Category Archives: Photos

【News】 Say “Good morning” to your cows to get more milk: study by farm helper reveals favorable impact of positive human-cow interaction (Oct. 27, 2016)

Just saying “Good morning” to your milking cows can increase their milk production. In a study coducted by a 24-year-old farm helper at a dairy farm in Nakashibetsu town, Hokkaido, cows produced more milk after receiving friendly cares, stroking and approaching, and less after receiving slaps or being shouted at. The stock handler, Haruka Koshio, also confirmed that first-calf heifers are more susceptible to such emotional experiences. Koshio presented her report at the 50th Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) held in the U.K. in the summer of 2016 and the drive to encourage gentle cow handling is growing in Japan. “Positive interaction” is key to higher … Continue reading

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【News】1,000 farmers on tractors gather in Seoul to call for President Park’s resignation (Nov. 26, 2016)

[Anseong, South Korea/ By Zhezhu Jin, The Japan Agricultural News Staff Writer] More than a thousand farming tractors gathered in Anseong city, Gyeonggi-do, in the suburb of Seoul on Nov. 25, as farmers from Gyeongsangnam-do and Jeollanam-do, the two southernmost provinces of South Korea, traveled north, heading towards the Blue House where the presidential office and residence are located. On their way to Seoul, they protested against President Park Geun-hye and her administration’s failure in farm policy, claiming that their business conditions are getting severer than ever because of plunging rice prices and market liberalization under free trade agreements signed with other countries. The farmers left Jeollanam-do on Nov. 15 … Continue reading

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【News】Lower house approves TPP despite Trump victory, 300 anti-TPP protesters rally in front of diet demanding Japanese lawmakers to stop making haste decision and ignoring farmers’ agony (Nov. 11, 2016)

On Nov. 10, 2016, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner, Komeito, passed a proposal to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement and approved related legislation. Farmers and other anti-TPP ratification protesters expressed their frustration and anger against the bill that cleared at the Lower House plenary session when the outlook for the pact is uncertain due to Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election. Protestors are questioning why only Japan has to rush into the decision, ignoring the opinions of farmers. Lower House approves TPP despite Trump victory  People gathered in protest against lawmakers’ decision on TPP ratification (In Nagatacho, Tokyo, on Nov. 10, 2016)   … Continue reading

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【News】Noh no IKEBANA: Let’s have fun choosing containers  (3) Daily agricultural instruments for arrangement that will make both materials and containers look more alive (Oct. 7, 2016)

Things found in deep mountains <”Noh no Ikebana” is an art of arranging agricultural products together with agricultural implements and other familiar instruments. It’s a type of Ikebana but mainly for farmers. The series “Noh no Ikebana” will show you how to best feature the materials and containers you choose, with the help of fans of this style of Ikebana nationwide.> For No no Ikebana, we use every kind of farming tools and instruments such as wooden hammers, baskets, weeders, and threshers including those in old days. Using big items like threshers, you can create an arrangement with depth by putting vegetables and wild plants in front. They are also … Continue reading

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【News】Footpaths in Kumamoto reopen after the April earthquake (Oct. 8, 2016)

Footpaths in Misato town, Kumamoto Prefecture, which had been closed since April due to the strong earthquake, recently reopened, attracting many tourists wishing to enjoy the satoyama landscape. The town created the footpaths in 2011 in order to invite more visitors to the depopulated community. Some 1,300 people come to the town every year to walk on 15 routes and participate in walking events. However, the April earthquake which hit the region caused damage on parts of the roads, making them impassable. The Misato footpath association set up no-entry signs on such roads and created detour routes to reopen the footpaths on Sept. 17. Although three of the walking routes … Continue reading

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