Latest news with #Chiba
NHK
a day ago
- Business
- NHK
Rice from Japan government stockpiles hits shelves
Rice from Japanese government stockpiles sold through special no-bid contracts has hit store shelves at some retailers, amid high prices. Major supermarket operator Ito-Yokado began selling the grain on Saturday at an outlet in Tokyo's Ota Ward. Employees stacked up 500 bags of rice in a dedicated section after a truck arrived on Saturday morning. A five-kilogram bag was priced at 2,160 yen including tax, or about 15 dollars. Purchases were limited to one per family. All the bags sold out about 30 minutes after the store opened at 10 a.m. A woman in her 30s who bought the rice said she had stood in line because she heard that rice was at half the current price. She hoped that prices of other types of rice will go down. Ito Yokado signed a contract to buy 5,000 kilograms harvested in 2022 through the no-bid program. President Yamamoto Tetsuya said the company applied for the purchase because it wanted to offer rice at a reasonable price. He said he had little idea about price trends for other types of rice, but wants to offer customers stockpiled rice as one of the options. Household goods maker Iris Ohyama also started selling government-stockpiled rice on Saturday at two outlets in Miyagi and Chiba prefectures. It signed a contract to purchase 10,000 tons. Major retailer Aeon is expected to sell the rice from Sunday. The government offered the sale of a total of 300,000 tons of rice -- 200,000 tons from the 2022 harvest and 100,000 tons from the 2021 harvest -- directly to retailers. Attention is focused on whether the widespread sale of the stockpiles will help bring down rice prices.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Japanese customers brave the rain to line up for cheap, stockpiled rice
Iris Ohyama began sales of government stockpiled rice at two of its home center locations in Miyagi and Chiba prefectures on Saturday morning, marking the first time such rice — procured through a discretionary government contract amid sky-high prices for the grain — has been sold at a brick-and-mortar store. Despite steady rain, lines formed early outside the Unidy Matsudo Tokiwadaira store in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, where numbered tickets were distributed from 8 a.m., with a limit of one bag per person. The queue snaked from the store entrance around the building and into the parking lot, with around 100 people in line from 6 a.m. Some customers toward the front of the line began lining up as early as 8 p.m. the previous evening, according to Mao Takaoka, a company spokesperson. Sales began an hour later, with 5-kilogram bags priced at ¥2,000 ($14) before tax, less than half the average price in recent weeks. All of the 65 bags prepared for the day sold out quickly, with many leaving empty-handed. 'We came early because it's hard to pass up rice at this price,' said one woman in her 60s, who was waiting near the end of the line with a neighbor after arriving before 6 a.m. 'Of course we're a little worried about how it'll taste, but the cheapness matters more than anything. If it doesn't taste good, we'll just mix it with ice or cook it with lots of other things. There's always a way,' she added. Iris Ohyama signed a deal through its group company on Tuesday to purchase 10,000 tons of stockpiled rice, which it will receive over the next two months and sell in stages, both online and in-store. | Jessica Speed A man in his 70s cited rising costs of living as his reason for lining up early. 'Everything is so expensive these days,' he said. 'Sure, rice and gas prices are coming down a little, but everything else — vegetables, milk, daily essentials — just keep going up.' 'If the government doesn't step in and do more for the people, a lot of us are going to be in real trouble.' He also noted the strain of waiting in the cold morning hours. 'Honestly, I'd be happy if they started handing out tickets even earlier. Most of us in line are older folks. We're the ones who line up for things like this,' he chuckled, rubbing his hands to stay warm. Another man in his 70s, who began lining up at 5 a.m. after waking at 3:30 a.m., said the effort was worth it. 'It feels like I really pulled it off!' he said with a grin, clutching his bag. 'I haven't carried something this heavy in a long time.' He said he wasn't concerned about the rice being from the 2022 harvest. 'I won't know how it tastes until I try it,' he said. 'If I cook it a little longer and add some sake and mirin, it'll probably be fine.' 'I'm planning to eat some tonight,' he added. 'I'm really looking forward to it.' The in-store launch was originally scheduled for June 2, but was moved up after milling operations finished ahead of schedule. 'We wanted to be first to market and get the product out to our customers,' Nobuo Tanaka, head of Iris Ohyama's general affairs department, told reporters Saturday. 'We were also first to sign a discretionary contract and begin milling.' Tanaka said the ¥2,000 price point was based on levels from about two years ago. 'This price has had a big impact, and drawn a lot of attention.' People line up for the chance to buy rice released from a government stockpile on Saturday in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture. | Jessica Speed The early rollout follows strong online demand. The company's entire online preorder allotment sold out in about 45 minutes after starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, according to a report from NHK. The company began receiving deliveries that same day and immediately launched milling and packaging operations, with the first packages being shipped out on Friday, ahead of schedule. Iris Ohyama signed a deal through its group company on Tuesday to purchase 10,000 tons of stockpiled rice, which it will receive over the next two months and sell in stages, both online and in-store. The company also beat Ito Yokado by a narrow margin to be the first to provide rice to customers. Ito Yokado launched last-minute sales at its Omori branch in Tokyo's Ota Ward, with sales starting at 10 a.m. Separately, the agricultural ministry on Friday reopened applications for the discretionary sale of 80,000 tons of stockpiled rice from the 2021 harvest, targeting small-scale retailers such as independent grocers and supermarkets.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Mateusz Urbanowicz: ‘Miyazaki inspired me to put the audience first'
Mateusz Urbanowicz, 38, is an artist and animator from Bytom, Poland, who now lives in Chiba Prefecture. He worked on background art for anime such as 'Space Dandy' and 'Your Name.' Since leaving a full-time career in animation, Urbanowicz has released several art books including 'Imaginary Storefronts,' his latest publication that explores the beauty of mundane storefronts in Japanese neighborhoods. 1. What sparked your career shift from electrical engineering to animation? I always drew, painted and was into computers. I worked at a company in Poland selling drawing tablets and making illustrated demos. Working on digital art brought me to Japan and got me my first job in animation. 2. Who is your biggest artistic influence? Hayao Miyazaki. I watched his documentaries often while working in animation. He influenced me to put the audience first, rather than choose what would be easy to make or sell. 3. How long did it take to find your artistic style? My art is more of a tool for what I want to convey. For a while I was into making things realistic, but still painterly. At some point I started to veer away from that to make my pictures simpler and looser. I am still developing my style. 4. How has illustrating Japanese neighborhoods helped you rediscover Tokyo? It's a two-way process: I get inspired and then I'm inspired to hit the streets again. Lately I try to experience more freely, instead of getting hung up on capturing the perfect frame with a camera. Even if I don't take a photo, an image will still percolate in my brain and end up in some of my art. 5. What kind of preparation and research do you do to draw backgrounds for movies such as 'Your Name.'? For animated movies like 'Your Name.,' there's a team or background director that does the research for you. They provide sketches, photos and color palettes that you have to match. You are like a craftsman making a pot that has to be similar to other pots. 6. How was it adjusting your style to the movie's? I'm not formally trained. I learned all my skills from other people's art. I had an easier time looking at what everyone was doing, or how my art was being fixed by the art director and seeing my art improve with feedback. 7. How do you set boundaries between work and illustrating for fun? I don't do art for fun. Mostly I do art to create something good. And it requires me to be more intentional and focused. There's this pressure that if you aren't hustling, then you aren't really working or aren't really an artist. This is why my partner and I moved to a cheaper place to have more space to spare. 8. What do you do when you are creatively stuck? When I feel stuck, I know it means I lack knowledge about the subject. It took me five years to complete the 'Tokyo Storefronts' book (published in 2018). I wanted to make a book that was realistic enough where the storefronts seemed like they could actually exist, and fantastic enough that readers would want to visit. It was difficult because I am not used to drawing from my imagination. I draw from references. 9. What makes a great storefront? I love the human-designed aspect of storefronts. I think about what decisions they make, like where they would place flowers. 10. Traditional storefronts are increasingly shutting down as Tokyo goes through redevelopment. What are your thoughts on these disappearing shops? Tokyo is fast at redevelopment. They just build a high-rise there and nothing good really happens for the neighborhood's residents or visitors. The city would be better if it redeveloped with more conscious direction from the city and local government, as well as with people who care about the beauty of the neighborhood controlling this process. In your latest book, you create storefronts inspired by real ones you have encountered. 11. Can you tell us about one of your favorites? The ones where I've figured out the human dimension are my favorites. For example, I imagined the owner of a dry cleaner as a guy who once was a master cleaner in a fancy hotel in Tokyo. He is the perfect cleaner. He can erase any stain, and has perfected cleaning sheets. After leaving the hotel, he came back to his old town and set up a small shop. He wanted to be as independent as possible so he has a mishmash of Showa Era (1926-89) architecture with tanks, ducts, pipes and machinery. He likes giving lessons in cleaning. I had fun figuring out the quirky details. Urbanowicz has a soft spot for fleshing out the 'human dimension' of storefronts by inventing backstories and characters that inform their architecture and design. | Mateusz Urbanowicz 12. What do you want visitors to take away from visiting Japan? When people visit Tokyo, they already expect a retro-futuristic city. I recommend taking a step back to remember that people live in cramped spaces full of cars and architecture, and still manage to be civil and friendly. 13. What is an underrated anime with iconic scenes of Tokyo you recommend? 'Whisper of the Heart.' The scenes of 1980s to 1990s suburban Tokyo danchi (public housing) living are inspired by Sakuragaoka (Tama, Tokyo). I started watercolors because of the bicycle boy character. 14. What's one art tool you can't live without? A pencil, mechanical or traditional. Even though I paint with colors, I am a line person. 15. What is your favorite pencil? A 1960 Caran d'Arche 1.18-millimeter lead pencil. 16. What are your favorite colors for a limited watercolor palette? Lemon yellow, ultramarine, Naples red or any earthy red color, another red, another blue and orange. I like the combo of ultramarine and reddish brown to make neutral tones. 17. Do you have a sketchbook with you wherever you go? Yes, although I don't think of it as a sketchbook, but a secret journal to draw and take memos in. 18. What do you recommend for a travel-friendly sketchbook kit? Ballpens are great. I have an oil-based one and use it to draw line sketches and take memos. They are reliable, low-maintenance and waterproof. Great for fast sketches cause the line pops on watercolor. Also a small watercolor kit and a pencil. 19. What do you want people to take away from your art? To be more conscious about your surroundings. My biggest dream is that someone will read my books and see my Tokyo storefronts, and when it comes time for them to make a decision about their new house or garden, they will think more about what impact this will have on people when they see it. 20. Where can people learn more about your art process? I have a website and have made a lot of YouTube videos in the past. I also have a Patreon for Q&As about my art and techniques. To see more of Mateusz's work, find him on Instagram @mateusz_urbanowicz or YouTube @mattjabbar.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Farm ministry starts accepting applications for older rice from small buyers
The agriculture ministry on Friday started accepting applications from smaller retailers and rice shops to purchase older batches of the government's stockpiled rice through no-bid contracts after more than 1,000 companies expressed interest. Smaller retailers that sell between 1,000 and 10,000 metric tons of rice annually, along with rice shops with their own rice millers are eligible to apply for 80,000 tons of rice stockpiled from the 2021 harvest. Farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi said the ministry will aim to make the rice, which is expected to carry a retail price tag of ¥1,800 ($12.50) per 5-kilogram bag, available throughout the nation. Koizumi said that his ministry intends to sell stockpiled rice 'without limit' under the no-bid method and may release more than the initially planned amount: 200,000 tons of rice harvested in 2022 — already sold out, with 61 major retailers placing purchasing orders — and another 100,000 tons of rice from the 2021 harvest for smaller retailers. Applications for smaller retailers opened on Friday after the first batch of stockpiled rice sold through no-bid contracts was delivered to major retailers a day earlier via rapid shipment. This first batch is expected to hit stores as soon as Saturday. Home appliance company Iris Ohyama will start selling the 10,000 tons of stockpiled rice that it has purchased from the government at its stores in Chiba and Miyagi prefectures on Saturday at ¥2,160 per 5-kg bag. It will start offering the rice at its outlet in Kanagawa Prefecture on Monday at the same price. Major supermarket chain operator Aeon will start selling the stockpiled rice at the same price at its Shinagawa outlet in Tokyo on Sunday, followed by three others in Chiba, Osaka and Aichi prefectures on Monday. This is about half the average price of ¥4,285 for a 5-kg bag at supermarkets in the week through May 18. Rice prices have been rising since last summer due to various factors, including a rising number of foreign visitors consuming more of the staple grain and speculative buyers entering the market. Critics also blamed farmers for not producing enough rice to meet demand. But farmers produced 6.79 million tons of rice last year, up 180,000 tons from the previous year, according to the farm ministry. In 2025, Japan is projected to yield 7.19 million tons of rice, which would take the harvest 400,000 tons higher compared with last year's and make it the largest in five years, the ministry said. Koizumi told parliament on Wednesday that prices had surged due to a sharp drop in shipments made to the National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations and other distributors despite higher production. Experts have suggested that speculative buyers may have bought rice directly from farmers and are holding on to them until prices rise. Koizumi said on Friday that to lower rice prices, he needs to assure people that there is enough rice to go around.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Stockpiled rice shipped within three days, set to hit shelves next week
The first batch of the government's stockpiled rice sold through no-bid contracts was delivered to buyers Thursday, just three days after the agriculture ministry started accepting purchases from major retailers through the program, with the grain expected to hit shelves as soon as Monday. The rapid shipment is in sharp contrast with previous arrangements using auctions, under which it took months to sell and ship 310,000 metric tons of rice in phases. It is not yet clear whether the latest move will help lower the overall price of rice or will be limited to a one-off windfall for shoppers until the stockpiled rice sells out. Twelve metric tons of rice arrived Thursday morning at a rice-polishing factory in Miyagi Prefecture operated by a subsidiary of Iris Ohyama, which purchased 10,000 tons in total. The company will polish the rice, repackage it and start selling it at some of its stores in Miyagi, Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures from Monday at ¥2,160 for a 5-kilogram bag of rice. Iris Ohyama also started selling the rice on its website later Thursday, but shoppers had a hard time accessing the website due to a large volume of traffic. Online retailer Rakuten also started selling rice on its website Thursday at ¥2,138 per 5-kg bag, with stock selling out in a few hours. Delivery of that rice would be about two weeks from now, the company said. Rakuten had prepared a special website for the sale, limiting purchases to one bag per day and up to two bags in total per purchaser. To prevent resale of the rice, the company said it may cancel orders from customers who place more orders than are permitted. On Wednesday, farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi met with transport minister Hiromasa Nakano to ask for the ministry's cooperation in getting help from the truck industry to ensure there are enough trucks and drivers to ship the stockpiled rice to retailers. Under the no-bid method, the government will release 200,000 tons of rice produced in 2022 and another 100,000 tons from the 2021 harvest. Tokyo has also released 310,000 tons of stockpile rice to distributors through auctions since March. The National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-Noh), which bought 296,000 tons in the government auction, had shipped about a third of that volume as of May 22. The ministry aims to sell smaller retailers the remaining 100,000 tons of rice harvested in 2021, which is expected to be sold on at a retail price of about ¥1,800 per 5-kg bag of rice. The initial 200,000 tons sold out with 61 major retailers placing purchasing orders. Information from Jiji added
