TOKYO, May 9 — A bipartisan group of Japanese lawmakers is seeking to expand exports of rice and sake, brewed using Japanese-grown rice, as the domestic consumption of the staple food has continued sliding. The group held a meeting on May 8 to discuss its major activities in the year starting April 1. “We believe we should move forward expediently in expanding rice and sake exports to support the Japanese agriculture,” said Seishiro Eto, the chairman of the group and former deputy speaker of the parliament’s lower house. The Japanese agricultural exports broke the 800 billion yen barrier last year for the first time, as washoku or traditional Japanese food … Continue reading →

TOKYO, April 30 — The government is helping to create a new business model to recover inbound arrivals of foreigners in northern Japan, which was hit hard by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster. It has been seven years since the disaster struck the northeastern coast and triggered meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. In post-quake reconstruction efforts, the Japanese reconstruction agency chose 10 projects this year that aim to rebuild local economies and boost the number of foreign travelers. They include seasonal events such as fruit-picking in spring and fireworks festivals in summer, and a variety of tours in footsteps … Continue reading →

WAKAYAMA, May 9 — Strawberry growers in central Japan are readying the first commercial exports of their new strawberry “Marihime” to Asian neighbors. Wakayama prefecture’s agricultural research center developed the new strawberry breed and registered it in 2010. “This strawberry taste sweet and a little sour,” an official from the local government explained. In Tokyo, it was sold at 12,960 yen per box at fruit shops. “We hope we can sell it overseas as well,” the official said. Fruit is generally expensive in Japan, and people often buy melons, grapes and strawberries as a gift for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and parties. Japan exported 890 tons of strawberries, … Continue reading →