TOKYO, Feb. 9 ― Japan’s reconstruction agency, which leads recovery from the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, will kick-off a campaign to promote farm products from Fukushima prefecture. The agency said on Feb. 8 that it will start broadcasting a nation-wide TV commercial on Fukushima produce, aiming to dispel rumors about its safety in the wake of the meltdown at the Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s No.1 power station in the prefecture in 2011. It has also set up a new website to explain the current situation in Fukushima prefecture, including radiation and progress in reconstruction efforts. The move comes as the eighth anniversary of the March 11 disaster approaches. “There … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Feb. 3 ― Japanese and European top officials presented their proudly produce in Tokyo on Feb. 1 when the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) came into effect. Japanese Agriculture Minister Takamori Yoshikawa and Patricia Flor, the EU ambassador to Japan, among others, broke open a sake barrel at a ceremony to mark the trade pact’s entry into force. Tokyo presented Japanese sake from Ishikawa prefecture, Kagoshima’s shochu, a distilled liquor made from grain or sweet potatoes, Yamanashi’s wine, and other local produce. Brussel also presented EU products, including champagne, cheese and olive oil from Greek. The trade deal is dubbed as “cars for cheese” because of business opportunities for … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Jan. 31 ― Japan’s meat imports hit a new high last year, breaking the record volume for the second consecutive year, government data has showed. The 2017 full-year import figure already broke the 2 million metric ton barrier for the first time since records began in 1988, and the 2018 figure amounted to 2.09 million metric tons, according to the finance ministry. Japanese farmers will likely face more influx of cheap meats this year as landmark trade deals, namely the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), have come into force. By product, beef imports rose 6% to 607,458 metric tons in 2018 from a year … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Jan. 29 ― Japan’s fatality rate in farm accidents hit a new high in 2017, breaking the record rate a year earlier, data from the agriculture ministry has showed. Farming is among the most dangerous occupations in Japan, with a fatality rate of 16.7 per 100,000 farmers, exceeding hazardous jobs such as those in the construction sector with a death-rate of 6.5 per 100,000 workers. In addition, a fatality rate of farmers who were aged over 65 rose to 21.2 per 100,000 farmers, with elderly farmers most at risk group. Nearly 40 percent of fatalities were farmers aged over 80, according to the ministry. A total of 304 farmers … Continue reading →