Category Archives: Food & Agriculture

TOKYO, Feb. 9 ― Japan’s food exports rose for the sixth consecutive year of growth, breaking the 900 billion yen barrier for the first time in its history, preliminary data has showed. Total shipments of agriculture products, processed foods and seafood rose 12% to 906.8 billion yen in 2018 from a year earlier, thanks to largely to appetite for wagyu beef and fruits in neighboring Asian countries, the agriculture ministry said. The data suggests that a target of 1 trillion yen of farm exports in 2019 is achievable, if an annual growth rate grows 10.3% this year. The primary agricultural products, which constitute half of total agricultural exports, increased 14% … Continue reading →

TOKYO, March. 17 ― Japan’s agriculture ministry has held a conference, which brought together 150 farmers and food makers across the country to discuss how to find markets to export their products. The conference, which was taken place on March 16 in Tokyo, was broadcasted live on Niconico Live to about 150 online viewers, according to the ministry. The move was part of the Global Farmers Project (GFP), the agriculture ministry’s initiatives to help farmers to become entrepreneurs seeking export business opportunity, as the government aims to boost farm exports as well as farmers’ incomes. The GFP was launched in August 2018 and has now 1,011 registered members. The main … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Feb. 9 ― Japan’s reconstruction agency, which leads recovery from the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, will kick-off a campaign to promote farm products from Fukushima prefecture. The agency said on Feb. 8 that it will start broadcasting a nation-wide TV commercial on Fukushima produce, aiming to dispel rumors about its safety in the wake of the meltdown at the Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s No.1 power station in the prefecture in 2011. It has also set up a new website to explain the current situation in Fukushima prefecture, including radiation and progress in reconstruction efforts. The move comes as the eighth anniversary of the March 11 disaster approaches. “There … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Feb. 3 ― Japanese and European top officials presented their proudly produce in Tokyo on Feb. 1 when the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) came into effect. Japanese Agriculture Minister Takamori Yoshikawa and Patricia Flor, the EU ambassador to Japan, among others, broke open a sake barrel at a ceremony to mark the trade pact’s entry into force. Tokyo presented Japanese sake from Ishikawa prefecture, Kagoshima’s shochu, a distilled liquor made from grain or sweet potatoes, Yamanashi’s wine, and other local produce. Brussel also presented EU products, including champagne, cheese and olive oil from Greek. The trade deal is dubbed as “cars for cheese” because of business opportunities for … Continue reading →