Tag Archives: News

【News】 The survey shows 80 percent of the consumers distrust the safety of processed food (Sept. 22, 2014)

  The consumption trend survey conducted by the Japan Finance Corporation found that 80 percent of the Japanese consumers do not trust processed food. The fact that most of them are processed overseas is considered to be behind this strong feeling of distrust. This survey result suggests again that the crucial issue for agricultural policies is to accommodate the needs of consumers by shifting ingredients of processed food from imported products to domestic ones. The survey, which is to be conducted twice a year, was executed from July 1 to 8, to 2,000 people in Japan (from their 20s to 70s; both males and females, 1,000 respondents respectively). It was … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 The survey shows 80 percent of the consumers distrust the safety of processed food (Sept. 22, 2014)

【News】 Easy swallowing food for aging society (Sept. 21, 2014)

Kotaro Yamada Recipes for dysphagia are drawing attentions in the fast-aging society of Japan. Hospitals and aged care facilities all over the country are doing their best to “recreate” traditional food such as Japanese hot pod dishes for people having difficulties chewing and swallowing. They do so by using mashed-up ingredients and gelatin and shaping them into certain shapes. On September 19, 2014, a contest for easy swallowing traditional food recipes was held in Koto-ku, Tokyo, jointly by Health care Central Kitchen Association of Japan and Engeshoku.com. In the venue were 163 traditional dishes looking and tasting almost exactly the same as their original models but prepared to be soft … Continue reading

Posted in Cooperatives, Food & Agriculture, Photos | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Easy swallowing food for aging society (Sept. 21, 2014)

【News】 University students and old hands join hands to open way for resurgence of broom corn and zashiki brooms in Japan (Sept. 21, 2014)

Kotaro Yamada – Zashiki brooms (Tochigi Prefecture) – Zashiki brooms are one of the specialties of Tochigi Prefecture that can date back to the Edo period. To carry on the tradition for future generations and help old hands to make brooms using locally-harvested broom corn, a group of Utsunomiya University students are now trying hard to grow broom corn plants in Kanuma-shi, Tochigi Prefecture. ◇                    ◇ “It turned out better than we expected,” said Yoshiaki Tsukui, 21, a senior student in agriculture and a member of the broom corn resurgence project in Kanuma-shi, Tochigi Prefecture while harvesting the plant at a quick pace. The project started in April 2013 voluntarily by … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture, Photos | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 University students and old hands join hands to open way for resurgence of broom corn and zashiki brooms in Japan (Sept. 21, 2014)

【News】 Kabuki shout echoes through mountains (Sept. 14, 2014)

Hiroki Arai – Hinoemata Kabuki (Hinoemata, Fukushima Prefecture) – Hinoemata Kabuki performed by Hinoemata villagers is one of the traditions that can be traced back to the Edo Period. It was started by a villager who watched a kabuki play in Edo. Learning from what he saw, ancient Hinoemata villagers created Hinoemata Kabuki as a performance in dedication to the gods. Since then, it’s been handed down through generation to generation for more than 270 years. On the evening of September 6, 2014, a shrine located in the central part of the Hinoemata village was packed with people waiting for a kabuki play to begin. It was the day for … Continue reading

Posted in Others, Photos | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Kabuki shout echoes through mountains (Sept. 14, 2014)

【News】 Decentralization Reform Committee calls for transfer of farmland conversion right (Sept. 13, 2014)

  The Decentralization Reform Committee of the Cabinet Office held the tenth meeting of the Farming Land and Villages Committee on Thursday, September 11, and argued about the transfer of clerical jobs and rights from the central government to the local governments. The specialists attended insisted the local governments be responsible for the issue of conversion permission. Although agricultural land might decrease in case of excessive development, the committee members also made positive remarks supporting the decentralization. The Farmland and Villages Committee plans to proceed with further examination regarding specific measures to secure farmland preservation. The point is whether they can propose effective measures or not. Now, large-scale conversion of … Continue reading

Posted in Food & Agriculture | Tagged | Comments Off on 【News】 Decentralization Reform Committee calls for transfer of farmland conversion right (Sept. 13, 2014)