Busy preparing for New Year’s arrival

NIIGATA, Dec. 19 -In Agano City, Niigata Prefecture, makers of Shimekazari, a traditional Japanese New Year’s decoration, have entered the busiest time of the year. The members of the shimekazari producers’ group of a local agricultural cooperative in Niigata (JA Niigata Kagayaki, Sasakami Branch) are now busy applying the final touches on the small round ropes made from rice straws by adding rice stalks and red-and-white strings called mizuhiki in Japanese. The group began producing shimekazari about 40 years ago. This year, its 32 members make 35,000 shimekazari in four different types for sale inside and outside the prefecture. JA asked local farmers to grow Yamahikari rice for an early … Continue reading

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“Just like jewel!” Fukuoka-based wholesaler showing how to pretty up fruits in season

FUKUOKA, Dec. 13 – Fukuoka Daido Seika, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler at the Fukuoka City Central Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Market, demonstrated how to make a “Jewel Cut Fruit Plate,” in which fruits are beautifully cut and arranged like jewels. Japan’s agricultural cooperatives group (JA Group) prepared fruits in season from all over Japan for the event that took place at the market on December 13. The company gave the fruit arrangements to children in the hospital and their families. It also hopes the event will help increase consumers’ spending on domestically-grown fruits. The company used fruits sent from several prefectures, such as apples from Aomori and Nagano, persimmons … Continue reading

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University in northeastern Japan aims to cultivate original apple variety in Japan and South Africa for year-round exports

AOMORI, Dec. 13 – Hirosaki University in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, has launched an initiative with a trading company in Tokyo to cultivate Kimito, an apple variety developed by the university, in Japan and South Africa to be shipped to the Asian region. By realizing a year-round supply of apples of an original variety across national borders, they hope to expand sales channels for apples including domestically-produced ones. They have obtained intellectual property rights for the variety overseas and plan to return the profits to the university. Withmettac Foods, Inc., a fruits trading company with a strong overseas network, gained a breeder’s right and a trademark right for Kimito in South … Continue reading

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Koge Hanagoshogaki persimmons tree-ripened in western Japan

TOTTORI, Dec. 5 — Koge Hanagoshogaki persimmons are being harvested in the town of Yazu, Tottori Prefecture. The persimmons, a local specialty, are a variety that is ripened on trees until after the onset of frost to remove the astringency. During harvest time between late November and mid-December, trees are stripped of leaves and left only with the fruit, turning orchards bright orange. Koge Hanagoshogaki is fine-textured and juicy, with sugar content of 18 to 20 degrees Brix. According to JA Tottori Inaba, a local agricultural cooperative, 87 farms in the area are cultivating the fruit on a total of some 12 hectares of land. They plan to ship roughly … Continue reading

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Tsurushi-gaki: cold sea wind slowly turns persimmons sweet

HYOGO, Dec. 3 – The making of tsurushi-gaki (hang-dried persimmon) on the Kannabe Plateau in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, is now in the very final stage. Members of the association of hang-dried persimmon producers in Kannabe tied two Oomino or Hiratane-nashi persimmons, picked in November, to a string and hung them for about a month to dry. Currently, the producers are busy massaging the persimmons to make them softer in texture. The association will start selling them in mid-December. Cold wind blowing from the Sea of Japan helps the persimmons go dry and generate rich sweetness and smooth texture. They are popular among skiers visiting the plateau and people looking … Continue reading

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