TOKYO, May 13 — A subsidiary of the National Federation of Agriculture Cooperative Associations known as JA ZEN-NOH, the marketing arm of JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives) group, will strengthen sales of packed cooked rice it produces. JA ZEN-NOH Radfa, which boosted its production capacity by opening a new factory last year, launched an e-commerce website on May 12 and began offering packed rice online. Through making packaged rice more widely available, it hopes to stabilize supply of rice as insufficient distribution of the staple grain continues. The firm, based in the town of Shikama in Miyagi Prefecture, sold 7 million packs of retort cooked rice in fiscal 2024, up as … Continue reading →

MIYAZAKI and SAITAMA, Apr. 22 – Japanese mushrooms, especially log-grown shiitake, are gaining popularity overseas. Due to the trend toward healthy living, washoku Japanese cuisine is becoming more popular worldwide, making log-grown shiitake mushrooms much liked for their taste, flavor, and texture. The demand for vegans who only eat vegetables is also expected to grow. The Japan Special Forest Product Promotion Association supports research into overseas markets and product development using Japan’s subsidy program. According to the statistics from the Ministry of Finance of Japan, the export of mushrooms, including dried shiitake mushrooms, hovered at around 1 to 1.1 billion yen in the recent three years from 2021 to 2024, … Continue reading →

NAGASAKI, May 10 ― Shipments of astilbe plume-like flowers, available in a variety of colors including pink, white, purple and blue, are reaching its peak to be sent as gifts for Mother’s Day on May 11. Growers of Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, known as Japan’s leading producing region of the flowers, are offering fresh astilbes dyed in different colors using a unique coloring technique. The astilbes of various hues are proving popular among florists nationwide and are attracting attention on social media as flowers that are hard to come by. In Sasebo, 12 growers who belong to JA Nagasaki Saikai, a local agricultural cooperative, cultivate astilbes on areas totaling about 3 … Continue reading →

TOKYO, May 2 ― “Meet tomato trees in a shopping mall in Tokyo.” A food and beverage manufacturer, Kagome Co., Ltd., held a tomato-harvesting event in Futako-Tamagawa Rise Galleria in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, during the Golden Week holidays in Japan. The Wonder Farm and Tomato Tree visitors were greeted by four 4-meter-tall hydroponically-cultivated trees bearing medium-sized tomatoes and six others bearing approximately 1,000 cherry tomatoes each. The first comers to the venue, approximately 24 groups per day, could even enjoy a tomato harvesting experience. Moreover, all visitors were invited to participate in fun activities like a quiz rally for kids to learn about vegetables and win cherry tomato seedling gifts. … Continue reading →

KANAGAWA, April 30 ―Kiyomitsu Suzuki, 55, a farmer who grows daikon radishes and cabbages in the city of Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been using auxiliary wheels attached to his pickup truck for over a decade, as they prevent his truck from sinking in muddy fields during harvesting. Rakurin, offered by Khamsa, an agricultural machinery maker in the city of Kobe, can be attached to the outer side of pickup trucks’ rear tires. There are many small fields and narrow roads in Miura and pickup trucks are widely used to carry harvested vegetables. After long rain, tires get stuck in mud, making it difficult for farmers to go into the fields … Continue reading →