Monthly Archives: February 2015

【News】 Japan to allow betting on foreign horse races (Feb. 28, 2015)

  The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, which oversees horse racing, presented to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito on Friday, Feb. 27 a draft outline of a bill to permit sales of betting tickets for overseas races. Recently, Japanese horse racing fans’ interest in overseas races are increasing, as more Japanese horses are taking part in high-profile foreign races, including the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in France, and winning prizes. The ministry plans to submit the bill to revise the horse racing law to the current ordinary Diet session, hoping it would lead to a rise in betting revenues, part of which are used to boost … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Regional revitalization strategy must reflect local people’s views (Feb. 25, 2015)

  The government has been advocating regional revitalization as one of its main strategic policy goals, but the effectiveness of the strategy remains questionable. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of people moving in to the Tokyo metropolitan area, which includes Tokyo and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, exceeded the number of people moving out last year for three consecutive years. The data reveals that overconcentration of population in urban areas is accelerating. The government aims to balance the number of people moving in to the Tokyo metropolitan area and those moving out by 2020. However, it seems difficult to meet the goal unless the … Continue reading

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【Opinion】 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cry for reform – an effort to dismantle opposition forces (Feb. 23, 2015)

  Katsuto Uchihashi The 189th ordinary Diet session which began on Feb. 12 is dubbed the “screaming for reform” Diet. In his 45-minute policy speech before the Diet, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe mentioned the term “reform” as many as 36 times and cried out that he is determined to reform agricultural co-operatives for the first time in 60 years. The issue of dismantling the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), which was narrowly agreed upon only three days before the opening of the Diet, has been made the main focus of the Diet session. Those who support the reform plan insist that turning JA-Zenchu into a general incorporated association and … Continue reading

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【News】 Fashion college students suggest mod way to solve deer problem in Hokkaido (Feb. 22, 2015)

Hokkaido Bunka Fashion College in Sapporo, Hokkaido, presented its new line of clothes made of nothing else but Yezo deer leather at a fashion show it held on February 21, 2015, in Sapporo, Hokkaido. It was the first time for the college to make clothes only out of Yezo deer leather. The collection was composed of five different clothes created by five third-year students who spent five months to complete the mission. The idea of using the deer leather for clothing came out as the wild deer actually are causing over JPY6 billion of damages to agriculture and forestry annually in Hokkaido. In September 2014, the school launched “Hokkaido Project” … Continue reading

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【News】 Gottsuo Treasure Box Train goes full of seasonal Akita cuisine (Feb. 15, 2015)

  Tetsuya Onda – Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway (Akita Prefecture)  – A very special train trip on Gottsuo Treasure Box Train is now one of the must-do things in Akita Prefecture in winter. It’s a limited service provided by the Akita Nairiku Jukan Railway (Akita Inland Longitudinal Railway) that offers a very unique experience of enjoying seasonal Akita cuisine, cooked by mothers from local towns, on the train. The feast are prepared by members of a local farmers group called Green Tourism Nishiki Association, each one serving a personal specialty to eventually offer a multi-course meal on the train. Gottsuo (pronounced as “Gozzo”) is a local dialect for a word … Continue reading

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