[Noh no Ikebana for every season] Receive energy from ikebana arrangements amid COVID-19 crisis

HIROSHIMA, Sep. 25 – The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many events to be canceled or postponed. So, Setsuko Muneoka in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, displays her Noh no Ikebana arrangement at a local communication center in Shiwahori to celebrate the coming of the harvest festival season. “I hope people feel happier when they see my Noh no Ikebana arrangement,” Muneoka said, explaining the thought she put into the work. ・Joy of festival on full display The theme of this arrangement is a local harvest festival. Rice stalks, lotus leaves, taro leaves, mountain grapes, persimmons, chestnuts, and all other beautiful materials from rice fields, vegetable gardens, and mountains are on display. … Continue reading

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Japan passes bill to prevent outflow of fruit and vegetable varieties

TOKYO, Dec. 3 – A bill aimed at protecting Japanese-developed fruit and vegetable varieties from being taken abroad is passed in the Upper House of Japan’s parliament on Dec. 2. The revised seed and seedling protection law, expected to take effect in April next year, will allow plant breeders to limit areas where their varieties can be grown to places within the country or designated prefectures. Another revision to the law, which will take effect in April 2022, will introduce a permission system for the use of seeds that domestic farmers collect from registered varieties they harvest for next season’s planting. Currently, it is not illegal to take seeds and … Continue reading

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Japan ratifies U.K. trade deal to take effect from January

TOKYO, Dec. 5 – The Upper House of Japan’s parliament ratified the Japan-U.K. trade agreement on Dec. 4, paving the way for the deal to take effect on Jan. 1 if it is ratified in Britain smoothly. The bilateral economic partnership agreement “will pose no additional impact on our nation’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries industry,” agriculture minister Kotaro Nogami said during Diet deliberations. Tariff cuts and reductions on British farm produce are kept at the same level as under the deal between Japan and the European Union, but no new import quotas will be set for Britain. For 10 items, including soft cheeses such as blue cheese, Britain will be … Continue reading

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Japan to hold quinquennial wagyu competition in Hokkaido for first time in 2027

HOKKAIDO, Nov. 26 – Japan’s Wagyu Registry Association has chosen Hokkaido as a host prefecture for the final stage of the 13th National Competitive Exhibition of Wagyu in 2027. The quinquennial all-Japan wagyu Japanese beef cattle show, commonly known as Wagyu Zenkyo, is held to confirm how the quality of wagyu is improved nationwide. The largest agricultural and livestock product fair in Japan will be held in Hokkaido for the first time. Hokkaido is a thriving producer of wagyu cattle and calves. In the fiscal year 2019, the northernmost prefecture of Japan ranked second in wagyu calve production. The prefecture expects that hosting the 2027 Wagyu Zenkyo will boost its … Continue reading

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Japan’s agricultural population drops 400,000 to 1.36 million in 2020, posting record high fall

TOKYO, Nov. 28 – The number of people in Japan whose main occupation is farming totaled 1.361 million as of Feb. 1, declining 396,000, or 22.5 percent, from five years ago, according to the 2020 Census of Agriculture and Forestry released on Nov. 27. The rate of drop was the biggest since 2005 when comparable data became available, largely reflecting the aging of the farming population. Meanwhile, the cultivated acreage per farm topped 3 hectares for the first time, indicating growth in farm size. The number of people mainly engaging in agriculture have been decreasing constantly, with the pace of decline accelerating. The agriculture ministry attributes the decline to the … Continue reading

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