For Japanese language resources, see the GPLOF Japanese site’s Resource Page

Online Resources in English

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) has produced a nice video to promote Japanese food self-sufficiency, Ensuring the Future of Food. Its available for viewing on YouTube in Japanese with English language subtitles (note the site uses Spanish but the video does not). CLICK HERE

The Japanese External Trade Organization (JETRO) is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and the rest of the world. It reports  about important government policies and consumer trends.  JETRO recently released a newsletter examining the implications of Japan’s recent national election (in 2009), the importance of APEC, East Asian integration, efforts to reverse climate change and other important trends. This newsletter is available for download here: JETRO Newsletter Nov 2009

Japan for Sustainability the latest information on environmental products from Japan to the world

Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU), Japan’s food co-op system

Japan Organic Agriculture Association

WWOOF Japan (Worldwide Organic Activities on Organic Farms), is a branch of an international organization which originated in the UK to help connect host farmers with people wishing to experience farming and rural cultural activities. Visitors receive lodgings and meals in exchange for helping on the farms.

CNN International often has interesting articles of relevance, here are links to two of them (see sidebars in the articles for more):

Getting to know your food and its farmers The Tokyo Local Restaurant scheme brings local food and its growers into various Tokyo restaurants, and is proving a hit with foodies http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/eat/tokyo-local-restaurant-275938 7 June, 2010-06-22 (note-the second photo is of the farmer we visited in Tokyo).

Yamafuji: Going organic in Hiroo This down-to-earth restaurant serves pesticide-free foods almost exclusively sourced in Japan http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/eat/yamafuji-going-organic-hiroo-653850 11 January, 2010 (note-the restaurant is sponsored by Daichi wo mamoru kai, one of the organizations who assisted with our exchange project)

Selected Articles in English on Local Foods Movements & Sustainable Agriculture in Japan

Edahiro, Junko. “A Brief History of the Environmental Movement in Japan (Part 1).” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter #82 (June 2009).

___________. “A Brief History of the Environmental Movement in Japan (Part 2).” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter #83  (July 31, 2009).

Fujita, Kazuyoshi. “Thinking of Japan and the World through Food and Agriculture.” Japan for Sustainability — Sustainability College (Jan. 31, 2008).

Fackler, Martin. “Japan’s rice farmers fear their future is shrinking.” International Herald Tribune (March 29, 2009)

Futakushi, Kazuko. “Companies Causing a Wave of Change in Japanese Agriculture.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter #81 (May 29, 2009).

“‘Half-Farmer and Half-X’ to Create Rich Relationship between Community and People.” Transcript of a lecture by Naoki Shiomi, Representative of Half-Farmer and Half-X Institute. “Half-Farmer and Half-X” is a concept to solve social problems by utilizing small-scale sustainable agriculture and our own natural abilities “X.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter (January 26, 2009)

Hasegawa, Hiroyo. “Japanee Food Self-Sufficiency and Local Initiatives to Improve It.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter #93  (May 31, 2010). DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE: japanese-food-self-sufficiency

Hasegawa, Hiroyo. “Organic Farming and Organic Food in Japan.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter #41 (January 31, 2006).

Hasegawa, Hiroyo. “Government Initiatives to Support a Sustainable Agricultural Industry in Japan.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter #66 (February 29, 2008).

The Japan Forum, ed. Takarabako (newsletter) #20, June 2009, special issue on environmentalism in Japan, with two articles: “Living with the Environment in Mind” and “Econocon: Connecting for the Environment. DOWNLOAD THE ARTICLE: ” recycling-japan-environmentalism

“Japanese Company Procures Rice to Promote Food Awareness among Employees, Support Local Farmers” (note:  organic rice procured from farms  in Ogawamachi, including one owned by one of our GPLOF Japan team partners).  Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter (July 7, 2009).

Karube, Takuya. “Young People See Future in Farming.” Japan Times online Friday April 3, 2009.

Kimura, Aya Hirata and Mima Nishiyama. “The chisan-chisho movement: Japanese local food movement and its challenges.” Agriculture and Human Values (2008) 25, pp. 49-64.

Love, Bridget. “Fraught Fieldsites: Studying Community Decline and Heritage Food Revival in Rural Japan.” Critical Asian Studies 39/4 (2001), pp. 541-559.

Mulgan, Aurelia George. “Where Tradition Meets Change: Japan’s Agricultural Politics in Transition,” Journal of Japanese Studies 31/2 (2005), pp. 261-98

Rath, Eric C. “Rural Life and Agriculture,” in A Companion to Japanese History, ed. William Tsutsui. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 2007, pp. 477-492.

Sato, Chizuko.  “Initiatives and Achievements of Local Governments in Japan” (No. 26):  Building Sustainable Communities for the 30th Century  — The Story of Ogawa, Japan’s “Organic Town” (this article discusses our GPLOF exchange project).  “Japan for Sustainability Email Newsletter #85,  September 30, 2009.

“University Cafeterias Show Food Mileage on Menus to Make CO2 Emissions Visible.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter (April 20, 2009)

“Volunteers Turning City’s Fallow Fields into Emergency Food Supply Sources.” Japan for Sustainability Online Newsletter (April 12, 2009)