MOA) held a vice-ministerial meeting at Beijing, China, on March 21 for the first time in six years. MAFF’s Vice Minister Kazuyoshi Honkawa and MOA’s Vice Minister Qu Dongyu exchanged views on a wide range of subjects, including bilateral measures to control transboundary animal diseases and China’s removals of import restrictions on agricultural, forestry and fishery products. And they came to an agreement that MAFF and MOA will further promote exchanges of persons and information as well as cooperation in various fields of agriculture between the two countries. Regarding … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 Japan and China agree to further promote cooperation in agriculture at vice-ministerial meeting (March 22, 2016)

【News】 Large-scale commercial cultivation of Shinano Gold apples to start in Italy Nagano Prefecture signs license contract (March 25, 2016)

Large-scale commercial cultivation of Shinano Gold yellow apples developed in Nagano Prefecture will start in South Tyrol, Italy. Nagano Prefectural Government has signed a license contract with the South Tyrolean Fruit Growers’ Cooperatives (VOG) and the Val Venosta Cooperative Association (VI-P) on March 24, 2016. Italian-grown Shinano Gold apples will be sold in Europe and surrounding areas and the prefecture will receive license fees. Nagano expects that this will also help it to promote Nagano Brand in Europe. Shinano Gold is a medium-late season apple variety with well-balanced sour-sweetness. It was developed by Nagano Prefecture in 1999. The two European fruit grower’s associations expect Shinano Gold to become popular in … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Photos | Comments Off on 【News】 Large-scale commercial cultivation of Shinano Gold apples to start in Italy Nagano Prefecture signs license contract (March 25, 2016)

【News】Ex-hikikomori farmer-cum-painter captures harshness and preciousness of nature on canvas Sakurai Kazuya from Kasai-shi, Hyogo Prefecture (March 19, 2016)

Landscape paintings of a 33-year-old farmer-cum-painter in Kasai-shi, Hyogo Prefecture, are drawing attentions for their fresh interpretation of the harshness and the preciousness of the nature that the painter knows from his days as a farmer. The young farmer and landscape painter, Kazuya Sakurai, draws fruits and vegetables by the window and farmland looking through the window on one canvas. He paints out of his imagination using many very small dots. He came up with this style without receiving any formal art education. He once was a shut-in, or hikikomori in Japanese, and isolated himself from any social contact after becoming truant and dropping out of senior high school. However, … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Photos | Comments Off on 【News】Ex-hikikomori farmer-cum-painter captures harshness and preciousness of nature on canvas Sakurai Kazuya from Kasai-shi, Hyogo Prefecture (March 19, 2016)