MIYAZAKI, May. 10 – In Iwaigawa Nakao Village in Hinokage Town, Miyazaki Prefecture, you can see a rare sight of cows marching along the village road every morning. A 72-year-old breeding cow grower, Atsunori Iwata, opens his barn door at 9 a.m. every morning, and 20 breeding cows start walking to a pasture about 100 meters away from the barn. The cows arrive at the range in about 15 minutes, spend the day on the 10-hectare grassland, and return to the barn by themselves in the evening. Iwata took over the family business of livestock farming after being involved in the livestock farming management guidance at a local agricultural cooperative … Continue reading →

Agriculture journalist Ayumi Kotani visits sites in Japan designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS). One region in Shizuoka Prefecture maintaining its GIAHS-recognized Chagusaba Farming Method is now busy plucking the first flush tea leaves. It’s also one of the most active seasons for the fresh green tea gardens to welcome many tourists. ■ ■ Kawanehon Town is located in a mountainous area near the upper Oi River. Tetsuro Tsuchiya (83) and his eldest daughter Yuko (59) were busy covering their Yabukita tea trees at the Tsuchiya Tea Farm, which is known as the “tea garden in the sky.” They plan to enter the carefully-grown tea leaves in this … Continue reading →