YAMAGATA, June 7 — Yamagata Prefecture, known as a major fruit growing region and the country’s top producer of cherries, held a memorial festival in the city of Yamagata on June 6 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of cultivating fruits in the area and the start of this year’s harvesting season of cherries.   More than 200 people, including those from the prefectural assembly, local municipalities and agricultural cooperatives, attended a ceremony held on the first day of the two-day event.   At the ceremony, Yamagata Governor Mieko Yoshimura said, “Cultivating areas are facing difficulties such as the decline in the number of farmers and climate change, but we are … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Jun. 4 – “Mr. Professional Baseball” Shigeo Nagashima, who had made outstanding achievements in the baseball world in Japan, died at the age of 89 on June 3. Hirofumi Kono, a 63-year-old onion grower in Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture, was a member of the Yomiuri Giants when the baseball legend was serving as the team manager for the second time from 1993 to 2001. Nagashima called Kono Gen-chan, the nickname Kono still uses for his business name.Gen-chan’s unforgettable scene with Nagashima is a victory in the Central League Pennant in 1996: the Giants once fell 11.5 points behind the top team in the league and the Giants made a … Continue reading →

GIFU, June 2 — The city of Kakamigahara in Gifu Prefecture conducts double cropping of carrots — harvesting the vegetable in spring and winter — which is rare in Japan.   The spring and summer harvesting of Kakamigahara carrots — known for their bright orange color and less pronounced smell, making them easier for children to eat — is reaching its peak in May and June, and shipments to markets in the Tokai and Hokuriku regions continue.   “Soil is the most crucial factor in cultivating high-quality carrots,” said Yoshio Yamada, 51, who grows carrots by 5-row planting on a 1.3-hectare field.   “To soften our soil, we spend a … Continue reading →

HOKKAIDO, May 27 — This year’s first auction of Yubari premium melons grown in the city of Yubari in Hokkaido was held on May 26 at the Sapporo Central Wholesale Market in Sapporo. A total of 401 cases containing some 800 melons were put on sale, and a company selling local specialties in the Hokkaido city of Otaru made the highest winning bid for a pair of melons at 1 million yen. The highest bid was 2 million yen less than last year. Yubari melons, characterized by their orange-colored flesh low in fiber, have proven popular for their soft and juicy texture. The melons boast a high brand power, having … Continue reading →

KANAGAWA, May 27 – More than 0.3 million onigiri rice balls were sold, collaborating with Japan’s popular travel guidebook series, Chikyu-no-Arukikata (Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook). The collaboration onigiri project is produced by Mitsuhashi Corporation, a Japanese rice wholesaler based in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. The fun of adapting local delicacies such as “Yokohama-style ramen noodles” from Kanagawa and “Corn Rice” from Hokkaido into onigiri proved popular, and the company achieved its sales goal one month ahead of schedule. The first collaboration onigiri was released in June 2024 at supermarkets in the Kanto eastern region of Japan, followed by other types created based on people’s favorites from all over the country. The … Continue reading →