NEWSWORTHY
Kumamoto company turns to brown rice paste in bid to revive Japan's abandoned farmland
Alarmed by an increase in abandoned rice paddies amid the Westernization of the Japanese diet and a graying population, a Kyushu dealer of major agricultural machinery-maker Kubota Corp. began producing rice flour in 2010 as an ingredient for bread and pasta to make up ...
How early 20th-century Japanese rice breeders shaped the future of the staple food in Taiwan
Rice has been grown in Taiwan for centuries, but many modern varieties of the island's staple food have their origins in Japan. While the earliest written record of rice being cultivated on the subtropical island dates back to 1602, archaeologists have found evidence that aboriginal ...
Government to support growing exports of precooked rice with project to upgrade packaging
The agriculture ministry is set to introduce a subsidy program aimed at helping improve plastic containers for cooked white rice, in an effort to increase exports of the product, sources have said. Many such prepackaged steamed rice products, consumed after being warmed in a microwave ...
Japanese researchers find way to replicate cherry-blossom magic in fall
To the delight of sakura (cherry blossom) lovers everywhere, botanists at Kyoto University have discovered a way to make cherry trees flower more than once a year and plans are already afoot to introduce pink to the autumnal palette. By manipulating the sakura's genetic markers, ...
In shadow of nuclear disaster, Fukushima's rice farmers look to rebuild their market
For 36-year-old rice farmer Emi Kato, the first few years after the 2011 core meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 power plant were grueling. Due to fears of radioactive contamination, several customers terminated their contracts for rice she and her husband, Koji, 38, had harvested ...
Fukushima looks to ease blanket radiation checks on rice starting in 2020
The lack of tainted rice in recent years is raising hopes the labor-intensive procedure can be reduced to random inspections, at least outside the 12 hot zones.
Full flavor in little packages: More rice is being sold in reduced quantities for smaller households
The marketing strategy of selling rice in small volumes has recently seen success in Japan on the back of a rise in the number of one-person households and small families. Rice contained in 5 kilogram packages, which used to be the main size, is unpopular ...
The agricultural reform being pushed by the Abe administration runs counter to the principle of supplying a stable supply of quality food for citizens.
Fukushima Prefectural Government plans to scale back radiation checks on rice harvested in the prefecture, officials said Thursday. The prefectural government is considering switching to sample tests, from blanket checks on all bags, within a few years for rice produced in areas not close to ...
Michael Booth returns with 'The Meaning of Rice'
Michael Booth is back. And once again with his family in tow. The British food writer first came to Japan with his Danish wife and two sons in 2008 in a bid to learn more about Japan and its food culture in a trip ...
Komesan: A Tokyo restaurant where rice takes its rightful place center stage
Komesan subscribes to the radical notion that rice is not just an afterthought but the focal point and raison d'etre of the meal.
End of 47-year Japan rice program signals boost for ramen wheat
The end of Japan's four decades of rice-market control could be good news for noodle lovers. That's because rice farmers may plant alternative crops like wheat once government control ends by March 31 and look to tap into rising demand for ramen. Fukuoka Prefecture is ...
