Category Archives: Photos

【News】More restaurants and supermarkets outsourcing rice cooking (Aug. 1, 2016)

More retailers, especially small and medium-size restaurants and supermarkets, are entrusting rice cooking to outside suppliers in an effort to cope with chronic manpower shortages. Because of the shortage of workers, some stores are forced to reduce opening hours or even close down their business. This could have a serious impact on rice consumption as well. At the same time, outside suppliers’ quality of rice cooking is being tested, as the taste of rice counts in attracting customers at smaller stores more than at large chain stores.

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【News】Natural waterslide in Oita popular during summer (Aug. 2, 2016)

Ryumon no Taki, a waterfall in Matsuki in the town of Kokonoe, Oita Prefecture, is popular among children who enjoy water-sliding during the summer vacation. The 26-meter-high, 40-meter-wide waterfall is followed by a wide slope made smooth by the waters of the river. Children sit on plastic bags and swim rings to slide down the natural waterslide for about 50 meters. Local residents say the amount of water is larger than last year because of much rain in the rainy season. An eight-year-old girl of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, who brought a fertilizer bag she borrowed from her grandfather who is a farmer, said: “It feels great because I can slide … Continue reading

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【News】Candles brighten up terraced rice fields for Firefly Bonfire Festival in Yokoze-machi, Saitama Prefecture (July 10, 2016)

Approximately 600 candles and small lanterns brightened up the stepped rice paddies in Terasaka, Yokoze-machi, Saitama Prefecture. The Firefly Bonfire Festival prepared by local farmers offered its visitors a splendid experience of enjoying candle lights, with city lights in the background. The candle light festival started on June 30 this year and lasted for three days, being hosted by a group of local farmers who gathered to restore the stepped rice paddies in Terasaka, Yokoze-machi. The farmers prepared two types of light sources, candles in bamboo candle holders and cans with bio-diesel fuel (BDF). The festival is an event to appreciate farmers’ hard work after the rice planting season. It … Continue reading

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【News】Rice paddy art boosts wagyu Olympics in Miyagi (July 17, 2016)

Ushi Masamune, a mascot character for the 11th National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu, also known as the wagyu Olympics, has been created as a two-dimensional art on a rice field in the Semine district of the city of Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture. Local rice farmers created the cow mascot, named after a famous shogun from the region Date Masamune, on an 80-hectare field using white and purple plants of four rice varieties to promote the exhibition to be held in Miyagi next year. Some 100 local residents visited the field on Sunday, July 16, as the creators held a viewing event. The artwork can be seen in good shape until the … Continue reading

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【News】 Kasumi Ishikawa visits ZEN-NOH, commits to go all out in Rio to win gold and 12 tons of rice (July 6, 2016)

Kasumi Ishikawa, a professional table tennis player and a member of the table tennis club of National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (ZEN-NOH), made a visit at the ZEN-NOH office in Otemachi, Tokyo, on July 5 to express her firm commitment to win medals at the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, starting on August 5. Speaking in front of 100 ZEN-NOH workers and officers, she said, “Rice is the source of power for me.” Masanobu Yoshinaga, senior executive vice president of ZEN-NOH, presented her a Japanese good luck flag with messages like “I look forward to seeing your powerful play” and “Be a star … Continue reading

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