SoftBank unit kicks off remote medical examination service for livestock amid shortage of veterinarians

TOKYO, June 21 — SB Technology Corp., a SoftBank Group Corp. unit based in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward, announced on June 20 that it has started offering a new remote examination service for livestock using smartphones and other devices. The Animal Look will be introduced at 77 clinics located mainly in Hokkaido to support livestock farmers facing shortage of veterinarians. The firm will provide systems necessary for veterinarians to conduct medical examinations remotely, including making video calls and managing reservations. History data such as video recordings of the examinations and drug prescriptions are kept in the cloud system, making it easier for veterinarians to check past examination records when they make … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on SoftBank unit kicks off remote medical examination service for livestock amid shortage of veterinarians

Tsurishinobu hanging fern looking and sounding cool in summer

Tsurishinobu-en in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, is in the busiest season for shipping Tsurishinobu or hanging Shinobu fern, one of Japan’s traditional summer products. It is one of the classic arrangements of Davallia mariesii (called Shinobu in Japanese) since the Edo Period. The garden owner, Makoto Ichihara, first grows young Shinobu ferns for four years, plants them in firm soil balls, and grows them again for around one and half years. Japanese people buy them as one of the summer features to enjoy their clean and cool impressions. The most sought-after Tsurishinobu items are those with a diameter of 10 centimeters. Each Tsurishinobu comes with a Nambu iron wind bell, … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Policy | Comments Off on Tsurishinobu hanging fern looking and sounding cool in summer

Ukiyo-e meets one of finest wagyu in Japan

As your Father’s Day gift, how about sending ukiyo-e and Omi beef together in one box? Hyotanya, a Japanese restaurant in Omi-Hachiman, Shiga Prefecture, is selling a series of gift items that are catching the eye of consumers. The name of the collection is “Art Beef Gallery.” The restaurant uses the vivid red meat and finely marbled white color of Omi beef to “color” part of ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints to make a gift that allows you to enjoy Japan’s highest-ranked A5-grade beef tastefully and visually. The products come in four patterns, such as Akafuji (Red Mt. Fuji) and Renjishi (Kabuki lion dancer). You can also enjoy decorating your room … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Policy | Comments Off on Ukiyo-e meets one of finest wagyu in Japan

New columnar apple variety developed in Japan

TOKYO, June 12 — National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) announced on June 11 that it has developed Benitsurugi, a new columnar apple variety. Columnar apple trees grow in an upright form without the branches extending horizontally like in typical apple trees, making it easier for growers to manage them and enabling them to harvest the fruit using picking machines, leading to improved work efficiency. It is a mid-season variety and is comparable to major varieties in terms of quality such as sugar content, NARO said. It is the first time a columnar apple grown for eating raw that meet a certain standard was developed in Japan. It took … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on New columnar apple variety developed in Japan

They fall into mud, and love gets deeper

GUNMA, Jun. 4 – On June 2, in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, five married couples participated in a joint wedding ceremony followed by a mud run in their wedding attire at a rice field. Approximately 1,300 guests celebrated the couples with big smiles and clapping as the brides’ pure white wedding dresses turned “colored” in the mud. This event was part of the 19th Yoshii Mud Festival, which aimed to strengthen community bonds between parents and children. One of the organizers, Shigenari Okabe (69), proposed holding the wedding ceremony for couples who were already married but had not held their ceremonies. The couples who participated in activities headed to the … Continue reading

Posted in Farm Policy | Comments Off on They fall into mud, and love gets deeper