KAGAWA, Feb. 4 — In the town of Shodoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, production of olive somen noodles made by combining local specialties of Shodoshima Island is at its peak. More than 70 noodle producers on the island produce somen, thin and silky wheat noodles, and many of them make somen containing olives, a local specialty. At Nakabu Shoten, a company that produces noodles and also cultivates olives, workers are busy sorting pale green noodles with chopsticks. The firm grows olives at its own farm to be used as an ingredient. To make olive noodles rich in flavor, olive juice is kneaded into dough and extra virgin olive oil, instead of … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Jan. 31 – A new commercial complex, “Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai,” opened on February 1, 2024, at a venue just across the street from the Toyosu fish market in Koto Ward, Tokyo, as a gathering place to enjoy good food and onsen hot springs. Its food zone is designed to recreate the townscape of the Edo Period and offers fresh foods and dishes cocked with seafood, fruits, and vegetables from the neighboring market. In the area with large numbers of inbound tourists, it aims to provide the experience of Japanese food culture. The establishment is run by Manyo Club, a company based in Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Mekiki Yokocho (or … Continue reading →

AOMORI, Jan. 24 – The Konan Railway Company offers a night-only dream experience to its passengers of the Owani Line, which connects Hirosaki City and Owani Town in Aomori Prefecture. The service is called Ringo Neputa Train, a two-car train decorated with approximately 300 apple-shaped Neputa festival lanterns, which are 15 centimeters in diameter. All the lanterns are handmade by local Neputa artisans to look exactly like real apples. During the day, the train runs regular services with hanging Neputa lanterns, but when the train leaves Chuo-Hirosaki Station at 5:30 p.m., its driver turns off the room lights to let the train run only with the lights of Neputa. The … Continue reading →

SAITAMA, Jan. 29 — The scratching sounds of raking fallen leaves echo in the forests under the sunlight filtering through the trees. Raking leaves is a winter task handed down from generation to generation among pioneer farmers in the Musashino district of Saitama Prefecture neighboring Tokyo. The whole family gets busy with the exhausting work from January to February, as fallen leaves are a precious resource for soil improvement. To promote this recycling-oriented farming method with the participation of local residents, leaf raking events are held in various parts of the district at this time of the year. The fallen leaves compost agroforestry in Musashino was added to the list … Continue reading →