【Interview series】 2016 Election: Questions at issue – Terumi Yoshida, freelance announcer and radio personality(June 15, 2016)

[Second in a series] <The upcoming Upper House election focuses mainly on economic policies and less on agriculture and rural villages. What will happen to our food resources under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? How did lives in rural areas change under the “economy comes first” policy? These are significant issues that are closely related to the Japanese people. The Japan Agricultural News asked three experts what they think are the issues which need to be addressed in the election.> Current politics appear to be working to strengthen the power of authorities and take away the rights of people. Politicians make policies for major companies that occupy 1 percent of the … Continue reading

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【News】 Popularity of “onigiri” boosts shipment of cooked rice in 2015 (June 23, 2016)

The survey conducted by Corporation of Rice-Cooking of Japan, based at Toshima-ku, Tokyo, revealed that shipment of cooked rice has been increasing because of the growth of sales for home-meal replacement and dining-out in the country. According to the interview-based survey carried out on its members of about 70 rice-cooking companies, the shipment of cooked rice by these companies totaled 185.2 thousand tons in 2015, 2.8 percent up over the previous year. Their shipment to convenience stores and super markets increased because “Onigiri (rice ball)” is enjoying a greater popularity among consumers. Their annual marketing turnover of the cooked rice, which is estimated on the basis of 320 yen per … Continue reading

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【News】 Upper House election kicks off with key points of contention of farm policy reform and TPP (June 23, 2016)

June 22 marked the start of the 18-day campaign for the 24th House of Councilors election, which is to continue until voting and ballot-counting on July 10. The key points of contention in the campaign are whether a majority of eligible voters support the economic policy of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s Administration, named “Abenomics,” as well as how the voters evaluate candidates’ responses to the issue of amending the Constitution. Regarding the agricultural policy, voters will make a judgement on how to evaluate a series of farm policy reforms including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal and revised policy for rice production. The total of the 121 contested seats … Continue reading

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【News】 Monitors’ dissatisfaction for Abe’s farm policy stands at 66 percent, while 41 percent to vote for LDP and 17 percent for DP in proportional representation constituency of the coming election (June 21, 2016)

The Japan Agricultural News conducted an opinion poll among eligible voters, who are mostly farmers registered as agricultural policy monitors of the News throughout the country, on June 20 before the July 10 House of Councilors election is announced on June 22. According to the survey, 41 percent of the respondents replied to a question on their proportional representative vote by saying they will vote for candidates of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at the coming election, building up a lead on opposite parties with 17 percent for the Democratic Party (DP) and 9 percent for the Japanese Communist Party. Although a number of respondents farming at rural communities … Continue reading

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【News】 Noh no IKEBANA: Let’s exhibit respective characters of each material                         (3) Keep leaf vegetables fresh and alive (June 3, 2016)

<“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. > Good thing about leaf vegetables is freshness. They are perfect materials for expressing power and dynamics of agricultural products and beauty of rich colorful farmland. As they come in various colors and shapes, you can try different combinations or choose to use only one kind in a bundle. Chose the materials by paying … Continue reading

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