Showing posts with label general. Show all posts
Showing posts with label general. Show all posts

11/06/2013

UNESCO nomination WASHOKU

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- - - - - WASHOKU - UNESCO nomination

Cuisine targeted for UNESCO list

An ad hoc committee set up by the Cultural Affairs Council endorsed a plan Monday to get Japanese food culture listed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.

The government will present its formal nomination to the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization by the end of March so a decision on the listing can be made as early as autumn 2013.

UNESCO has put 20 Japanese cultural traditions ranging from the performing arts of kabuki and noh to festivals and traditional crafts on the list so far.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, which is backing the nomination, said the traditional Japanese meal is a customary social practice expressing respect for nature and serves to strengthen the bonds between family members and the community.
source : Japan Times, February 2012






Panel pushes for UNESCO recognition of Japanese food

Panel screens plan to seek UNESCO recognition for Japanese food

VOX POPULI:
Japanese food deserves UNESCO cultural heritage recognition

Japanese cuisine should be registered as the intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).



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Friday, February 17, 2012
Japan to propose food as UNESCO heritage
Japan's cultural affairs agency plans to propose adding its traditional cuisine and food culture to the UNESCO-designated intangible cultural heritage list next month.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs says Japanese cuisine expresses the respect of the country's people for nature and its close relationship with New Year's festivities, rice transplanting and other traditional annual events.
The agency also says Japanese food is closely linked to traditional crafts such as dishware.
Japan's proposal is expected to be examined by a UNESCO committee in November.
UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage system was set up 9 years ago to protect traditional performing arts, craftsmanship, festivals and others.

The UN cultural body's list of such heritages includes 20 Japanese events and performing arts including Noh, Kabuki and the Gion Festival in Kyoto.
French, Italian and two other culinary cultures are also on the list.
source : www3.nhk.or.jp/daily

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Thursday, March 22, 2012


'Washoku' served up as heritage

As the world acquires a taste for sushi and other Japanese treats, the government is hoping that its application to have "washoku" placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list will prove irresistible.

Japanese cuisine, or washoku — characterized by its use of fresh, seasonal ingredients and attractive presentation — is gaining adherents across the globe who are drawn to its taste, appearance and healthy qualities.

The government is now aiming to get "Washoku: Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese" put on the list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage assets.

It will file a formal nomination with the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization by the end of March but will have to wait until November 2013 at the earliest before UNESCO issues its judgement.

In the government's definition, washoku is a customary social practice expressing "respect for nature" and serving to strengthen the bonds of family and community. The nomination will highlight three features of washoku — various fresh ingredients, balanced nutrition and seasonal aesthetic presentation.

"Japanese cuisine is becoming global food," said star chef Yoshihiro Murata, one of the first people to call on the public sector to help get washoku status as an intangible cultural heritage.



"Chefs from high-ranked restaurants across the world are enthusiastic about learning how to cook Japanese food and also learning about the tableware and culture," Murata said.

The 60-year-old president of Kikunoi, whose flagship restaurant in Kyoto was awarded three stars in the 2012 Michelin Guide, said UNESCO recognition of Japanese food would help Japanese people recognize the splendor of their culture as a whole and encourage more people to work in the traditional food industry.

"Sometimes culture blends in so naturally with our lives that we don't appreciate its value," he said. "As a chef, I started out with Japanese food. If washoku gets UNESCO heritage status, it will motivate Japanese chefs across the globe — and also enhance the quality of chefs in this country."

The Japanese Culinary Academy, of which Murata is chairman, initially proposed nominating washoku to the Kyoto Prefectural Government last summer. It soon became a national project led by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry.

In the initiative, the ministry is stressing washoku as a factor behind the nation's low obesity rate and longevity. Japan's obesity rate stands at 3.9 percent, which compares favorably with rates of more than 20 percent for the United States and other Western countries, while the average life expectancy for Japanese men and women comes to 83, the highest in the world, according to data by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The ministry attributes the healthfulness of Japanese cuisine to minimal use of animal oil and fat as well as the nutritional balance provided by rice in combination with different fermented foods, such as miso and soy sauce.

"All cuisines, except for Japanese food, are based on oils and fats. Japanese cuisine is built on 'umami,' " said Murata, referring to the savory fifth basic taste along with bitter, salty, sweet and sour.

He said basic Japanese stock, called "dashi," which brings out umami flavor, contains zero calories. This makes it possible to serve a course of dishes with 65 food items totaling 1,000 kilocalories. By contrast, one plate of spaghetti carbonara packs 1,200 kilocalories.

Promoting the culture of Japanese food via UNESCO will help "contribute to worldwide health," Murata said.

UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003 to safeguard and raise awareness of culture at local and international levels.

The number of Japanese cultural traditions on the UNESCO heritage list totals 20, including kabuki and noh. So far, only four types of food culture — French, Mexican, Mediterranean and Turkish — have been registered on the UNESCO list.

Makoto Osawa, director of policy planning of the agriculture ministry, said, "Japan, thanks to its shifting seasons, has a rich variety of food ingredients, while cooking methods vary depending on local conditions."

As an example of the diversity found in Japanese cuisine, the ministry cites "nabe" pot cooking from the Tohoku region, which developed out of the cold winters and active fishery industry.

"Japan has been concerned to raise awareness of protecting food culture," Osawa said. "This can be seen in the establishment in 2005 of the Basic Law on Shokuiku (Food and Nutrition Education)." The law encourages people to learn more about food and make proper food choices, and Osawa says few countries have legislation that promote public health in this way.

"The Westernization of food in Japan is not necessarily a bad thing, but the move (toward an UNESCO listing) will be an opportunity to urge Japanese not to let their food culture fade,"
he said.

It may not be easy for washoku to be registered as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, however.

South Korea is seeking to have its traditional royal court cuisine registered but missed out in last year's screening, with the body seeking more information on its connection with current society.

Japan is expected to underscore the cultural uniqueness of washoku and efforts to maintain the nation's culinary traditions to clear the hurdles in UNESCO's registration regimen.

A government online survey shows strong public support for registration, with 92 percent of the respondents in favor, while nearly 100 percent said they want to see the washoku tradition passed down to succeeding generations.

Also behind the government's efforts to win over UNESCO is its hope to regain global trust in the country's farm and marine products after the damage inflicted on their reputation by the Fukushima nuclear crisis.

Exports of Japanese agricultural and marine products were hit hard by radiation concerns, so international endorsement of washoku would be seen as a big plus.

"We are hoping that recognition of Japanese food by UNESCO will spur recovery from the disaster," Osawa said.

source : Japan Times

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Washoku on World Heritage menu?
By AMY CHAVEZ

Let's talk about food cultures of the world. And I don't mean yogurt.

Japan, home to 16 World Heritage sites, is now hoping to add another World Heritage accolade with washoku (Japanese food). The only other cuisines deemed worthy of the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage assets are French, Mexican, Turkish, Mediterranean and most recently, Korean imperial food. And you know, if Korea is on the list, then Japan sure as heck better be. And there is no doubt that Japanese cuisine deserves to be on the list.

In fact, Japanese cuisine is said to include 1,500 different items. Hmm, let's count: Rice, sushi, sashimi; nabe, okonomiyaki, udon; sea anemone, chicken cartilage, fish sperm . . . I could probably come up with 100 more, but another 1,491? Maybe that's why the classification reads "intangible cultural heritage" — it can be left to the imagination.

From a local Kyoto movement, the push for UNESCO status went on to become a national project led by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. I don't know about you, but I just can't see the fish going for this one.

I'm not sure what it takes to get washoku placed on UNESCO's World Heritage list, but to get Mount Fuji considered as a World Heritage site took an application fee of ¥10 million and a 300-page document including drawings, figures and specific reasons why the sacred mountain is worthy of the listing under cultural heritage sites.

So I can only suspect that Japanese food will be put through the same rigorous application process. In addition to drawings, color charts, prescribed knife cutting angles and regulations on noodle lengths, the food items will also have to prove culturally important to the Japanese people. Noodles will have to show they are so popular they have spawned noodle-eating contests nationwide, octopus will have to prove they are hailed as the one food where absolutely all parts of it are used (including the head and all eight armpits), and natto (fermented beans) will have to show evidence it can be inhaled at a rate of 530 grams per 27.7 seconds (with a footnote congratulating the recent feat accomplished by Yasuharu Kimori at the 2012 natto speed-eating competition).

Furthermore, chefs will have to demonstrate that studies show that eating sazae (turban shells) does not induce nightmares of giant snails taking over the world, that sea urchin will not be thrown as ninja stars. Lastly, they will have to promise that mochi will not be given to the elderly.

Some foods thought to be uniquely Japanese are, in fact, shared by other Asian cultures. Miso, soy and even natto is eaten in other parts of Asia. However, umami, the mysterious fifth flavor, (after bitter, salty, sweet and sour) is uniquely Japanese, so we could include dashi in washoku. And probably okayu and green tea.

Okay, only 1,482 to go.

There is also shokuyo no hana (edible flowers) and leaves. I'm not just talking about your daily intake of digestible pollen, nor the opportunity to get buzzed and pollinated by bees (Hey, I'm here, pollinate me!). This is Japanese cuisine that includes carnations, cosmos, pansies, roses, and even cherry blossoms. I don't think it includes cherry blossom-flavored beer, however. Leave it to the Japanese, who also eat mitsuba and shiso, some of the tastiest greens around. I grow my own shiso and often see caterpillar shiso addicts, hanging out in hammocks at the bottom of my plants, drugged by the fragrance and heavenly taste. I even sometimes see other bugs shooting up the stems. 1,475.

As it turns out, however, the number of Japanese food items is only one small part of getting the cuisine recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage. Other factors include: visual presentation, fresh and seasonable ingredients, eating rituals, tableware and utensils, and the overall healthiness of the food that adds to longevity and quality of life.

Japanese food is certainly beautifully presented. Dandelions, autumn-colored maple leaves and bento grass, all inedible, are common decorations for food. And Japanese people do amazing things with food other than ingesting it, such as pounding it (mochi), throwing it (Shinto ceremonies) and offering it to the gods (Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies).

Eating utensils, in addition to chopsticks, would have to include the hari needles used to pierce and extract the corpses of sazae.

Although Japanese food is generally very healthy, I cannot agree with the claim that the cuisine has successfully resisted junk food. Personally, I consider cherry blossom-flavored potato chips and green-tea flavored Kit-Kats more on the junk side than the food side. I'm not letting my caterpillars get close to that stuff.

All in all, however, I think Japanese food will have no trouble making it onto the World Heritage list. And with help of Wasao, the dog appointed by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan as a special ambassador for World Heritage-related activities, washoku should attain this status even faster. This diplomat dog is said to "promote the connection between people and nature, as well as the importance of life."

With Wasao barking for us, maybe even Japanese dog food has a chance to be included. Japan is a country where discerning canines can get miso soup, freeze-dried natto, and even okara (from tofu) doggie treats from gourmet dog food companies. 1,472.

We'll find out in November 2013, when UNESCO issues its final judgment. Woof-woof!
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/fl20120407cz.html


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October 23, 2013

- quote
UNESCO to recognize Japanese food culture
“Washoku” — traditional Japanese cuisine — is now likely to be designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

A UNESCO body that screens cultural asset candidates has recommended that “washoku, traditional dietary cultures of the Japanese,” gain the status, the Cultural Affairs Agency said Tuesday.

An intergovernmental panel is expected to make a final decision on listing the Japanese food culture at a meeting in Azerbaijan in early December.
- source : japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/10/23



Japan hopes culinary honor helps Fukushima - NHK news
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says he hopes UNESCO endorsement of the heritage value of Japan's traditional cuisine helps counter rumors about the safety of food from Fukushima.
Suga told reporters on Wednesday that traditional Japanese food culture is grounded in a spiritual respect for nature. He said those values are sure to be passed on to future generations if they are formally recognized by the UN body in December as an intangible cultural asset.


. Fukushima - Problems in October 2013 .


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November 06, 2013

Chefs from Japan, France advertise Japanese food
- NHK
Chefs from Japan and France have displayed their culinary skills in an event in Paris meant to get more people to try Japanese food.
Renowned French chef Alain Ducasse, who uses Japanese ingredients in his restaurants, organized the event on Wednesday.
Nine chefs made dishes for reporters and people in the local food industry. They used around 50 ingredients, such as "wagyu" beef and Japanese horseradish.
Their original recipes included an appetizer made with whipped lettuce and herring roe, as well as a dessert of mixed Japanese horseradish and dairy cream.
People who tasted the dishes marveled at the exquisite combination of the French and Japanese elements.
In France, Japanese food is growing in popularity with many French chefs preferring to use "dashi" soup stock.
Ducasse said French chefs can learn many things from Japanese cuisine, which is known for its meticulous attention to fine detail.
Next month, UNESCO is expected to designate Japanese traditional cuisine and food culture as intangible cultural heritage.


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November 09, 2013

Japanese cuisine restaurants to train foreigners - NHK
The Japanese government is considering a relaxation of immigration rules so that foreigners who studied the Japanese traditional cuisine "washoku" can extend their period of stay to work as trainees in Japan.
Government officials are discussing an around 2-year extension of residential status for foreigners who finished a professional cookery course for traditional Japanese cuisine.
Foreign cooks are required to have at least 10 years of work experience to obtain a residential visa from Japan.
They are not allowed to work at traditional Japanese restaurants.
An organization of professional cooking schools in Japan has appealed to the government panel discussing deregulation to grant residential status to foreigners who graduated their "washoku" courses.
The government is trying to spread Japanese culture to the world.
Next month, UNESCO is expected to recognize Japanese traditional cuisine and food culture as an intangible cultural heritage.


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December 04, 2013

UNESCO picks Japanese cuisine as cultural heritage - NHK news

UNESCO has added Japanese cuisine and food culture to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
The world body's intergovernmental committee made the decision at a meeting in Azerbaijan on Wednesday.
Japan filed an application with UNESCO in March last year, following a request by a Japanese civic group.
The group has been campaigning to fight rumors about Japanese food since the Fukushima accident.

Many in Japan hope the recognition will boost exports and help make Japanese food, or washoku, more popular around the world.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the listing. He said Japan's food culture has been nurtured for generations and he wants to help preserve it.
Agriculture minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said he wants to sustain interest in Japanese food culture so it will be passed on to future generations.
The UNESCO listing is aimed at protecting traditional cultures, festivals, local arts and crafts around the world.
Japanese cuisine is the 22nd item from the nation to go onto the list, following Noh and Kabuki plays, and the float parade in Kyoto's Gion festival.


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無形文化遺産へ “和食”の魅力とは… 「いただきます。」
岩村暢子室長 / 村田吉弘さん / 佐藤紀代子さん / 熊倉功夫さん
- source : www.nhk.or.jp/gendai


「WASHOKU - Try Japan's Good Food事業」- from Hokkaido to Okinawa
日本各地の食材を世界へ紹介!
food served at the ambassies of Tokyo
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- source : www.mofa.go.jp

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- source : NHK World - Japan


My Diary

. Japan after the BIG earthquake March 11, 2011 .



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***** WASHOKU : General Information



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10/29/2013

accessory

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accessory アクセサリー

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A fashion accessory is an item which is used to contribute, in a secondary manner, to the wearer's outfit. The term came into use in the 19th century. Accessories are often used to complete an outfit and are chosen to specifically complement the wearer's look.
Jewelry is a major subcategory, including rings, cufflinks, tie tacks, necklaces, bracelets, aigrettes, lapel pins, and other wearable adornments. Semi-permanent jewelry includes some earrings and nose rings, as well as lip plugs, earlobe plugs which can also be referred to as ear gauges, and other items used with more exotic body modifications.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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source : blog.goo.ne.jp/fromjapanwithlove

Sushi-Rings 寿司の指輪 

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source : fakefood-hatanaka

earrings - click for more

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- Check out a huge collection
- source : rakuten.co.jp


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. Folk Toys 玩具 and Food .


. WASHOKU - GENERAL INFORMATION .

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. join ! WASHOKU - facebook group .


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10/25/2013

TPP

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Trans-Pacific Partnership - TPP

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The 2005 Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (TPSEP or P4) is a free trade agreement among Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore. It aims to further liberalise the economies of the Asia-Pacific region.

Since 2010, negotiations have been taking place for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposal for a significantly expanded version of TPSEP. The TPP is a proposed free trade agreement under negotiation by (as of August 2013) Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam.

The TPP is ostensibly intended to be a "high-standard" agreement specifically aimed at emerging trade issues in the 21st century. These ongoing negotiations have drawn criticism and protest from the public, advocacy groups, and elected officials, in part due to the secrecy of the negotiations, the expansive scope of the agreement, and a number of controversial clauses in drafts leaked to the public.

Japan joined as an observer in the TPP discussions that took place 13–14 November 2010, on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Yokohama. Japan declared its intent to join the TPP negotiations on 13 March 2013 and an official announcement was made by Prime Minister Shinzō Abe on 15 March 2013 . The TPP formally invited Japan to enter negotiations in April, and Japan could become a full negotiating partner in August 2013.
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Four TPP members offer to kill all tariffs
Four of the countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative are offering the other members total tariff elimination on all agricultural and industrial goods, a source close to the talks said.

The move by Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Chile is likely to put pressure on Japan, the second-largest of the 12 TPP economies, to open up its politically sensitive agricultural market, the source said Friday.
. . .
For Japan, which joined the talks in late July but didn’t take part in the tariff negotiations until last month’s round in Brunei, the sessions in Washington were expected to provide further chances for Tokyo to retain tariffs on sensitive farm products, Japanese officials said.

Tokyo is facing strong domestic pressure
to protect sugar, rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy and other farm products because farmers fear that an influx of cheap imports will devastate the nation’s agricultural sector.

- source : Japan Times, September 2013



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From rice for controlling blood glucose levels to soybeans that reduce fatty acids, the government is seeking new ways to make money from agriculture as pressure mounts to cut the tariffs that farmers rely on to make a living.
. Functional Foods .
Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU)


. WASHOKU - GENERAL INFORMATION .

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. join ! WASHOKU - facebook group .


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Functional Food

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Functional Foods - Health Food

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A functional food is a food given an additional function (often one related to health-promotion or disease prevention) by adding new ingredients or more of existing ingredients.

The general category of functional foods includes processed food or foods fortified with health-promoting additives, like "vitamin-enriched" products. Products considered functional generally do not include products where fortification has been done to meet government regulations and the change is not recorded on the label as a significant addition ("invisible fortification"). An example of this type of fortification would be the historic addition of iodine to table salt, or Vitamin D to milk, done to resolve public health problems such as rickets. Fermented foods with live cultures are considered functional foods with probiotic benefits.

Functional foods are part of the continuum of products that individuals may consume to increase their health and/or contribute to reducing their disease burden.

Functional foods are an emerging field in food science due to their increasing popularity with health-conscious consumers and the ability of marketers to create new interest in existing products.

The term was first used in Japan in the 1980s where there is a government approval process for functional foods called
Foods for Specified Health Use (FOSHU).
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- quote
Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU)
FOSHU refers to foods containing ingredient with functions for health and officially approved to claim its physiological effects on the human body. FOSHU is intended to be consumed for the maintenance / promotion of health or special health uses by people who wish to control health conditions, including blood pressure or blood cholesterol. In order to sell a food as FOSHU, the assessment for the safety of the food and effectiveness of the functions for health is required, and the claim must be approved by the MHLW.


Seal for FOSHU Approval  特定保健用食品

Requirements for FOSHU Approval • Effectiveness on the human body is clearly proven
• Absence of any safety issues (animal toxicity tests, confirmation of effects in the cases of excess intake, etc.)
• Use of nutritionally appropriate ingredients (e.g. no excessive use of salt, etc.)
• Guarantee of compatibility with product specifications by the time of consumption
• Established quality control methods, such as specifications of products and ingredients, processes, and methods of analysis

MORE
- source : www.mhlw.go.jp/english

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Farmers to focus on fighting fat in face of tariff cuts
From rice for controlling blood glucose levels to soybeans that reduce fatty acids, the government is seeking new ways to make money from agriculture as pressure mounts to cut the tariffs that farmers rely on to make a living.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration estimates that there is a potential ¥600 billion market for so-called functional foods, strains of fruits, vegetables and grains with provable health benefits beyond regular nutrition. He’s put ¥2 billion into the agriculture ministry’s coffers for a three-year project to develop new varieties of rice, soybeans, barley, onions and buckwheat.
...
Abe is pursuing a place in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact while OECD data show the nation’s farmers depend on government handouts for more than half their income, versus 7 percent in the U.S.

“If we succeed in creating a market for functional foods in Japan, we’ll be able to expand the business to other Asian countries that sooner or later face the same aging problem as us,” Nakatani said in an interview Thursday. “Enhanced health benefits from these products should ultimately appeal to consumers worldwide.”

The National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, an affiliate to the ministry, is working on a new strain of soybeans with elevated levels of beta-conglycinin, a soy storage protein that can reduce free fatty acids in the liver that contribute to risks for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, Nakatani said.

The first crops will be planted in Nagano Prefecture, renowned for miso soup stock made from soybeans. Japanese production of the oilseed rose 8 percent to 235,900 tons last year, while imports fell 3.7 percent to 2.73 million tons, according to data from the farm ministry.

Rice with a higher than normal amount of amylose, a component of starch with the potential to curb blood glucose levels, will appeal to people who want to reduce their weight, according to Nakatani. Planting may begin as early as 2016 in Niigata Prefecture, the nation’s second-largest rice producer.

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- source : Japan Times October 2013

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- quote - Japan Times June 2014
Middle road sought for health food labels
by Mami Maruko

In an attempt to cash in on consumers’ growing interest in healthy eating, new varieties of fresh fruit and vegetables — each touting enhanced health-boosting properties — are making their way to supermarkets nationwide.

When buying fresh produce, shoppers can now choose tomatoes containing higher levels of lycopene and eggs labeled as having “strengthened eicosa pentaenoic acid,” among a host of other foods promising greater amounts of compounds touted as beneficial.

The health food market, which includes food, beverages, sweets and supplements, was worth ¥1.8 trillion in 2012, according to market research and consultation firm Seed Planning.

With an eye on the growth potential of such products, the government is looking to establish a centralized, unified labeling system that will regulate how they are marketed and provide consumers with a greater understanding of the health benefits advertised.

Here are some questions and answers on the new labeling system expected to emerge in March 2015.

How do manufacturers go about listing the health benefits of food products?
There are two ways. One is highly regulated and the other is very lightly regulated, if at all.

The first way is called “tokuho,” short for “tokutei hokenyo shokuhin,” or “food with specified health uses,” and allows manufacturers to submit individual products to the Consumer Affairs Agency in a strictly regulated process that, if successful, allows the company to market it with a “tokuho” label.

Items bearing the tokuho label are those the agency has judged effective in promoting better health or preventing disease. They include Xylitol gum, said to protect teeth from cavities, fiber-rich drinks advertised as digestive aids, and beverages containing sardine peptide, which supposedly helps to lower high blood pressure.

The second way is unregulated and carried out completely by the food maker. It simply allows companies to “test” for vitamins and minerals in the food being advertised and to list the results on the product labels.

Food makers will still be able to label their goods by these two means after the new labeling system starts next year.

Why does the government want to launch a new labeling system?
The tokuho system is very tightly regulated. Manufacturers must conduct experiments on their products to demonstrate the health benefits and wait for the Consumer Affairs Agency to review it.

“The current system run by the government is costly and time consuming,” says Mitsuru Aoyama, secretary general of Japan Health and Nutrition Food Association.

By diversifying the labeling system and giving a freer hand to manufacturers, the government hopes to encourage more companies in the food industry, particularly small and midsize companies, to develop new products, Aoyama says.

On Friday, the agency presented an outline of its plan for the new labeling system to a group tasked with overseeing its introduction. The plan proposed several rules, such as requiring manufacturers to notify the agency before selling newly labeled products and making information on how they were researched and tested publicly available.

Whatever the rules turn out to be, they are likely to commit manufacturers to printing disclaimers to warn consumers that they are not officially endorsed by the government — a move similar to existing U.S. regulations on dietary supplements. The aim is to prevent individual consumers from holding Washington legally responsible for any side effects while letting consumers try promising products at their own risk.

Manufacturers will also be required to indicate on the labels that the health benefits advertised may not apply to those who are already ill, pregnant or breast-feeding.

What kind of effect will the new labeling system have on agriculture?
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry launched a project last year to promote the research and development of enhanced farm products as well as healthier processed foods.

So far, 18 projects have been selected to receive subsidies, including rice containing high levels of amylose, which helps regulate blood-sugar levels, and onions with more quercetin — a compound that helps the body burn fat.

Local governments are also introducing measures to promote local specialties by playing up their health benefits.

Hokkaido, the country’s largest producer of farm products, introduced its own labeling system in April last year, complete with an original symbol allowing shoppers to identify healthy food produced in the prefecture.

What issues may arise with the new labeling system?
Mari Yamamoto, director of food function division at the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, said the new labeling system is necessary because different prefectures and companies use different systems, leaving consumers unable to judge whether individual labels can be trusted.

But she also warned that the new system could end up being misleading if it is too restrictive on the kind of information that can be listed.

According to existing plans, for example, manufacturers will not be allowed to list the effects of ingredients on specific areas of the body.

“The most important thing is for consumers to know that certain food is effective for maintenance and improvement of their health. The labeling should say exactly which part of the body the nutritional ingredients have an effect on, so that they won’t be puzzled as to which food to choose,” she said.

“The government needs to provide all manufacturers clear guidance for a labeling system that has uniformity and consistency, which any one can understand and follow.”

- source : Japan Times, June 3, 2014


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. 機能性表示食品 kinosei hyoji shokuhin .
new labels in May 2015

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10/24/2013

Akiyama Tokukzo

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Akiyama Tokukzo 秋山徳蔵 cook for the Tenno
(1888 - 1974)



© More in the WIKIPEDIA !



Cooks and Other People
edited by Harlan Walker
Manyoken's first chef was Akiyama Tokuzo, who came to the restaurant from the Kyoto palace, having studied French cooking in France.
- source : books.google.co.jp/books


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Shita
Tenno No Ryori Ban Ga Kataru Ki Shoku Chinmi




Aji
Tenno No Ryori Ban Ga Kataru Showa

source : www.cdjapan.co.jp/ebooks

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NHK historia

宮廷料理の舞台裏にようこそ
~天皇の料理番 秋山徳蔵~

- source : www.nhk.or.jp/historia


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9/28/2013

Masaoka Shiki

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Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規

Sushi a la Matsuyama 松山寿司

When Natsume Soseki came to visit Masaoka Shiki in Matsuyma in 1892, Shiki's mother Yae prepared the dish for them. Takahama Kyoshi, who happened to be there too, wrote about this meeting, describing Soseki sitting in his western suit on the cushion, trying to eat carefully so as not to soil his suit and the floor and finishing every little grain of rice.


ふるさとや親すこやかに鮓の味
furusato ya oya sukoyaka ni sushi no aji

my dear hometown -
my mother is well and
the taste of sushi



われに法あり 君をもてなすもぶり鮓
ware ni hoo ari kimi o motenasu moburi sushi

here is the law
when entertaining you -
our mixed sushi

われ愛す わが豫州 松山の鮓
ware aisu waga Yoshuu Matsuyama no sushi

I love my hometown
in the province of Iyo -
Matsuyama sushi


(Yoshuu is an old name for Iyo no kuni 伊予の国.)


. Matsuyama sushi 松山鮓 and Masaoka Shiki in Ehime  


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ankoo ni ichizen meshi no andon kana
. anko 鮟鱇 angler fish .

haru oshimu yado ya Nihon no toofujiru
Tofu 豆腐 bean curd
Japan is the best for tofu soup !

hio yasete tsuki no shizuku to tokenu beshi
Hio 氷魚 saffron cod


柿くへば鐘が鳴るなり法隆寺 
. kaki kueba kane ga naru nari Hooryuuji .
Persimmons, his favorite food !


manaita ni uroko chirishiku sakuradai
. Sakuradai 桜鯛 cherry sea bream .
and the kitchen knife

omoshiro ya tsuki ni sanshoo no kawa hageba 
Sanshoo  山椒 mountain pepper  

omoshiro ya mate no iru ana iranu ana
Mategai 馬刀 razor shell - Solen gouldi

shigururu ya konnyaku hiete heso no ue
. Konnyaku 蒟蒻 konjak, Devil's-tongue - Amorphophallus rivieri .

shinshuu no samusa o omou sobayu kana
Soba Buckwheat noodles そば 蕎麦 from Shinshu

tonari sumu hinshi ni mochi o wakachi-keri
. Mochi 餅 rice cakes .

yama wa kaze no hiyatsuku himuro kana
himuro 氷室 Ice cellars in Japan


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WASHOKU - Food Haiku and Masaoka Shiki


. WKD : Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 .


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. WKD : ABC-List of his works .



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12/28/2012

NEWSLETTER 2012

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NEWSLETTER ... latest additions




History of Japanese Food


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. . . . . since 2013


. Latest Additions - since 2013 .

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Additions from 2012 and 2011


Sabappuru サバップル apple pie with saba mackerel meat Aomori

. . Sakana  魚 toys and amulets with FISH . .

Rice milk ライスミルク

Kamaboko Daruma かまぼこだるま

Sangaria サンガリア a drink for children

akamoku 鎌倉の新名産アカモク akamoku seaweed
new dishes from Kamakura beach

KitKat chocolate キットカット and Kit mail キットメール

Nokisaki Business 軒先.com

Edo - 100 favorite dishes

Asian Food Regulation Information Service

Food Crisis Worldwide

insutanto zooni インスタント雑煮 ready-made zoni soup
for the New Year


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Addidions in 2010


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Addidions in 2009


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Addidions in 2008


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11/03/2012

Yoshiko Tatsumi

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Yoshiko Tatsumi

quote
source : Japan Times, November 2012
By TOMOKO OTAKE


Cookery guru serves wisdom with her soups

"Never fight a war with Chinese people, because we would lose," Yoshiko Tatsumi sternly warned, "with absolute certainty," a 40-strong group of mostly middle-aged women gathered recently in her spacious three-story residence set in gardens in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.


"What we eat today is no match for what they eat. Nobody (in Japan) has vitality in a true sense. We used to get energy from everyday food; we've forgotten how to."

And so continued Tatsumi's sobering lecture at her monthly soup-cooking class that draws attendees from across the nation, all united in their eagerness to feast on the 87-year-old cookery expert's tips, knowledge and all-round wisdom.
The primary subject of the day, of course, was soup. Tatsumi demonstrated preparing two sorts — a beef consomme and a sweet-potato potage. Her tips included stirring vegetables in cooking oil before putting them on a stove, as that coating helps the even absorption of heat.

She then let the soup ingredients simmer slowly on a low heat in a pot with the lid on, stirring only occasionally and "making the vegetables sweat." This is a technique she said helps to best bring out the ingredients' umami (pleasant savory taste) — the so-called fifth basic taste (along with sweet, sour, bitter, salty and metallic) that, chemically speaking, is created by amino acids including glutamic acid, inosinic acid and guanylic acid that are abundantly present in both soups and dashi (a Japanese soup stock made from bonito flakes, konbu [kelp] and/or dried shiitake mushrooms).

But Tatsumi's wisdom-sharing is not limited to soups — as was evident from her remark about China. In the same lesson, she also recalled, for example, her experience of caring for her bedridden father and how she succeeded in feeding him pieces of beef steak, which he loved but had almost given up eating as he had difficulty in swallowing.

Tatsumi would even sprinkle words of advice on living well — often, indeed, waxing philosophical. Example: "You can only have an epiphany if you sincerely think of someone — but to do that, you must seriously put your mind to it on a daily basis. If you don't, you won't have an epiphany. And remember, an epiphany and an idea are worlds apart."

Whatever Tatsumi is talking about, though, it always reflects her long-held belief that food affects every facet of people's lives — and that cooking is an act of love and the most basic human freedom.

She also believes that soups and soup stocks are the most sophisticated foods, since they condense the blessings of nature — whether from the ocean, the mountains or the fields.

It's a philosophy, she says, that was onlpassed down to her by her mother, Hamako, who is widely known in Japan as an early home-cooking expert.

However, Hamako was also the proud "manager" of the Tatsumi family, comprising her husband, Yoshio — an executive with a major construction company before the war — Yoshiko and her two brothers. Whether in Tokyo's Meguro district where the family lived when she was very young, or later after they'd moved to Kamakura, it was her mother who taught Tatsumi how to live her own credo through cooking.

As an example of this, Tatsumi has told of her mother coming up with an ingenious way to send a soup for soba noodles to China when her husband was based there with the Imperial Japanese Army. She also recounts how her mother started spreading her expertise through giving cookery classes at home and later by appearing on television and in magazine articles.

Tatsumi has surely followed in her mother's footsteps, having for years taught a monthly soup-cookery school at home, where she lives with her head apprentice, Chikako Tsushima.

Tatsumi has stayed single since being separated from her husband just three weeks after their wedding, when he was drafted into the wartime armed forces and died off the coast of the Philippines. She occasionally appears on NHK's "Kyo no Ryori" ("Today's Cooking") TV program as an instructor, and also writes books and magazine articles on all things related to food.

What's more, in 2004, at the age of 80, and prompted by her alarm at the nation's low food self-sufficiency (which is only 7 percent for soybeans), she started a group named Daizu Hyakutsubu Undo wo Sasaeru Kai (The Group to Support the Planting of 100 Soybean Seeds). Under the umbrella of that group, Tatsumi launched a campaign to get children in elementary schools to plant 100 soybean seeds each, as well as to grow and harvest them, since they play a vital role in the Japanese diet. The movement has now spread to more than 300 schools across the country.

Tatsumi is bound to get even busier with the Nov. 3 release of "Ten no Shizuku" ("Drops from Heaven"), a 113-minute documentary film themed on her life and philosophy. Shot by Atsunori Kawamura and featuring breathtaking imagery of food and nature as she travels around Japan, the movie's subtext is a rumination on the links between food and its producers, and food and our lives.

Ahead of the film's release, Tatsumi, dressed elegantly in a pink-purple sweater and sporting her signature pompadour hairdo, took time out with The Japan Times to share her thoughts in the comfort of her own home. The following are excerpts from the hour-long interview:

I understand you were born in Meguro, Tokyo, and that your mother was a pioneering ryōri kenkyū-ka (cookery expert). Is that right?

Well, in fact she was extremely offended by that label. She said she didn't cook for that kind of purpose. My mother used to say, "There is no manager more important than a homemaker."

News photo
Sitting pretty: Yoshiko Tatsumi (second from left) seen in a posed photograph with her brother Kazuo and their parents, Yoshio and Hamako, in the early 1930s. YOSHIKO TATSUMI

Why was she so offended?

She was immensely proud of being a homemaker. Being a homemaker was her lifelong theme. So she was disgusted by the idea of being labeled a cookery expert. She almost felt insulted by that. I feel the same way. I hate that expression.

Why do you feel disgusted by that?

Well ... it just feels unbalanced. She was called that because there was no other way to describe what she was doing, and then the media got used to using that label.

I guess there was a burgeoning group of people like her, and the media could not find a phrase to categorize these people, so that's why they came up with that phrase to refer to them.

What was your mother like around the house?
How should I describe her ... She was very passionate — three times more passionate than me! And she was extremely good at giving shape to her sincerity for her loved ones.

There are many ways to express love. The way my mother expressed her love to my father is a good example. With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War (in 1937), my father was drafted and sent to the war. In those days, the men were formed into groups and were given a public send-off. Toward the end of World War II as Japan's defeat became imminent, soldiers began to be sent off quietly and privately.

Anyway, what my mother did for my father's send-off was to somehow have a chrysanthemum flower pinned to the soldiers' uniforms. On the day of departure, all the men in his party wore one of those flowers! I've always been really amazed at how in the world she made that happen. There were all kinds of rules and restrictions in the military and it was inconceivable that members of Party No. 3 would have flowers and not those in Party No. 1 and Party No. 2. I've always wondered how and from whom she got permission to do that.

The flowers were attached to the men's empty cartridge cases. I remember a nice scent of chrysanthemum wafting from my father's party. I know she probably went overboard on that one, but when she had an idea she would work out a plan and realize it.

So she was a natural at showing her compassion.
Yes. My father would write us (from China) what he wanted to eat — in pictures. He missed Japanese food and once drew soba noodles. So my mother wanted him to be able to eat soba there.

News photo


All together: Yoshiko Tatsumi (second from right, front row) with a group of family and friends on the day in 1937 when her father, Yoshio (center), was enlisted into the Imperial Army at the age of 41. He was afterward sent to serve in China. YOSHIKO TATSUMI

There were dried noodles, and yakumi spices could also be sent in a dried form; my mother knew he was able to source the same kind of negi (green onions) in China. What about the soup to put noodles in, though? She shaved five pieces of katsuo (dried, fermented and smoked bonito) into flakes (with a tool like a wood plane). I mean, people today would struggle to shave just one bonito off! She crushed the shavings into smaller flakes, let sake, mirin (sweet sake) and soy sauce seep into them, and then roasted them.

In effect, she created what could be considered today an "instant soup stock." I don't know when she came up with the idea, but I remember her toiling at it in the kitchen, shaving and shaving and shaving. She felt hot in the process so took some layers of her clothes off and carried on.

Had nobody else thought about sending soba soup to China back then?
Nobody.

How did having such a woman as a mother impact you?
I grew up taking it for granted, thinking that mothers everywhere were doing what my mother was doing. Then I realized that it wasn't the case. I've never seen any other mother like her.


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7/02/2012

Tokuho health label

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Tokuho health label

特定保健用食品

quote
Health: It's in 'tokuho' label
Colas, teas, toothpastes claiming to cut health risks gain accreditation


By MINORU MATSUTANI

Kirin Beverage Co.'s hit beverage Mets Cola has gained Consumer Affairs Agency recognition as "tokuho," which is short for "tokutei hokenyou shokuhin," or foods with special healthy qualities.



Cola drinks are generally not believed to contribute to good health, but consumers have snapped up Mets Cola because of its official distinction.

Following are questions and answers regarding the tokuho status and its bona fides:

What is the origin of the tokuho status?
The health ministry began in 1991 attaching tokuho status to certain foods and drinks to promote their healthy qualities, including ingredients that are high in fiber, good for digestion or help slow tooth decay.

By cluing consumers in to food items that promote health, the government hoped to also mitigate the nation's future health insurance burden, said Akira Yabuki, a director at the Japan Health & Nutrition Food Association, which is run with funds pooled from member companies — mostly food and drink makers.

Since September 2009, when the Consumer Affairs Agency was created under the health ministry, the agency has taken over the role of granting tokuho status.

How has the tokuho product market been growing?
Products given the status have seen a consistent increase, reaching 1,000 in May.

Included among them are Lotte Co.'s Xylitol gum, which boasts the ability to protect teeth from cavities, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.'s fiber-rich drink Fibe-Mini, which aids digestive organs, as well as yogurts and many kinds of oolong and green teas.

Tokuho-status product sales amounted to ¥679.8 billion in 2007, but have declined since then and stood at ¥517.5 billion in 2011, according to the association, which compiles data in odd-numbered years.

The sales decline can be attributed in part to the 2008 financial crisis as well as product development that was put on hold because the Consumer Affairs Agency was planning to change the rules on tokuho recognition, Yabuki said.

With new rules in place, the development of tokuho products has gotten back into full swing, he said.

How is tokuho status earned?
To obtain the status, food and drink makers must conduct various experiments to demonstrate the healthy effects of their products. Afterward, the Consumer Affairs Agency must review the results of these tests and issue its judgment accordingly.

If the product experiment documents pass muster, the manufacturers will be authorized to attach the tokuho designation and list the specific health-supporting ingredients on their labels, Yabuki said.

What experiments are required?
The manufacturers have to test their products on individuals.

In the case of Mets Cola, Kirin Beverage divided 82 people with no significant health problems into two groups. One was served Mets Cola, which contains indigestible dextrin — a nutrient that restricts the rise in body fat after a meal — while the other group drank cola that did not contain the substance for a day, Kirin Beverage spokesman Mitsutake Matano said.

A week later the two groups reversed roles for a day.

Afterward, the subjects were tested for the density of fat in their blood, Matano said.

Overconsumption was also gauged for any harmful effects.

For example, manufacturers conducted experiments in which people consumed triple the amounts of food or drinks to determine if such activities posed damage to health, Yabuki said.

"Tokuho products can be useful in maintaining your health, but that may not be the case if one binge eats and drinks," Yabuki said.

The Consumer Affairs Agency reportedly issued Suntory Holdings Ltd. a warning to halt a TV commercial pushing Suntory's black oolong tea because the ad could mislead consumers into believing they did not have to be careful about what they ate as long as they drank the company's product.

What nutrients will the Consumer Affairs Agency let makers boast on their products as promoting health?
Diacylglycerol and other nutrients that make it difficult for fat to be stored in the body can be listed on product labels, according to the website of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health.

Other nutrients listed include bifidobacteria, chitosan and L-arabinose, which can lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.

The Mets Cola label says its indigestible dextrin restricts absorption of fat and increases the excretion of fat.

The Consumer Affairs Agency does not disclose the specific components, only the products granted tokuho recognition, agency official Noriko Yokota said. She added, however, that the information on the metro government's website is correct.




How popular is Mets Cola?
Between April 24, when Kirin Beverage began selling 480-milliter bottles, and the end of May, 1.5 million cases, or 36 million bottles, were sold, company spokesman Mitsutake Matano said.

This compares with the 30 million cases of Pepsi cola sold last year, of which 20.95 million were the zero-calorie Pepsi Nex, said Midori Takahashi, a spokeswoman at Suntory Holdings Ltd., the parent of Nihon Pepsi Cola Ltd.

A case basically can mean 24 250-ml cans or 6 2-liter bottles.

Kirin Beverage has sold Kirin Cola only in vending machines since June 2010. It sells no other kinds of cola, and the product is nowhere near comparable with Mets Cola, Matano said.

Why is Mets Cola doing so well?
Cola drinks in general are popular worldwide, even if they generally are not associated with the promotion of health.

Throwing in the tokuho component only lends to the boom, Yabuki said.

"People have the impression that cola has lots of sugar, and thus tokuho cola has had a big impact on consumers," he said.

The TV commercial for Mets Cola using characters from the popular boxing "anime" series "Ashita no Jo" also gives the product added punch, he said.

How will future tokuho products evolve?
Tokuho status has been granted to many kinds of tea, which even before such designation attracted health-conscious consumers, Yabuki said.

"I expect diet-related tokuho products will continue to grow. Also, makers will probably take new directions, including foods and drinks that promote healthy skin," he said.

source : Japan Times, July 03, 2012



消費者庁 Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan
http://www.caa.go.jp/


特定保健用食品(トクホ) 許可 tokuho
特定保健用食品許可




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6/28/2012

snap dish photos

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SnapDish for food photos



Food Camera App
http://snapdi.sh/ja/


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quote
The first bite is with the camera

When Misako Fukuda, 40, went to a cherry-blossom viewing party at Tokyo's Inokashira Park in April, she did not know the other 30 people who had gathered nor their professions. The only thing she knew about them was what they ate or cooked every day —
through SnapDish, a smartphone social-networking app.



Each day, Fukuda, a Tokyo-based freelance Web director, chronicles her dietary life with iPhone snapshots. Before she takes a bite, she takes a photo of the dish and quickly uploads it via SnapDish to share with her friends.

"It's part of my life log," says Fukuda, who has been keeping her photographic food diary since she got an iPhone in 2009.

Fukuda is one of millions of people who are obsessed with food photos and sharing their culinary experiences with virtual and real friends on the Web. In the old days, many shied away from taking pictures of the food at restaurants for fear of being rude, but it has become such an everyday tool for socializing in Japan that people now take photos of anything from rice balls at a convenience store to the culinary arts at three-Michelin-star restaurants.

"In the past, I did feel it wasn't kosher to take such pictures, especially at fine restaurants," says Moto Tomita, a Japanese-American executive for a luxury brand.

"I have a circle of friends who really enjoy sharing such culinary experiences from other countries," says Tomita, who moved to Tokyo from Silicon Valley four years ago. "Some live in rural areas, where they don't have regular access to such cuisine."

As smartphone users become more savvy, apps catering to food bloggers, such as SnapDish, have started to sprout in Japan. Unlike Instagram or other photo-sharing apps, SnapDish is exclusively designed for people wanting to share food photos.

"Some don't want to be labeled as being obsessed with food by their friends on Facebook, where they might be connected with their bosses. I wanted to create a community for those food lovers," says Zen Funada, the CEO of Tokyo-based Vuss Inc., which operates SnapDish.

Just as Instagram's tools can make photos look more artistic, SnapDish makes the food in photos look more appetizing, with color and light correcting functions. The Rare function lightly retouches the photos, Medium makes the color more vivid and Well-done applies the maximum correction and effects to the images.

Since the app's launch in May 2011, users have grown to 250,000. The app is available in English, Japanese and two forms of Chinese. Some 30 percent of its users are overseas, mostly from Asian countries such as China, Taiwan and Singapore.

Willin Low, a Singapore-based SnapDish user who has posted more than 1,000 photos since the launch, says he feels food represents community in Asia.

"I think it is very much an Asian thing," says Low, a Singapore-based lawyer turned chef and restaurateur. "It is traditional here when eating to place all the dishes in the center of the table to be shared by everyone, rather than to be served individual dishes. So I think culturally we like to share our food with others, even if it means virtually via the Internet." Low was named as one of the world's top emerging culinary stars by fellow contemporary chefs in the Phaidon Press book "Coco: 10 World-Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs."

Fukuda says that sharing her food experiences has helped expand her circle of friends.

"Food is such a happy topic for everybody," she says. "By sharing photos, we feel as if we were there to break bread with them."


By AYAKO MIE
source : Japan Times June 29, 2012






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5/22/2012

Tokyo Sky Tree Senbei

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Tokyo Sky Tree 東京スカイツリー

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Humanity


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Explanation


東京そらの木煎餅(R)


Tokyo Sky Tree Senbei

from the shop Mirin Do みりん堂
source : allabout.co.jp

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The people of Edo loved . puns (dajare 駄洒落) .
and the poeple of Tokyo do too, even in our modern times.

Tokyo is situated in the Musashi plain 武蔵平野
MU SA SHI 。。。六三四 - 6 3 4
So when the tower had to be just a bit higher than the tower in China, they decided to make it

634 meters high.

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World's tallest Tokyo Sky Tree to open

The world's tallest tower, Tokyo's 634-meter Sky Tree, opens on Tuesday.
The tower has two panoramic observation decks, at 350 and 450 meters above ground. On a clear day, it offers a view of Mt. Fuji on the horizon.

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10AM, the woman who named the tower will visit the observatory. At noon, the doors will open to the public.
7,500 people won a lottery to ascend the broadcasting tower on its first day.

The tower's operator issued advance tickets for the first 50 days.
It is recommending that visitors use public transportation as the roads around the tower are likely to be congested.

Tokyo Sky Tree opens to the public
Tokyo's latest landmark has opened to an eager public. Standing 634 meters high, the Tokyo Sky Tree is the world's tallest tower.
The broadcasting tower with a modern truss exterior stands in the old quarters of Sumida Ward in Tokyo. It has two observation decks at 350 and 450 meters.

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning, a woman who named the structure and her son became the first to ascend.
On the ground, many more were waiting in line from early morning. They were welcomed in at noon, and quickly boarded elevators for the 50-second ride to the first observation deck.
Rain and clouds unfortunately hampered the tower's panoramic view of Tokyo -- and the sight of Mount Fuji in the distance on a very clear day.
But the visitors still appeared to enjoy the climb, the structure's brand new interior, and its displays of maps and other items.

8,000 people are due to visit the tower on the opening day. They are the lucky ones who won lotteries to purchase advance tickets.
The tower's adjoining commercial complex also opened. Together, about 200,000 people are expected to visit the tower and complex on Tuesday.


Skytree may pump over $2 bil into Japan's economy
Local municipal officials estimate that the economic ripple effects of Tokyo Skytree will bring more than 2 billion dollars a year to Japan.
They say the tower and nearby commercial facilities are expected to attract nearly 21 million visitors annually.
Those visitors are forecast to spend about 990 million dollars in admission fees for the tower's observation decks and at restaurants and shops.
The officials say sales of various businesses across the country will also increase by about 1.2 billion dollars.
The actual total economic impact is believed to be even greater as the estimate does not include revenues from the aquarium and the planetarium located in the tower compound.

source : NHK World News - May 21, 2012




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Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー, Tōkyō Sukai Tsurī
is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa (829.84 m/2,723 ft).
© More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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東京スカイツリー

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Worldwide use



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Things found on the way


Daruma and the Sky Tree
山田るまブログ




source : yamadaruma.laff.jp


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solamachi ソラマチ  - the shopping mall

soramachi 空町  "village in the sky"
Many shops imitate the atmosphere of Edo.


もんじゃ お好み焼き Monja and Okonomi yaki
One of the many shops in the Sky Tree compound.




source : barbee.exblog.jp


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Skytree has elevator glitch on first day

Despite cold and rainy springtime weather Tuesday, Tokyo Skytree attracted thousands of people to the new landmark as the world's tallest tower opened to the public.
But the first day didn't go off without a hitch. High winds forced two elevators to halt at around 6 p.m., stranding visitors in the No. 2 observatory, 450 meters above the ground.
The elevators soon resumed operations, but at 7:36 p.m. the No. 2 observatory was closed due to the wind.

Skytree Town is a commercial complex combining the 634-meter-tall broadcast tower, an aquarium, a planetarium and the Tokyo Solamachi complex, which boasts 312 shops and restaurants.
source : Japan Times, May 23, 2012


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Tower Donburi タワー丼 tawaa don
sold at a shop in Asakusa



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HAIKU and SENRYU



Tokyo Sky Tree -
a new inspiration
for new heights


Gabi Greve, May 22, 2012


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Silent Night-
the Tokyo Sky Tree
luminescent green


Angelee Deodhar
Winter 2013



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Related words

***** . Tall buildings and towers and haiku .


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