【News】 Japanese and U.S. governments agree on key agendas for bilateral economic dialogue at its first round (April 19, 2017)

The first round of Japan-U.S. economic dialogue between Japan’s Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence was held at the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on April 18. When the number two men of Japanese and U.S. governments kicked off the economic dialogue, they did not exchange views in details on key trade issues including automobiles and farm products. In the joint press release published shortly after the meeting, however, the two governments confirmed that they will discuss on a subject of “a bilateral framework for setting high trade and investment standards.” At the press conference held after the meeting, furthermore, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence … Continue reading

Posted in Trade Talks | Comments Off on 【News】 Japanese and U.S. governments agree on key agendas for bilateral economic dialogue at its first round (April 19, 2017)

【News】 Japan’s green tea export boosted by 22 percent in first two months 2017: Health-oriented Europeans consume highest-quality teas (April 17, 2017)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) revealed its latest report on exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products in the first two months of 2017. Among those products, exports of Japanese green teas reached to the largest value of 2 billion yen, 22 percent up over the same period in the previous year. Although the exports of the green teas during this period declined in quantity by nearly 10 percent, expensive items of Japanese teas such as powdered green tea and “gyokuro (highest-quality green tea)” have been gaining popularity particularly among European consumers. Sales of green teas in the European market have played a leading role in boosting … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 Japan’s green tea export boosted by 22 percent in first two months 2017: Health-oriented Europeans consume highest-quality teas (April 17, 2017)

【News】Norinchukin, Nokyo Tourist to send rural trip videos overseas to spur inbound tourism (Apr. 22, 2017)

The Central Cooperative Bank for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery (the Norinchukin Bank), Nokyo Tourist Corporation and two non-agricultural companies have launched a joint program to bring more inbound travelers to rural areas in Japan. The plan says some overseas travelers are offered monitor tours in rural areas in Japan to be filmed in short videos that show how they enjoyed the trips in Japan. The video clips are then provided to approximately 100 tour companies mainly in Asia to help them include those areas as new destinations in their Japan tours. The first video footage will cover the tour in Hiroshima and Ehime Prefectures of nine female travelers from Taiwan … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】Norinchukin, Nokyo Tourist to send rural trip videos overseas to spur inbound tourism (Apr. 22, 2017)

【News】Spring trio in Asahi town, Toyama Prefecture (Apr. 13, 2017)

Along the bank of Funagawa River in Asahi town, Toyama Prefecture, tulips and cherry blossoms are in full bloom at once, presenting a beautiful harmony of colors with the mountains of the Northern Alps in the background. The tulips are grown by a 56-year-old local bulb grower, Shuji Yamazaki, who successfully manages to make his tulips flower when the 280 cherry trees on the river banks are in full bloom. This year, he planted approximately 600,000 bulbs of tulips in 30 different kinds in his 1.5 hectors field. Shuji and his 74-year-old father began producing tulips in the cherry-blossom season in 2008, expecting that “the tulips added to the already-beautiful … Continue reading

Posted in Photos | Comments Off on 【News】Spring trio in Asahi town, Toyama Prefecture (Apr. 13, 2017)

【News】Fine dining and sightseeing available on “restaurant bus” tours (April 16, 2017)

Tours of eating local specialties on a double-decker bus while enjoying the changing scenery of rural villages are recently proving so popular that sometimes it is difficult to get reservations. The bus comes with a kitchen on the first floor and tables and seats for 25 people on the second floor. The roof will be opened, or covered with a transparent fabric on rainy days, to make it easy for people to see the outside view. A tour which includes visits to a Japanese sake brewery and a strawberry farm in the city of Niigata drives 60 kilometers in three and a half hours. While participants enjoy visiting a brewery … Continue reading

Posted in Photos | Comments Off on 【News】Fine dining and sightseeing available on “restaurant bus” tours (April 16, 2017)