Latest news with #Miyagi
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
- 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Karate Kid: Legends Movie Review: Delivers just the right kick of nostalgia and action
Story: The sixth instalment in the Karate Kid franchise follows Xiao Li, aka Li Fong (Ben Wang), who vows never to fight again after an opponent fatally stabs his kung fu champ brother. Relocating from Beijing to New York with his mother, Li finds himself drawn back into the ring—first to train a washed-up boxing champion, then to enter a martial arts championship to confront his past and stand by his new friends. Will he keep his promise, or fight once more? Review: The new addition to the popular franchise, following 2010's Karate Kid, retrofits the original storyline with two fresh elements. First, it blends kung fu with boxing as Li trains a much older Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson), a pizzeria owner and former boxing champ. Then, it builds towards a fighting style that merges kung fu and karate. This setup paves the way for engaging training sequences — made even more exciting by the return of shifu Han (Jackie Chan) from Li's Beijing dojo and Sensei Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) of the Japanese Miyagi school, once led by the late Nariyoshi Keisuke Miyagi (Noriyuki 'Pat' Morita). At 95 minutes, the narrative moves at a brisk pace, which can sometimes feel a bit too frantic as it juggles multiple threads—Li's budding romance with Mia (Sadie Stanley), training her father, Victor, and preparing for the final showdown with her ex, Conor (Aramis Knight), the undefeated Five Boroughs Tournament champion. Kung fu and karate are known for their focus on discipline, but the new movie prioritises technique, which makes the balance feel slightly off. However, the steady stream of well-executed action sequences more than makes up for these narrative detours. What stands out right away is the film's old-school charm. While most reboots lean on updating the story to reflect contemporary society, Karate Kid: Legends opts for a stripped-down, classic approach that echoes the spirit of the 1984 original, The Karate Kid. That said, the plot often feels simplistic and leans on tropes — like Li freezing while his brother is attacked, and later, when Victor is defeated by an illegal move during the fight. Ben Wang delivers a standout performance, impressing with his nimble-footed action. Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio (the original Karate Kid) share an easy, engaging chemistry as the 'two branches of one tree,' and their playful bickering and one-upmanship while training Li is a delight to watch. Aramis Knight has limited screen time, but makes a strong impact as a formidable and menacing opponent. Keep an eye out for the 'dragon kick'—a signature move that recurs throughout the film and is executed with remarkable finesse. Karate Kid: Legends is a fun and exciting watch, packed with well-choreographed martial arts sequences, a tight narrative, and strong performances—especially for fans of the franchise. It delivers just the right kick of nostalgia and action.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Karate Kid Legends movie review: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio's charm and bromance can't save this mid, predictable muck
As the opening credits for Karate Kid: Legends begin, you can already see the climax. It is the story of a kid who is bullied and must fight boys stronger than him. In the process, he meets a wise master (or two) and learns martial arts, and eventually comes of age. That is what every Karate Kid film has been about for the last 40 years. But it has largely worked. What makes Legends so irksome is that not only do you know what is going to happen, you can accurately predict exactly how it is going to go down, right down to the dialogue most characters will mouth. It is just so predictable, formulaic, and clichéd. Meant as a movie to evoke nostalgia with its throwbacks to the original film, Karate Kid: Legends only ends up showing how much it lacks in soul and sheer storytelling finesse. Before the story begins, a little retconning of the franchise (from Pat Morita no less) tells us how the Miyagi karate is linked to the Han school of kung fu in China. Shifu Han (Jackie Chan) still teaches in Beijing even as his star pupil Li Fong (Ben Wong) is being forced by his mother to move to New York. In the Big Apple, Fong struggles but adjusts and even finds love in Mia (a very Jennifer Lawrence-coded Sadie Stanley). But as he faces up to Mia's bully ex Conor (Aramis Knight basically smouldering and frowning in every frame), he decides to fight. Han arrives to train him, and brings along a friend - Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), the original Karate Kid. The template it follows makes it very hard for Karate Kid: Legends to have any depth. Every frame is something you have seen before; nothing seems fresh. The sad part is that the jokes land harder than the punches. Some of the quirky one-liners (largely coming from Sadie Stanley) evoke a chuckle or two. But there are very few genuine laughs in there. The saving grace for Karate Kids: Legends is its 95-minute runtime, which does not allow you to get bored or frustrated. Sure, it follows a template and not even in a refreshing manner, but at least it gets to the point quickly. It's like a single shot of nostalgia, laden with some well-choreographed fight sequences and funny one-liners. Sadly, it doesn't quite hit you how the makers would have wanted to. Ben Wong is earnest, likeable, and has good screen presence. It's a shame that the screenplay does not allow him to use all those qualities to the full. In the fight scenes, he seems natural. But in the more emotional sequences, the young actor is found lacking. Joshua Jackson and Ming-Na Wen are also far from their best, but do well with what they have. Aramis Knight is reduced to a Johnny Lawrence clone, right down to the violent coach and 'Mr Steal Your Girl' complex. If it were not for Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, Legends would have been downright unwatchable. Individually, the two actors are enough to shine on screen. Together, they bring amazing chemistry that immediately elevates the film to a fun watch. Sadly, this only happens 60 minutes into the 95-minute film. But for the time Jackie and Ralph are on screen training Ben, they light it up, giving the audience some of the most fun moments of the film and infusing some life into it. Karate Kid: Legends appears as a cash grab in parts, engineered to make money off of nostalgia. But it falls short because the intention does not seem to be about telling a cohesive story. Maybe the makers could have taken lessons from Cobra Kai there. What is telling about how mid this film is that the best and most memorable part of it is the final scene, which is completely disconnected from the rest of the film, and gets the loudest cheers from the crowd due to a surprise cameo. When the highlight of your film is a mid-credits scene, it is certainly not a good look.
