Urban Agriculture World Summit in Nerima, Tokyo, agrees to show the world how useful it is

Tokyo, Dec. 2 – On December 1, 2019, Urban Agriculture World Summit (UAWS) in Nerima ward, Tokyo, ended with a joint communique adopted by experts on urban farming from Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Canada, South Korea, and Indonesia. The host of the event, Nerima ward, invited farmers, governments, NPO officials, and experts working on urban farming in cities in the six countries. They discussed and agreed on the importance of communicating the advantages and potential of urban agriculture to the world. Also, they confirmed that they would work closely together to promote the further development of urban farming. In the declaration, they said the urban farming provides the basis … Continue reading

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[Joy of Noh no Ikebana] Mitsue Shimizu (67) from Tachikawa City, Tokyo: Focus on unique shape of taro stem

“I’m a member of Noh no Ikebana Club in Tokyo. We often use unwashed vegetables with Noh no Ikebana. That way, we feel the energy, warmth, and peacefulness of the earth. The theme of this arrangement is “Harvest” in autumn. First, I chose a taro stem, and next, other materials that go well with the centerpiece. I try to focus on the shape of the stem. Noh no Ikebana is fun, but it can also be challenging. I grow tomatoes and other vegetables, but what I grow is limited. So, many of the materials in my arrangements come from my friends’ farm. Sometimes, I’m not sure if I am treating … Continue reading

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“Rinse-free rice contributes to SDGs,” Toyo Rice say at UN conference

Geneva, Switzerland, Nov, 27 – A Tokyo-based all-round rice producer participated in an international conference on human rights at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 27, 2019, and told the participants that its unique rice processing technology is contributing to the environment and people’s health while helping people to fulfill the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The company, Toyo Rice Corporation, says it’s the first Japanese corporation to make a presentation on SDGs at a U.N. meeting. The three-day conference was held on November 25-27, 2019, with approximately 2,000 participants from 190 countries and regions all over the world. According to Toyo Rice, the expansion … Continue reading

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LDP forms Working Group to protect trade names of Japanese tea brands overseas

TOKYO, Nov. 16 – Lawmakers of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) formed a new working group under the team of Diet members who gathered to support the tea industry in Japan, the Parliamentary League on Tea Industry Promotion of LDP (Chairman: Hiroshi Moriyama). The move comes as some tea producers overseas are registering their products falsely using the names of Japanese tea producing region or selling fake products, while impeding Japan’s efforts to sell more tea products overseas. The new working group will study ways to eliminate such problems. At the first meeting held on November 15, 2019, there was a report on the infringement of the “Uji Tea” … Continue reading

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Japan’s acreage dips 26,000 hectares in 2018 due to labor shortage

TOKYO, Nov. 16 – Crop acreage in 2018 in Japan declined 26,000 hectares or 1% year-over-year to 4,048,000 hectares, according to the Farm Ministry. The use rate also dropped 0.1 points to 91.6%. The figures are declining continuously due to the aging and the retirement of farmers and labor shortage, to hit the lowest since 1955, the earliest year for which comparable data is available. The ministry’s mid-to-long-term agricultural policy, Basic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Rural Areas, says the country needs to increase the cropping acreage to 4.43 hectares by 2025. However, the gap between the plan and reality has widened. The ministry double-counted the acreage if the same … Continue reading

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