【News】 Progress in TPP ignores struggle by beef cattle farmers – report from Shihoro, Hokkaido (March 4, 2015)

  Shingo Oka Shogo Kamata, 43, who raises 1,700 Holstein steers in Shihoro, Hokkaido, is increasingly worried that the Japanese government might compromise with the United States in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, despite the Diet resolutions which pledge to protect key farm products. Kamata is concerned because of reports that Japan is considering gradually reducing beef tariff to 9 percent from 38.5 percent in response to the U.S. demand in the bilateral negotiations. Holstein steers will be hit hardest if such tariff cut is implemented, as they compete with imported beef in terms of quality grade. Many fear that the accelerating trend of market liberalization, following the Japan-Australia Economic … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Reconfirm the role of co-operatives in revising farm co-ops law (March 4, 2015)

  The government’s policies concerning the agricultural co-operatives reform goes against the global trend. The international society highly evaluates and pins high hopes on the value and role of co-operatives. Some countries have enacted co-ops laws, considering that co-ops operated under the principle of mutual aid are an effective institution to solve such problems as hunger, poverty, employment and regional revitalization. It is necessary to renew public awareness and consensus on the significance and role of co-ops today before starting discussions on the revision of the Agricultural Co-operatives Society Law. International Co-operative Alliance President Pauline Green, who visited Tokyo last month, gave high marks to Japanese co-ops, saying they have … Continue reading

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【News】 Hokkaido University student’s trip from Hokkaido to Okinawa with two Dosanko horses to end (March 1, 2015)

Tetsuya Onda A 24-year-old undergraduate student in his sixth year in Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, is now in the course of a long journey through Japan, surprisingly walking all the way from Hokkaido to Okinawa on foot with two Dosanko horses. The student, Kohei Yamakawa, says he wants more people to know that there are some extant Japanese indigenous horse breeds including some critically endangered. Kohei and his two Dosanko horses, native to Hokkaido, left Sapporo, Hokkaido, in August 2014 and now they are almost there at goal, the Yonaguni Island of Okinawa. Late February, Kohei and his mates, Yuki and Mitchy, were walking up the hill in … Continue reading

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【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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