MASUDA, Shimane Pref. (Kyodo) Images of a castle, cherry blossoms and traditional "egret dance" performers adorn a package made of Japanese paper, along with a label that reads "yummy and healthy rice" grown in Shimane Prefecture.
The rice, milled and packaged at the JA Nishi Iwami agricultural cooperative, has found its way into two upscale department stores in Taiwan, where high-quality food items are popular gifts.
"We are trying to emphasize the high-class image of our rice, so we made the elaborate package," said Tsuyoshi Mitarai, director general of JA Nishi Iwami's agricultural department.