【News】Blog by Japanese young people living abroad offers information on foreign food and agriculture (March 19, 2017)

A blog written by Japanese young people living abroad is attracting attention by offering information on food and agriculture of the nations they live in. The blog titled “Agriters” is written in Japanese by five people living in the United States, Britain, the Netherlands and Nepal. “We hope the blog can offer clues for revitalizing Japan’s agriculture and rural villages,” said Mikihisa Shiratori, 32, who started the blog. Shiratori, who is taking postgraduate courses at the Department of Land Economy in University of Cambridge in Britain, invited other writers through social media. A writer who goes by a pseudonym GAK and conducts a research on agriculture and politics in the … Continue reading

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【News】 Japan’s Agricultural Minister reiterates “We will not make any compromises at coming Japan-U.S. dialogue” (March 23, 2017)

Yuji Yamamoto, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan, attended the March 22 session of the Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Committee of the House of Councilors and answered a question asking how he will respond if the U.S. government demands Japan to further liberalize its agricultural market at the coming Japan-U.S. Economic Dialogue that is expected to begin this April, saying “we will not make any compromises at the dialogue.” Minister Yamamoto also suggested that it will not be possible for Japan to accept a higher level of farm trade liberalization exceeding that of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. On March 14, Robert Lighthizer, the United States … Continue reading

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【News】 Japan agrees with Thailand to mutually protect Geographical Indication for farm products (March 23, 2017)

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) of the Ministry of Commerce of Thai Government agreed on March 22 to promote cooperation for mutual protection of Geographical Indication (GI) for farm products of the two countries. The agreement made by the two governments aims at excluding copies and imitation products, damaging interests of brand-name products, from agricultural markets in Japan and Thailand for protecting GI. It is the first time for MAFF to be cooperative with a foreign government in order to mutually protect GI for agricultural products. Last December, Japanese Act on Protection of the Names of Specific Agricultural, Forestry and … Continue reading

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【News】 Asian farmers’ organizations agree to further enhance cooperation for raising agricultural productivity with developed technology (March 22, 2017)

“Asian Farmers’ Group for Cooperation (AFGC)” set up by farmers’ organizations in nine Asian countries completed a two-day session of its 17th annual conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on March 21. A main theme of the meeting this year was how to raise agricultural productivity with use of developed technology in their respective countries. Representatives of Asian farmers’ organizations exchanged their views and shared their experiences each other at the meeting, and reached agreement on enhancement of cooperation for promoting necessary information as well as sharing it among themselves. Participants from the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka presented their respective reports on achievements of farmers’ income-raising projects implemented with … Continue reading

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【News】 World’ first black tea ingredients analyzer developed by Japanese company Kawasaki Kiko (March 19, 2017)

Kawasaki Kiko Co., Ltd., based at Kakegawa city, Shizuoka prefecture, begins to sell a new product of a black tea ingredients quick analyzer names “GTN-B” early April. Green tea ingredients quick analyzers manufactured by Kawasaki Kiko and other companies are available in the market. A representative of the Kawasaki Kiko company told the press that the black tea ingredients instantaneous analyzers have not been available in the market, saying “We are very proud of developing the analyzer for the first time in the world.” Shizuoka Prefectural Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute and Shizuoka Seiki, Co., Ltd. also jointed the successful development of this new black tea ingredients analyzer. Kawasaki Kiko’s … Continue reading

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