Highlighting JAPAN

through images

Using photographs, illustrations, and videos, this online magazine helps people throughout the world know more about Japan from a variety of aspects.

March 2010

A Renaissance of Agriculture&Fisheries

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COVER STORY I
A Renaissance of Agriculture&Fisheries

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Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said in a policy speech to the Diet in January that his government would seek to revitalize Japan's agriculture, forestry and fisheries. He said these industries should be addressed in an integrated way, taking processing and distribution into consideration in addition to production. In fact, this new path has been manifesting itself in a variety of areas.

ON THE COVER: Water-inundated rice paddy fields shimmer in the glow of the setting sun. These are part of a conglomeration of 283 terraced paddies in the Hamanoura area of Genkai Town, Saga Prefecture, on the northern tip of Kyushu. Listed among Japan's top 100 terraced paddy areas, these face the Genkai Sea, which is known for its rough waters, and are a popular destination for photographers, who regularly throng the area seeking to capture stunning shots of the paddies gleaming at sunset.
Photo: Yoshihisa Yamashita

COVER STORY II
Consumer Affairs Agency in Full Swing

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The Consumer Affairs Agency, newly established in September 2009, has got into full swing as a government agency with central authority over consumer affairs. The agency has since been actively working, such as by giving guidance to the business sector, to enhance consumer safety and security, two principal concerns of the consuming public.

TOPICS / Media Arts Festival
WHERE ART MEETS ENTERTAINMENT

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An array of prominent content in the fields of animation, games and computer graphics - all areas in which Japan excels - was brought together recently in a government-organized festival at the New National Museum in Tokyo.

PEOPLE / Art Encouragement Prize
DANCING BEYOND BORDERS

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Motoi Hanayagi on stage: The standard-bearer of traditional Japanese dancing won the government's Art Encouragement Prize in 2008 in recognition of his multifaceted activities in the fields of classic and original Japanese folk dance.

TOURISM / Yokoso! Japan
UNDER THE SPELL OF SAKE

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"Yokoso! Japan" Ambassador John Gauntner is a Japanses sake expert and advocate. "Sake is right there among the world's top alcoholic beverages. Its taste and aroma are not surpassed by wine," he says. His desire is to help sake find a foothold around the world.

NATURE / Tokushima
STUNNING VISTAS, GIGANTIC WHIRLPOOLS

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Each year, Tokushima Prefecture attracts a large number of tourists, often drawn by its abundant nature, notably picturesque marine and mountain scenery that is reminiscent of yesteryear.

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