Latest news with #JA
What's On
4 days ago
- What's On
Your ultimate summer escape awaits at JA Resorts & Hotels
This summer, swap the routine for something unforgettable at JA Resorts & Hotels, set along the tranquil shores of Jebel Ali Beach. Whether you're planning a family getaway, a couple's retreat, or a multi-generational escape, JA's new Summer Collection itineraries have been thoughtfully designed to make every moment count. From toddlers splashing in shaded play areas to teens chasing thrills and couples sinking into wellness bliss, each of the five curated itineraries, Together in Paradise, Play & Pamper, The Little Explorers' Path, Freedom Seekers, and Romance on the Lake – blends relaxation, discovery, and connection. Guests can enjoy nature walks, water sports, pony rides, spa indulgence, delightful dinners, and more, all seamlessly built into personalised daily plans. Adding to the magic, every guest receives a personalised boarding pass welcome card and a JA Passport , a fun, stamp-collecting activity map with the chance to win a family stay at JA Manafaru in the Maldives for 2 adults and 2 kids. JA Jebel Ali's three unique properties , JA Beach Hotel, JA Palm Tree Court, and JA Lake View Hotel, each offer a distinct charm. Whether it's bonding over beachfront breakfasts, indulging in chef-prepared comfort food, or reconnecting during serene spa sessions, every detail is designed to simplify planning and elevate the experience. At its heart, this isn't just a beach holiday. It's a celebration of togetherness, with experiences crafted to create summer memories that will linger long after your tan fades. For bookings and more information, visit JA Resorts & Hotels . > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
Asahi Shimbun
5 days ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
First crop shows arrival of new rice will unlikely dent prices
Newly harvested rice on sale at an Inageya supermarket in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, on Aug. 8 (Nobufumi Yamada) Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) branches are paying much more for early rice than last year, meaning that rice prices will likely remain high even after the newly harvested crop arrives. The city of Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture was at the height of harvesting early-crop rice earlier this month, shortly before the area was hit by heavy rains. JA Amakusa's advance payment for the first-grade Koshihikari variety was 29,000 yen ($196) per 60 kilograms, about 60 percent higher than last year. 'This is an unprecedented price,' said Norihiro Shiraishi, 70, who heads a local agricultural corporation. 'With this level of price, we can continue rice farming.' The harvest of early-crop rice is under way in Kyushu, Shikoku and other regions ahead of the main season for newly harvested rice. Agricultural cooperatives usually pay by rough estimate in advance when they collect rice from farmers and finalize formal purchase prices later. In major rice-producing areas, the amounts of these provisional payments for early rice have increased about 50 to 80 percent from last year. Fierce competition to procure rice among distributors has likely forced sharp increases, but the hikes directly impact retail rice prices. JA Miyazaki's advance payment for Koshihikari is 32,000 yen per 60 kg, about 80 percent higher than last year. Some early-harvest rice is already hitting store shelves. One variety sold at Co-op Miyazaki is priced at a tax-inclusive 4,731 yen per 5 kg, about 2,000 yen more than the same period the previous year. At an Inageya supermarket in Soka, Saitama Prefecture, newly harvested Koshihikari from Miyazaki Prefecture is sold for a tax-inclusive 4,525 yen per 5 kg, about 1,000 yen higher than the blended domestic rice sold alongside it. JA Kochi's advance payment for Nangoku Sodachi, an early-rice variety, is 22,700 yen per 60 kg, about 50 percent higher than last year. At supermarkets in Kochi Prefecture, newly harvested rice of other varieties is sold for about 5,000 yen per 5 kg. 'It is too expensive,' a shopper in her 50s said. 'I have not bought any.' In Chiba Prefecture, a major rice-producing area in the Kanto region, JA Zen-Noh Chiba is said to be offering more than 20,000 yen per 60 kg in advance payment for Koshihikari, several thousand yen higher than last year. A rice wholesaler in the Kanto region said the retail price of this year's newly harvested rice will likely be about 4,000 yen per 5 kg, including tax, because the amounts of advance payments have increased in many regions. The average price of rice sold at about 1,000 supermarkets nationwide in the week through Aug. 3 was 3,542 yen per 5 kg, including tax, according to the agriculture ministry. The figure fell about 700 yen from the peak due to the release of government reserves through negotiated contracts, but the average retail price has shown signs of stabilizing since July. In addition, the deadline for retailers selling rice from government stockpiles is set at the end of August. A reduction in the supply of low-priced rice can contribute to price increases. Katsuhito Fuyuki, a professor of agricultural marketing at Tohoku University's Graduate School, said newly harvested rice will remain expensive for a while because advance payments for early-crop rice are high. He pointed to the risk of further price rises if water shortages caused by extreme heat and low rainfall affect the quality and yield of new rice that will be harvested in autumn in the Hokuriku and Tohoku regions. (This article was written by Nobufumi Yamada and Eiji Zakoda.)
02-08-2025
- Business
Japan Farm Group Leader to Resign Next March over Loss
News from Japan Economy Aug 2, 2025 13:48 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 2 (Jiji Press)--Toru Yamano, leader of a key body of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives group, or JA, has said that he will resign next March to take the blame for a massive loss from an information system development project. Yamano, who heads the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, or JA-Zenchu, made the announcement at a press conference Friday. He cited the expected loss of 20 billion yen from the development of an information system introduced in January 2024 to streamline operations such as salary, attendance and accounting management. The system was developed for use at JA cooperatives nationwide, but the development costs far exceeded the projected level. The election of a new JA-Zenchu leader typically requires several months of preparation, so Yamano plans to stay on until then. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
The Mainichi
30-07-2025
- Business
- The Mainichi
Japan ministry surveys find no rice distribution bottleneck as cause for high prices
TOKYO -- A series of six surveys conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to examine the causes of the surge in rice prices have found no evidence of a "bottleneck in distribution" that the government had previously cited as a primary factor. With branded rice prices remaining high, the ministry is investigating the possibility that demand for the staple exceeded expectations, disrupting the supply-demand balance. The six surveys included an investigation of rice shipments, sales and inventory volumes of approximately 70,000 businesses across Japan registered with the government; interviews with retailers, food service businesses, ready-to-eat meal providers and food processors about distribution conditions; and a survey on milling yield rates. On the morning of July 30, the ministry reported the findings to its food subcommittee including experts. The inventory survey, which targeted all businesses, was the first of its kind since the current rice distribution system began in 2004. It found that as of the end of June this year, inventory levels at Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) and other collectors, retailers, and ready-to-eat and other food service businesses were all "about the same as the previous year." Wholesalers had 100,000 metric tons more inventory than 2024, partly due to the addition of government reserve rice, which was released into the Japanese market in large quantities through discretionary contracts. The discounted government rice began appearing in stores at the end of May, and its release may have contributed to the reduction of excess inventory. However, branded rice remains expensive, with store prices still in the 4,000-yen range (about $27) for 5 kilograms. Initially, the ministry believed there was a distribution bottleneck caused by wholesalers holding onto inventory, but the causal relationship between this and price surges appears weak. The Japanese government decided in January to release reserve rice through open competitive bidding to resolve what it saw as a distribution bottleneck. However, officials are now investigating the possibility that the surge in prices may not be due to distribution getting "stuck," as former farm minister Taku Eto suggested, but rather due to rice demand growing significantly beyond government expectations coupled with high temperatures affecting brown rice quality, resulting in reduced supply after milling. The agriculture ministry has deemed it necessary to revise the supply-demand outlook for rice. It has accordingly postponed the release of the demand forecast for staple rice for the coming year, which it normally puts out in late July. As a reference figure, the demand for the year ending this June was reported to be 7.11 million metric tons. As of the end of June, private sector inventory levels (including reserve rice) stood at 1.57 million tons, indicating rice stock is hovering at a significantly lower level than the 1.8-million- to 2-million-ton industry standard under which no shortages are perceived.
SoraNews24
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- SoraNews24
Visiting Hokkaido's adorable and awesome Asahikawa rice paddy art【Photos】
Mascot characters, a hometown hero, and creative ice cream make this a great place to pull over in Japan's northernmost prefecture. Once you get out of the city centers, Hokkaido Prefecture has some of the most expansively wide-open spaces in all of Japan. But if you're driving through the rural farmland of the town of Asahikawa right now, at one spot you'll probably notice more cars parked than at the average field in the area. This is the parking lot for JA Taisetsu, a small produce market and space for local community events. As for why there's an observation platform next to the main building? That's so that you can climb the steps up to the top… …and observe… …the amazing rice field art! Though most rice stalks turn a golden light brown in the fall around harvesting time and the grains are then polished (ground, actually) to a white color, depending on the specific type of rice the plants can appear as a variety of hues, from pale green to dark brown, during the summer months. Because of that, artistically minded agriculturists can, with careful planning and precise hand-planting, make mosaics out of the crops. Planting takes place in the spring, though, and it's not until months later that the plants will have matured and the full artistic effect can be appreciated. But right now this year's Asahikawa rice paddy art is reaching its peak beauty, or perhaps its peak adorableness is the better description. The town changes the design every year, but for 2025 it features Asappi, Asahikawa's polar bear/spotted seal mascot character, and Attakasu-kun, the hawk goodwill ambassador for Takasucho, the district of Asahikawa that includes the rice paddy art field. Also represented in this year's paddy is Haruka Kitaguchi, the Asahikawa-born track and field athlete who won the gold medal in the women's javelin throw at the 2024 Paris Olympics. There's no admission fee charged to walk up to the top of the observation deck and take in the view, and while you're up there you can also see all the way to the the Daisetsuzan mountain range. There is, however, a donation box for those who'd like to voluntarily contribute to the rice paddy art's development and maintenance. Another way you can show your support is to buy something at the attached shop that's periodically open. On our visit, we treated ourselves to some hojicha (roasted green tea) ice cream with grains of locally grown rice in it, and also picked up some corn soup packets to take home, all of which was delicious. ▼ The location of the paddy As a living work of public art, Asahikawa's 2025 rice paddy art won't last forever, but it should still be looking good through mid-August. And if you want to experience even more of this unique art style, there's a paddy worth checking out in baseball star Shohei Ohtani's hometown in Iwate Prefecture too. Location information JA Taisetsu Rice Paddy Art / Aたいせつ田んぼアート Address: Hokkaido, Asahikawa, Higashi Takasu, Route 7 Website Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
