TOKYO, Oct. 11 – On October 10, 2024, Gurunavi Inc. chose “Nouvelle Sukiyaki” as this year’s trend-setting nabe hot pot dish. Nouvelle sukiyaki is still traditional but has unique ingredients and sauces that meet the needs of diversified consumers and may boost Wagyu consumption. It is the 16th time for the giant restaurant search engine site operator to name the nabe of the year based on the data on trends in the restaurant industry over the recent year. Sukiyaki will become a popular choice while imported ingredients are becoming more expensive, and the yen’s depreciation is boosting the demand for costly ingredients made in Japan. There is an expected demand from inbound … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Oct. 8 — JA ZEN-NOH Meat Foods Co., a meat seller of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives group, and Japan Airlines (JAL) began on Oct. 7 selling wagyu beef and taking care of quarantine procedures for people flying abroad. The service will allow people traveling to the United States and Singapore using JAL flights departing Haneda and Narita airports to purchase wagyu beef products sold by JA ZEN-NOH Meat Foods and have them clear quarantine procedures for export by JAL. By making it easier and more convenient for travelers to buy wagyu beef to take out of Japan, the companies hope to boost overseas wagyu consumption and increase awareness of … Continue reading →

HOKKAIDO, Oct. 7 — Shipments of pumpkins used for Halloween decorations are in full swing in the town of Chippubetsu, Hokkaido. The Kitasorachi region including the town is Japan’s major producing area of ornamental pumpkins. Some 50 farms in Chippubetsu grow ornamental pumpkins of different shapes and sizes on fields totaling 12 hectares. The pumpkins include Kyoryu no Tamago (dinosaur’s egg), a fist-size variety with distinctive green stripes, and Atlantic Giant, a cultivar that could grow to weigh more than 100 kilograms. Akiko Nakanishi, 50, a pumpkin grower in the town, lines up harvested pumpkins inside a greenhouse to be wind dried. She is busy polishing them by hand and … Continue reading →

IBARAKI, Oct. 3 – Ibaraki Prefecture, the biggest chestnut producer in Japan, began offering a hot new boxed gift product, a homemade Mont Blanc kit. The kit includes chestnut paste, a Mont Blanc squeezer (called Odamaki in Japan), a recipe, and more for everyone to enjoy making the classic dessert at home. The prefecture aims to encourage people to enjoy fresh, homemade Mont Blanc and promote the region, taking advantage of the Japanese chestnut boom. The name of the boxed gift is Kasama-no-Okurimono, a gift from Kasama, a region known for producing high-quality chestnuts. You should also note that they use a Chinese character for chestnuts in writing ’kuri (chestnuts … Continue reading →