Latest news with #AliBaba
Sharjah 24
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Frenchman Philibeg Bougard brings magic to SCRF 2025
Bougard, who first rose to fame on France's Got Incredible Talent , used beloved characters from classic tales, including Ali Baba , in his routines. Each act, a display of illusion, also gave a playful nod to childhood legends, allowing children to connect deeply with the stories they knew. In one unforgettable moment, Bougard called a young girl from the audience and, like a scene straight out of Sleeping Beauty , made her levitate midair as she floated gracefully above the stage in her sleep as the crowd watched in breathless awe. Meanwhile watching Ali Baba conjure gold coins or unlock secret treasures kept the young audience hooked. 10-year-old Fathima Laiba, said: 'It felt like I was watching real magic! I loved it when he made the girl float — it was like a fairytale coming true.' For her school friend Fathima Amna, 13, also from India, watching it all unfold in front of his eyes was no less intriguing. "I've seen magic tricks on TV before, but seeing it live for the first time, with all the music and lights, made it feel like we were part of a magical story." 'What makes Philibeg's show special is how he marries magic with music and interactive storytelling," said Raissa Mohammed, a teacher accompanying students to the hit show. "He doesn't just perform tricks; he invites children to journey through fantastical worlds." With every sleight of hand and musical beat, Magic in the Air delivered on its promise – celebrating the limitless imagination that SCRF champions. Bougard's infectious energy and crowd engagement made sure that for three quarters of one magical hour, everyone – young and old – truly believed in magic.
Asahi Shimbun
26-04-2025
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
A little magic and Japan might be able to grow enough sesame
YOKKAICHI, Mie Prefecture--With the rallying cry of 'Open sesame,' Japan could do with Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves right now. The fact is that Japan relies almost entirely on imports to meet demand for sesame, an essential ingredient in the nation's culinary life. Yokkaichi-based Kuki Sangyo Co., which specializes in the production of sesame oil and sesame by-products, has been working to promote sesame culture in Mie Prefecture in the hope of turning the situation around. The endeavor, now in its 10th year, has both achieved results and highlighted challenges. Sesame is an indispensable commodity for Kuki Sangyo, founded in 1886 and known for its signature 'Kuki's pure sesame oil' products. Around 170,000 tons of sesame were consumed in Japan in 2023, but only about 80 tons were produced domestically for a self-sufficiency rate of just 0.05 percent. In short, imports account for more than 99.9 percent of domestic sesame consumption. Sesame is mostly imported from Africa, but the supply remains unstable due to world tensions. 'A big factor is that China, previously an exporter of sesame, became an importer due to growing consumption,' said Kazuo Kondo, a technical adviser to Kuki Sangyo. 'In addition, major production centers, such as Nigeria, are growing sesame as a cash crop, so they can convert to other, more profitable crops.' The only way for Japan to ensure a stable supply into the future is for it to improve its sesame self-sufficiency rate But unlike in the case of rice and other crop staples, no established techniques of mechanized sesame culture exist, even though it takes a huge amount of manual labor to grow sesame until the harvesting stage. Moreover, there are no registered agrochemicals for use in sesame culture and no sesame varieties suited to the warm and humid climate conditions of Japan and its mechanized farming culture. 'There is not much public interest in sesame, which is a minor crop,' said Eiji Fujisawa, head of development with Kuki Sangyo. 'We thought a company like ours, which is in most need of sesame, had to take the lead in addressing the question.' In 2016, the company tied up with 21 farmers and welfare centers based in Mie Prefecture to begin growing sesame on 7 hectares of farmland. Even before that, Kuki Sangyo had experimented with making fertilizer from the pressing residue from the sesame oil manufacturing process and related waste. It began growing sesame at its subsidiary Kuki Farm KK, an agricultural production corporation based in Taiki in the prefecture, to test the effectiveness of similar fertilizer. Kuki Sangyo drew on that experience to set up an in-house team, with three employees appointed to work full time on the project. The company has since enlisted the help of the Mie prefectural government and other entities to promote sesame farming, organize workshops on culture methods and compile a manual on sesame culture. Kuki Sangyo also set up a sesame culture mechanization project and introduced a harvesting technique that uses a combine for soybeans, along with a dryer. In addition, more agrochemicals have been registered for use in sesame culture, including as pesticide against shield bugs. It has taken nine years, but the improved culture techniques are finally attracting growing interest from farmers. By 2024, the number of sesame growers increased nearly threefold to 61, the culture area expanded to 21.7 hectares and the shipment volume rose 1.8-fold to 3,525 kilograms. The project made Mie Prefecture one of the biggest production centers in Japan after Kagoshima Prefecture, company officials said. ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH The project also highlighted several problems. Some farmers that got involved in the sesame culture program gave up due to crop harm caused by humidity and weeds, the officials said. 'We are continuing with efforts to improve our culture techniques by breeding varieties that are better adapted to a warm and humid environment, among other things,' Kondo said. 'Even combine harvesting is not without its own problems, including how to prevent sesame seeds from falling out, which they easily do.' The company officials said their efforts to increase domestic sesame culture are only at the halfway point, but that sesame culture is spreading not only in Mie Prefecture but also in neighboring Gifu and Shiga prefectures. Moreover, demand for domestically grown sesame is so high that supply is falling short of the needs of consumers, the officials added. 'The project has strengthened our relationships of trust with farmers and officials of relevant institutions, including the prefectural government, with whom we have shared the hardships,' Kondo said. 'It has also improved the technical skills of our employees. Our aim is to continue helping to improve Japan's sesame self-sufficiency rate.'
