National Jun 30, 2021
Annual shipment of inedible square melons gets underway in western Japan
The fruit, priced at around ¥10,000 ($90) each, are generally bought to be used as ornaments in places such as department stores and fruit shops.
Food & Drink Sep 5, 2020
Welcome to Aomori, the cassis capital of Japan
by Florentyna Leow
Japan may not be famous for blackcurrants, but in Aomori Prefecture, domestic production begins and ends with the quality of the fruit.
Business Jun 16, 2019
Ministry to boost prevention of certain fruit and saplings from being taken out of country
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry is set to launch full-fledged efforts to prevent "outflows" of domestically developed high-end fruit varieties to other countries. A number of seeds and saplings of Japanese high-end fruit varieties have been taken out of the country without permission and ...
Food & Drink Jun 6, 2019
Chiba loquat grower loves his work, but frets over the future of the biwa business
by Andrew McKirdy
Kenzo Takeba picks a loquat out of his basket, unwraps it from its paper cover and expertly begins to peel off the delicate orange skin with his fingers. He bites into the soft flesh, scoops out the chunky brown seeds with a flick of his ...
Business May 24, 2019
Pair of Yubari melons fetch record ¥5 million at season's first auction in Hokkaido
A pair of specially grown hybrid melons cultivated in the city of Yubari, Hokkaido, fetched a record ¥5 million ($45,500) on Friday in the season's first auction. The bid price at a Sapporo wholesale market beat the all-time high of ¥3.2 million paid in the ...
Business Apr 8, 2019
First premium mangoes of Japan growing season fetch record ¥500,000
A pair of premium mangoes from Miyazaki Prefecture fetched a record ¥500,000 in the season's first auction at a local wholesale market Monday, topping the previous best of ¥400,000. The premium mangoes are called Taiyo no Tamago (Egg of the Sun). To qualify for this description, ...
World / Science & Health Apr 4, 2019
1 in 5 deaths worldwide linked to unhealthy diet, study says
Eleven million deaths worldwide in 2017 were linked to people eating poor diets high in sugar, salt and processed meat that contributed to heart disease, cancer and diabetes, a global study found. The research, published in the Lancet medical journal, found that among 195 countries ...
National / Social Issues Jan 17, 2019
by Su Xincheng
On a farm employing a sophisticated technique to develop special bananas in Okayama Prefecture, people with disabilities play a major role in the routine work of watering, fertilizing and removing yellowing leaves from the plants. Every morning, several mentally disabled workers come to the banana ...
Food & Drink | DESSERT WATCH Jul 21, 2018
Ginza Cozy Corner's sweet take on the 'Summer Holidays'
by Patrick St. Michel
Ginza Cozy Corner is serving up all the flavors of summer with their adorable nine-piece "Summer Holidays" cake set.
Food & Drink | JAPANESE KITCHEN Nov 18, 2017
Bitter or sweet, the much-loved persimmon is a healthy and versatile fruit
by Makiko Itoh
Persimmons come in three types, but amagaki is of most use in the kitchen.
Commentary / World Feb 3, 2017
Science ruined tomatoes (and it can fix them)
by Faye Flam
Growers' emphasis on yield and shelf life in the latter part of the 20th century cost tomatoes their sweetness.