【News】 Gentians’ use for happy occasions expanding (Sep. 26, 2016)

In Japan, gentians have been standard flowers for Buddha and ancestors. But they are recently coming into use for other specific moments as well including happy occasions such as medal ceremonies, weddings and baby gifts. Marketers have been successful in discovering the new usages of gentians by focusing on their colors and thick stems and this is also encouraging gentian growers to increase their production. ■Bouquets for winning athletes In early September when people were still talking about great performances of athletes competed in Rio, winners of Inter College Swimming Championship 2016 including some Olympians such as Kosuke Hagino and Daiya Seto were given victory bouquets of fresh gentians when … Continue reading

Posted in Photos | Comments Off on 【News】 Gentians’ use for happy occasions expanding (Sep. 26, 2016)

【News】 Tokyo metropolitan consumers support earthquake-stricken farmers in Tottori prefecture by purchasing shaken-off pears (Oct. 28, 2016)

Tottori Prefectural Government opened a special market of pears in Tokyo on October 28, which were shaken off from trees by a powerful earthquake striking the central part of the Tottori prefecture on October 21. Although most of the pears are partly damaged in their skins, they have been well matured. Many consumers of the Metropolitan areas gathered in the market to purchase them for a purpose of supporting pear producers hardly hit by the earthquake. Marketing of pears is organized at a special counter in a pilot store of the Prefectural Government called “Tottori-Oakayama Shinbashi-Kan” located in Minato ward, Tokyo, which is jointly operated with a neighboring prefecture of … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 Tokyo metropolitan consumers support earthquake-stricken farmers in Tottori prefecture by purchasing shaken-off pears (Oct. 28, 2016)

【News】 JA ZEN-NOH Hyogo opens “Kobe beef” restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo (Oct. 25, 2016)

JA ZEN-NOH Hyogo, a Hyogo prefectural headquarters of ZEN-NOH (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Association) or a national business organization of agricultural cooperatives (JAs) opens a directly-managed restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo on October 27. The restaurant serves “Kobe beef” and other dishes prepared with premium ingredients produced in Hyogo prefecture to increase lovers of its Kobe beef and other local foods among consumers in the Tokyo metropolitan area. A pre-opening party was held on October 24, inviting both of JA-ZENCHU’s president Choe Okuno and ZEN-NOH’s president Yoshimi Nakano. Okuno celebrated the opening by saying “This restaurant, I hope, will become a base for further broadening the appeal of Japanese beef … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 JA ZEN-NOH Hyogo opens “Kobe beef” restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo (Oct. 25, 2016)

【News】 Local public hearings on Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact demand more cautious deliberations by Diet members (Oct. 27, 2016)

The special committee of the House of Representatives held two local public hearings at Sapporo city in Hokkaido prefecture and Takachiho town in Miyazaki prefecture on October 26 to ask local farmers and other stakeholders for their opinions regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact and its related bills. The farmers and experts testified at the hearings to raise their concern one after another mostly by saying “People’s understanding on TPP issues has not yet been facilitated.” And most of them commonly urged the policy makers should fully deepen their deliberation on the issues at the Diet. At the hearing held in Sapporo city, Tadaaki Yamai, secretary general of … Continue reading

Posted in Trade Talks | Comments Off on 【News】 Local public hearings on Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact demand more cautious deliberations by Diet members (Oct. 27, 2016)

【News】 MAFF taking leadership in promoting flow of human resources from private sector into agriculture through talent matching system (Oct. 25, 2016)

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) set up “Council for Promotion of Talent Matching in Agricultural Sector and Economic Circles” on October 24. The Council, main members of which are JA-ZENCHU, an apex body of agricultural cooperative (JA) organizations in Japan, Japan Agricultural Corporations Association (JACA), and Japan Business Federation (KEIDANREN), is expected to play a vital role in recruiting human resources from private enterprises into a farm sector of agricultural corporations, JAs, and other related organizations. MAFF hopes that the agricultural sector will be active in recruiting talents from the private sector to make use of their technical knowledge on management and marketing as well as their personal … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Comments Off on 【News】 MAFF taking leadership in promoting flow of human resources from private sector into agriculture through talent matching system (Oct. 25, 2016)