Category Archives: Photos

A bath with Banpeiyu pomelos was shown to the media on Dec. 6 at Hinagu hot springs in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, before it was opened to the public on Dec. 10. Local residents were invited by the Hinagu association of inns to enjoy the fresh fragrance in the hot water. Banpeiyu pomelos, the local specialty of the city, are one of the world’s largest citrus fruits with an average size of around 20 cm in diameter. The member hotels and inns of the association have organized Banpeiyu baths every winter since 2000. This year, the association purchased from a local farm cooperative JA Yatsushiro roughly 300 pomelos unsuitable for sale … Continue reading →

  “Usuki-Takeyoi” is a bamboo lantern festival held in Usuki city, Oita Prefecture, which is one of the largest bamboo producers in Japan. On the 1st weekend of November every year, the main part of the Japanese castle city on the east coast of Oita Prefecture is filled with dreamy light of 20,000 bamboo lanterns. The lantern festival began in 1997 with the purpose of stimulating local economy and people’s interest in bamboo forest preservation. This year’s 20th festival was held on November 5 and 6, 2016, and brought 110,000 visitors in total in two days to the city with a population of 38,000. It took approximately two months for … Continue reading →

Super compact electric vehicles and a small mountenous village. The trial to see if they can make a winning conbination started in January 2016 in Ueyama village, Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture. The cars that belong to local non-profit organizations (NPOs) and its partners can be used by licensed drivers in the village free of charge as new and hopefully permanent means to get around the distrcit with narrow mountenous roads and no gas station. The trial runs are scheduled to go on for a limited time only. The NPOs obtained a fund from Toyota Mobility Foundation, prepared 10 units of single-seater super compact electric vehicles, the Toyota COMS, and made five … Continue reading →

Super new health benefits of natto and other soy products were confirmed by universities and other research institutions. According to their findings, people can better fight caners, bacteria and pregnancy-induced depression by eating them. Natto can help people fight cancers, says Akita University The anticancer and antibacterial properties of natto were discovered by Akita University. The source of these properties is one type of antibacterial peptides, which is produced uniquely when soy protein is decomposed by natto spores. Thousands of different antibacterial peptides have been discovered so far, but this one from natto was found for the first time in the world by the university. There are some other fermented … Continue reading →