OITA, May 4 — The Oita prefecture government is planning to boost the number of foreigner-friendly restaurants, as it gears up to welcome the Rugby World Cup matches in 2019. The Rugby World Cup 2019 matches, including the quarter-finals, are scheduled to take place in Oita prefecture. “We expect more foreign visitors stay here for some time to watch five rugby matches,” said a local government official. “If we can grab their stomachs with our local produce, they will become good PR persons for us to boost inbound tourist arrivals and help the local economy,” he added. The Oita prefecture government has started receiving applications from local restaurants and plans … Continue reading →

TOKYO, April 28 — Exporters of Japanese rice and sake have urged the government to strike a deal with importing countries such as Taiwan and China to slash high tariffs and other trade barriers. The governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held a meeting on April 27 to hear from food exporters about the challenges when it comes to selling Japanese rice and sake to overseas customers. Kosuke Kuji, the president of Nanbu-Bijin brewery in Iwate prefecture, pointed out that China and Taiwan impose a 40 percent tariff on Japanese sake. “One company can’t fix the problem of substantial tariffs,” Kuji told the lawmakers. Tomohiro Deguchi, Sapporo-based rice retailer Wakka Japan, … Continue reading →

TOKYO, May 10 —Japan will have two new rice mills and five more fumigation warehouses certified for exports to China, a key step to access more Japanese rice in the world’s largest rice market, the two governments have agreed. This is significant because Japan so far has only one rice mill and two fumigation warehouses approved by China. In 2017, Japan exported 11,800 tons of rice, of which only 298 tons shipped to China. Experts say that the Japanese rice exports may be linked to political moves related to Tokyo and Beijing turning a new page for more constructive bilateral ties in the near future. Japan and China signed a … Continue reading →

SAPPORO, May 12 —China is ready to expand agricultural imports from Japan, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said, when he made a 3-day visit to Japan that ended May 11. “China would like to import more safe and high-quality agricultural products from Japan,” Li said. The Chinese premier attended the Japan-China Governors’ Forum with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 11 in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. Li cited Hokkaido’s modern agricultural technology and said: “China also want to boost cooperation with Hokkaido in the agriculture sector.” The forum was organized by Japan’s National Governors Association. Japanese governors from 6 prefectures including Hokkaido and Yamagata, and 12 Chinese provincial governors … Continue reading →