Japan has recently made it illegal to carry or send seeds or seedlings of domestically developed farm products out of the country as it tries to protect local producers from the impacts of unauthorized overseas cultivation.

The ban comes in response to concerns seeds and saplings of domestic varieties of plants registered in Japan, such as the high-end lime-colored Shine Muscat grape, have been grown and sold abroad in recent years without the local developers' permission.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry says China and South Korea have cultivated the Shine Muscat grapes and exported them to Southeast Asia and other areas as Japan works to promote its exports of fruits and vegetables to other Asian countries.