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July 05, 2025
 

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FOOD

Officials of the Osaka Municipal Government enter Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's factory, which was closed in December, in the city of Osaka on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 1, 2024
Japan makes supplement health damage reports mandatory
The measure is aimed at enabling administrative authorities to quickly grasp related information and prevent the spread of health damage.
Food companies are raising prices of many items including frozen food products in September.
JAPAN / Society
Aug 30, 2024
More than 1,000 food products in Japan set for September price hikes
This will be the first time since April that more than 1,000 products are experiencing price increases, according to a survey by research firm Teikoku Databank.
Naoto Ooka inspects a new heat-resistant rice breed called Emihokoro that has been planted at the government-run Saitama Agricultural Technology Center in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, on Aug. 7.
JAPAN
Aug 29, 2024
As sweltering summers ravage crops, Japan bets on heat-resistant rice
Supermarkets have struggled to keep rice shelves stocked in recent months.
Cho Seong-hoan tends to bees at a farm near the Demilitarized Zone, in Paju, South Korea, on Friday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Aug 25, 2024
The DMZ is an unhealed wound for South Korea. It’s also a source of great honey.
The area is home to a biodiverse landscape and is a place of deep meaning for nearby farmers whose bees can fly freely through it.
Nissin Food Products' instant noodle products that were the subjects of a Fair Trade Commission antitrust warning on Thursday
JAPAN
Aug 23, 2024
Nissin gets antitrust warning over prices of instant noodles
"We take this warning seriously and will work on improvements to further strengthen our legal compliance system," the firm said.
A supermarket worker puts up a sign asking purchasers to buy only one bag per person, in Tokyo on July 25.
JAPAN
Aug 22, 2024
Why it's hard to find rice at Japan's supermarkets right now
In recent weeks, store shelves have often been barren, with many shops displaying signs asking purchasers to stick to one bag per person.
Bags of Indian spices and dry fruits at a roadside shop in New Delhi on May 3
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2024
Nearly 12% of India's tested spice samples fail quality and safety standards
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India conducted inspections, sampling and testing of mixed spice blends.
Polina Oba enjoys the food in Fukuoka, but still finds herself traveling to Tokyo often as that’s where most of the decision-makers are based. 
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / 20 QUESTIONS
Aug 12, 2024
Polina Oba: ‘Try quick, fail quick, learn quick and you need to always pivot’
Networking is at the core of Polina Oba's GourmetPro startup. Not only is it great meeting new people but you'll never know where those connections may lead.
Japan's food self-sufficiency rate has declined on the back of the country's changing food culture as demand for rice declines.
JAPAN
Aug 8, 2024
Japan's food self-sufficiency rate remained stable at 38% in fiscal 2023
The rate has remained stagnant even though the government aims to raise it to 45% by fiscal 2030.
Freshly-caught bonito fish unloaded in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture. Japan's food exports to China plunged in the first half of 2024 due to Beijing's import ban on Japanese fishery products.
JAPAN
Aug 4, 2024
Japan's first-half food exports fall for first time in four years
The latest result reflected China's import ban on Japanese fishery products since last summer in response to the release of treated Fukushima water.
A worker at a supermarket in Tokyo's Nerima Ward puts up a sign on July 25 saying rice purchases are restricted to one bag per customer.
JAPAN
Jul 31, 2024
Japan's rice stocks shrink to record low amid high demand and heat woes
An 18 percentage point decline in the share of 2023's crop rated first-grade led to a decrease in rice on the market, while demand saw the first rise in a decade.
The U.S. sushi market has grown to almost 1.6 times the size of the market in Japan, according to Sojitz.
BUSINESS
Jul 30, 2024
Japan's Sojitz buys U.S. sushi business in seafood expansion drive
Sojitz is aiming to boost annual net profit from seafood operations to ¥4 billion ($26 million) in the year to March 2027.
President Shinji Kaneko (left) and other executives of Keikyu Department Store bow in apology during a news conference in Yokohama on Monday.
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2024
Grilled eel leaves one dead and 140 sick in Japan
The products included eel cooked in the traditional kabayaki style
This year's rice harvest is also feared to be impacted by the scorching heat, spurring concerns among producers and consumers.
JAPAN
Jul 27, 2024
Heat waves impact Japan's rice quality, leading to shortage
Despite 2023's harvest volume being on par with previous years, high temperatures have caused rice grains to develop a cloudy look or break into pieces.
The Ukedo fishing port in the town of Namie in Fukushima Prefecture in March. In 2022, Taiwan lifted most of its import restrictions on food produced in five prefectures including Fukushima.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 24, 2024
Taiwan set to lift remaining import restrictions on Japanese food
The latest measure will cover products such as mushrooms and the meat of wild animals.
Run from a two-hectare plot of land in the island's north, LivFresh has been supplying major supermarkets with spinach, lettuce and other green vegetables since 2022.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Jul 24, 2024
Singapore’s homegrown farming dream is beginning to fade
Since the start of 2023, at least half a dozen large farms in Singapore have shut down or scaled back operations.
Workers of Save the Children Japan make preparations on July 11 in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, to deliver food to households facing financial difficulties.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 24, 2024
Japanese households worried about summer vacation food costs
A Save the Children Japan survey found that 89.4% of those applying for food aid said they lack enough money for adequate food due to rising prices.
Australian grape exports to Japan are expected to rise as Tokyo has fully opened the market for the fruit.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 23, 2024
Japan opens up its market for Australian grapes
The Australian government aims to increase the country's annual grape exports to Japan to about AU$50 million, or 2.5 times the current figure, within several years.
Boxes of canned quail eggs are piled up at a warehouse in Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, earlier this month.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 23, 2024
Quail egg farmers struggle after schools remove item from lunches
A fatal choking incident in February involving a canned quail egg at a Fukuoka elementary school led schools nationwide to remove the item from their lunches.
Japanese badminton players participate in one of Ajinomoto's Kachimeshi Kai gatherings.
JAPAN
Jul 23, 2024
Ajinomoto offering food-related support to Japan athletes in Paris
Ajinomoto has been offering athletes light traditional Japanese meals at an on-site nutrition support base set up for every Summer and Winter Olympics.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

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