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May 04, 2026
 

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AGRICULTURE

An agrivoltaic crop, in which solar panels are raised about 3 meters off the ground so that agricultural machinery can freely operate on the crops underneath, in Sosa, Chiba Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
May 3, 2026
As Iran war sends oil prices soaring, some see fresh potential for solar in Japan
While megasolar projects are facing headwinds at the government level, some see renewed potential for solar sharing and smaller-scale, off-grid systems.
Shingo Takatsu (left) and Soichi Tojima check a crop surrounded by a fence in Oda, Shimane Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 27, 2026
Shimane farming districts face onslaught from rising monkey population
Japanese macaques have become used to humans, stealing persimmons and daikons even with people standing nearby.
After working at his family's restaurant in Kyoto, chef Koki Watanabe moved to the countryside far north of the city, opening Inaka no Taiho in 2021.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Apr 17, 2026
Chickens go from coop to table at Inaka no Taiho
The talented Koki Watanabe offers a farmhouse-style dining experience in the woods of northern Kyoto.
Farmers separate wheat grains from husks at a farm on the outskirts of Varanasi, India, on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Apr 15, 2026
India's green fuel plans collide with farmers' water fears
India, which imports 80% of its oil and gas, has made ethanol central to its clean energy plans and, as war in the Mideast impacts the price and supply of oil, its energy security.
A worker harvests rice in Vietnam's Dong Thap province on March 25.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 11, 2026
Fuel shortages from Iran war threaten Asia¡¯s biggest food staple
Across Southeast Asia, tens of millions are struggling to find affordable crop nutrients as well as the diesel needed for operating machinery.
Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki (far right) exchanges views on overseas expansion while holding a matcha latte, on Thursday in Tokyo's Taito Ward.
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2026
Agriculture minister visits Tokyo matcha cafe as Iran war affects tea production
Tea producers are increasingly concerned about procuring the fuel needed in April-June for work such as drying harvested tea leaves amid Middle East tensions.
The governments latest revisions to the staple food law reflects lessons from severe rice shortages that began in summer 2024.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2026
Japanese government approves bill to boost demand-based rice production
The revised law will explicitly stipulate the long-standing policy of promoting rice production that matches demand, with the aim of preventing price declines due to oversupply.
Sayaka Eguchi, head of Eguchi Rice Farm, poses with her husband Hiroyuki at their farm in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 2, 2026
An ¡®untapped field¡¯: The Japanese women who are seeing growth in agriculture
The traditional gender roles in Japanese agriculture are beginning to shift, giving way to a more flexible division of labor.
Organic food is less common in Japan than in the U.K., with about 70% of what is available in the country being imported.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 1, 2026
In Japan, strong state-led certification key to boosting organic food uptake
Japanese and U.K. researchers have found that having a transparent government-certified system may help encourage more people to buy organic food products.
Shubun Endo, president of Tomioka Winery in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, in February
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2026
15 years since disaster, Fukushima winery becomes community hub
This spring, Tomioka Winery will sell the first wine made in the town.
The Shizuoka Crown Melon brand of melons that have been exported to Australia
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2026
Shizuoka's premium melons hit Aussie market
The Shizuoka Crown Melon, grown chiefly in the cities of Fukuroi and Hamamatsu, boasts a high sugar content and rich aroma compared with other varieties
Former Government Pension Investment Fund President Masataka Miyazono joined Hulic last year as an adviser to focus on agricultural investments as the sector faces a rapidly aging and shrinking workforce.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2026
Former chief of $2 trillion pension fund joins developer growing tomatoes
Masataka Miyazono aims to help make 91²Ö¿â agricultural sector more productive in order to boost sustainability in the country.
Chickpeas grown in a mixture that included lunar soil simulant inside a climate-controlled growth chamber at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 6, 2026
With lunar missions looming, scientists grow chickpeas in 'moon dirt'
The development marks a step toward enabling astronauts on long-term moon missions to produce their own food.
A tea field in Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture. A significant portion of tea fields in the prefecture is on sloped terrain in hilly and mountainous regions.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 26, 2026
Shizuoka aims to reclaim top tea status with focus on matcha
Long supported by the strength of its brand, Shizuoka now faces a number of challenges as it moves to rebuild its position in the tea market.
At Nakayama Coffee Farm, Tatsumi Kishimoto (far right) and his team run a cafe and conduct tours of the grounds for visitors. Kishimoto says Okinawan coffee farmers cannot rely on coffee-farming alone as their sole source of income.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 20, 2026
Bean by bean, coffee cultivation in Okinawa defies the odds
From setting up greenhouses to padding up soil beds with grass, coffee producers on the island are finding ways to work around climate challenges to promote their sweet brew.
Bags of rice at a supermarket in Yokohama. Japan's staple food law stipulates that releases of government-stockpiled rice be used to cover "supply shortages due to falling production."
JAPAN
Feb 16, 2026
Rice prices remain high in Japan even after stockpile releases
The country's staple food law stipulates that releases of government-stockpiled rice be used to cover "supply shortages due to falling production."
A promotional event for sake held by the National Tax Agency in 2024
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 10, 2026
Japan moves to help sake breweries hit by surge in rice prices
The price of sake rice harvested in 2025 is about 1.5 to 2.3 times higher than the previous year.
A farmer inspects his wheat field on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, on April 3, 2025.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 8, 2026
What¡¯s at stake for Indian agriculture in Trump¡¯s trade deal?
Indian farmers have expressed concern that New Delhi has made too many concessions to Washington.
A poster board shows candidates in the Miyazaki No. 2 district for Sunday's Lower House election in Hyuga, Miyazaki Prefecture.
JAPAN / Politics / FOCUS
Feb 5, 2026
Rice gaffe haunts ex-farm minister Eto on campaign trail
Eto is facing an uphill battle to retain his seat after resigning from the Cabinet last year over insensitive remarks about rice amid a spike in prices for the staple grain.
Japan's exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food rose 12.8% from the previous year to a record ?1.7 trillion in 2025, though they fell short of the government¡¯s ?2 trillion target, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 3, 2026
91²Ö¿â farm, food and fishery exports in 2025 set record for 13th year
The total failed to reach the government's target of ?2 trillion for 2025 even though exports to all top 10 destinations increased year on year.
Yen soars as Japan intervenes after issuing 'final' warning
Pedestrians walk past a stock quotation board showing the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen, outside a brokerage in Tokyo on Thursday.
Not even Japanese bathhouses are immune from shocks of Iran war
The interior of Ume-no-yu, a public bathhouse in the city of Nagano. Soaring oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East are threatening to deal a final blow to a storied Japanese institution: the sento, or traditional public bathhouse.
New Zealand officials reject statue remembering 91²Ö¿â comfort women
A statue symbolizing former South Korean comfort women in Seoul
Water shortages hit tourist spots in Japan during Golden Week
A hot spring facility in the city of Tomioka, Gunma Prefecture, has suspended the operation of its open-air baths since March.
Japan determined to prop up yen through intervention
An electronic board displays the foreign exchange rate of the yen against the dollar along a street in Tokyo on Thursday.
For tourists in Japan¡¯s outdoor sports scene, safety is not guaranteed
Each winter, countless tourists flock to Japan's famous snow-covered mountains, but a lack of top-down regulation on the country's outdoor sports industry can make certain activities unnecessarily risky.
¡®Sashiko¡¯ needlework artisan says craft is about 'the stories behind the stitching'
Traditional Japanese needlework has exploded in popularity, but a book from a third-generation artisan aims to bring more context to the craft's newfound popularity.
Tennis trailblazer Kei Nishikori announces his retirement
Kei Nishikori, who has won 12 titles on the ATP Tour and climbed as high as No. 4 in the world rankings, on Thursday announced his retirement.
Japanese fried chicken with a Southern twist
A buttermilk-inspired marinade gives a rich umami flavor to your fried chicken.
Documentary captures the long echo of Fukushima's nuclear disaster
Toru Yamada¡¯s documentary ¡°At the Triangle Intersection,¡± which delves into the lingering impact of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, follows Tetsu (center), the matriarch of the Watanabe family, her son, Takemasa (right) and her daughter-in-law, Shigeko.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.
By Alex K.T. Martin

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