Shizuoka’s Chagusaba Farming Method: farmers’ wisdom inherited to make top quality tea

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

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Foreign visitors returning to Japan, pushing up demand for wagyu restaurants

TOKYO, May 8 — Japan is seeing a pickup in demand for brand wagyu beef along with a sharp increase in foreign tourists, brought about by eased border controls. Some yakiniku grilled beef restaurants say 80 percent of their customers are travelers from foreign countries. The high demand for wagyu beef is having a positive impact also on markets for beef carcasses and calves nationwide which have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, leading to growing expectations in breeding regions for a further boost. 80 percent of customers In the Hida-Takayama district in Gifu Prefecture, a popular tourist destination for travelers at home and abroad, restaurants and meat … Continue reading

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Authentic agriculture-themed capsule toys winning hearts of female fans

TOKYO, Apr. 16 – Capsule toys featuring agricultural products have been appearing on the Gacha Gacha toy market in succession. A Japan Agricultural News reporter confirmed at least thirty series, including seed and fertilizer bags with soil-like contents. Who’s buying such a niche product? There are many Gacha Gacha specialty stores in Akihabara, Tokyo, where Japan Agricultural News headquarters are located. When we checked one, it had about 100 capsule vending machines with ten selling agri-themed Gacha toys at prices varying from 300 yen to 500 yen each. On the internet, we also found at least 20 other sets of capsule toys featuring agriculture. They are realistic miniature figures of … Continue reading

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Ukrainian agricultural policy makers visit areas in Miyagi Prefecture restored from the 2011 disaster

MIYAGI, April 20 — Senior officials of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine visited Miyagi Prefecture on April 19 to inspect farming areas, such as large-scale greenhouse horticulture, which were restored from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. As Ukrainian industries including the farming sector suffer great damage from Russia’s military invasion, the officials said horticultural agriculture can become a source of employment, adding that they hope to learn from efforts made in Japan. Deputy Minister Markiyan Dmytrasevych and four other officials were invited to Japan by the Japan International Cooperation Agency as part of measures to support Ukraine’s reconstruction. They visited greenhouses growing strawberries and cucumbers … Continue reading

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Balloon-like packaging can keep flowers last for two weeks without adding water

TOKYO, Apr. 15 – At “Hana Biyori,” a flower park in Inagi City, Tokyo, an aerial display of carnations wrapped in balloon-like packaging attracts attention. The display of floating flowers that can last about two weeks without adding is intended to boost the sale of flowers toward this year’s “Mother’s Day” on May 14th. The aerial display will continue until April 19th. A flower wholesaler at Kasai Metropolitan Wholesale Market, Tokyo Flower Port, developed the product using a commercially available packaging material called “Air Fleur,” which is an inflatable plastic bags designed to protect flowers. The company adopted unique technologies to make flowers last long, such as raising the humidity … Continue reading

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