SHIZUOKA, Feb. 20 — Yellow rape blossoms are in full bloom on a field in the town of Minamiizu, Shizuoka Prefecture. Due to a warm winter this year, the blooming started in early December, about a month earlier than usual. Members of the town’s agriculture promotion association first planted rapeseeds on a 3.2-hectare field about 20 years ago and the place has since then become known as a sightseeing spot during spring. Boardwalks are created so that visitors can walk on the field and watch the blossoms closely. Shizuo Ishii, 69, a member of the association’s agriculture support center who manages the field, said, “The plants weren’t affected by typhoons … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Feb. 6 – The consumption of new types of okayu Japanese rice porridge is likely to grow for its outlandishness. As the number of people wanting better-for-you foods increases, okayu specialty restaurants have gained even a male following. Porridge made by cooking raw rice in Chinese-style soup, for example, has gained repeat customers as a filling choice. Western-style porridge that uses bacon and cheese and gorgeously arranged bowls of okayu have also become popular, especially on social networking sites (SNSs).Green House Foods (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) currently runs seven congee specialty restaurants, Kayu-san-chin nationwide, whose sales grow at a record-setting pace. Kayu-san-chin offers Chinese congee at about 800 to 1,000 … Continue reading →