SYDNEY (Kyodo) As diners throughout Japan stare longingly into their empty bowls of "gyudon" beef on rice, sheep farmers in Australia and New Zealand are counting their blessings.
While a lamb chop Down Under is as common as sushi in Japan, lamb remains somewhat a mystery for many Japanese.
The ban on imported U.S. beef and this year's outbreak of bird flu sent Japanese consumers scrambling for other sources of protein, and Australian and New Zealand lamb marketers saw a chance to get their product into Japanese kitchens.