MIYAGI, IWATE, Nov. 21 – “Half-farmer, half-fisher” in the Tohoku northeastern region of Japan are being tossed about by escalating China-Japan political tensions. On the Pacific Coast in the Tohoku region of Japan, some people earn income from both farming and fishing, and they are struck again by the return of China’s ban on marine product imports from Japan. In August 2023, China suspended all Japanese seafood imports after Japan decided to release treated water from the No. 1 Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean. However, the ban was lifted partially this year. Therefore, the latest suspension was a big blow. Hayashi, a fruit farmer and sea cucumber fisher … Continue reading →

HIROSHIMA, Nov. 30 — Workers at JA Hiroshimashi, an agricultural cooperative based in the city of Hiroshima, are busy pickling Hiroshima-na mustard greens, a traditional local specialty popular as year-end gifts. Around 4 tons of Hiroshima-na greens are placed in a pickling tank which is 1.8 meters wide and long and 3 m deep. After salt is sprinkled on them, they are pressed down with nine 250-kilogram weights. Up to roughly 15 tons of the vegetable are pickled in a day. They are pickled for a whole day, rinsed with water and then pickled again for one more day. Chili peppers and kelp are added at the end to create … Continue reading →

HIROSHIMA/YAMAGATA, Nov. 25 — A total of some 300 farmers and consumers took to streets in the cities of Hiroshima and Yamagata on Nov. 24 to call for income security. Similar rallies have been organized by farmers and held nationwide since December last year. The people led by tractors and minitrucks marched through the streets in downtown Hiroshima. It was the second time such a rally took place in Hiroshima Prefecture, after the one held in the town of Kitahiroshima in July. Among some 100 participants, around 60% attended for the first time. Kumiko Asaeda, a farmer and vice head of the Hiroshima rally’s organizing committee, said, “I’m relieved that … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 27 – The 54th Best Dresser Award ceremony was held in Tokyo to recognize individuals who have been influential in several different areas, adorned with approximately 800 Eustoma flowers provided by Takii & Co., Ltd., a Kyoto-based seed company. The flowers, commonly known as lisianthus, were collected from across Japan to decorate the venue and make bouquets for the award winners. Takii chose Eustoma in a bluish lavender color to match the award’s theme color. The varieties used for the ceremony included the Prima series, with richly fringed petals and an impressive three-dimensional shape, and the James, a large, frilled, double-flowered variety. The awards were given to four … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 18 – Pure-white whole cake are to be sold for Christmas. Yes, Christmas cakes are changing, as proposals for strawberry-less Christmas products are spreading little by little. Selling simple cake bases with minimal decoration can help sellers emphasize their value for money and cope with the unstable strawberry supply during peak demand periods, which is caused by extreme summer heat. There are still products featuring strawberries, but they require a stable supply during peak demand. Yamazaki Baking sells “Christmas Cake for Home Decoration” as undecorated cake base for four to six people for 2,160 yen this year. They have no strawberries, the must-haves for Christmas, but the products … Continue reading →