Some of rural communities have been taking an initiative in implementing a community-wide project of generating renewable energy to store some of the energy in preparation for disaster. “Yofudo Region Residents’ Council,” consisted of 10 rural communities in Asago-shi, Hyogo prefecture, has been selling solar power since March 2015 through the fixed price purchase system, which is generated with solar panels installed on a gymnasium of a primary school closed due to a decrease in children at these communities. The solar power generation system of the Council has been also equipped with a facility of storage battery. The facility is expected to play a role of keeping the lifeline running … Continue reading →

Seven maids working for “maid cafes” in Akihabara performed a job of planting seedlings of herbs and sowing seeds of vegetables on the rooftop of the head office building of the Japan Agricultural News at Akihabara, Taito-ku Tokyo, on June 15. This event is a part of “Akihabara Vegetable Garden Project” worked out by a nonprofit organization called “licolita” (literally, selfish activities useful for others) since the year of 2009, which seeks for realization of “Chisan-Chisho” (localization of food production and consumption) in the area of Akihabara. The maids planted not only seedlings of herbs including basil and mint, but also sowed seeds of chili and pakchi (coriander) to meet … Continue reading →

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) began to warn farmers against bears since wild bears have appeared one after another across the country and the casualties have been increasing in recent months. MAFF’s website provides farmers with information on how to discourage bears from coming into rural communities as well as how to survive a bear attack during farm works on the field. Prefectural governments received this month MAFF’s notification that a warning against bears should be given to farmers and other rural residents. The notification is really unseasonable, while bears usually appear at rural communities in autumn before they enter hibernation. According to MAFF’s list of advices not … Continue reading →

Kumamoto Prefectural Government unveiled a “logo mark of Kumamoto’s recovery” on June 15, which is expected to be a symbol of restoration and recovery from the damages by the earthquake which heavily struck the Kumamoto region on the island of Kyushu this April. A flag with the logo mark has been designed with a motif of the face of “Kumamon” which is the prefecture’s PR mascot character, one of most popular “yuru-charas” (literally, loose characters) in Japan. The banner is expected to play a role as the leading proponent of reconstruction of the quake-hit Kumamoto areas. At the press conference, Ikuo Kabashima, Governor of Kumamoto Prefecture, unveiled the flag designed … Continue reading →