Latest news with #Yamagata
NHK
13 hours ago
- Business
- NHK
Harvest of Yamagata Beniou cherries peaks in northeastern Japan
Cherry growers in northeastern Japan are busy harvesting Yamagata Beniou cherries, a large-sized sweet variety that is well-suited for gift giving. Yamagata Prefecture developed the new variety and its commercial production began in earnest two years ago. The fruit is around 3 centimeters in diameter, and has high sugar content and low acidity. The number of registered producers in the prefecture was more than 3,080 as of the end of March this year, increasing year by year. The harvest season is now at its peak. Grower Goto Mamoru carefully handpicked the cherries one by one and put them in a basket at his farm in Higashine City. Goto said, "Yamagata Beniou stays fresh in hot weather, and it has a nice crisp texture." He added he would like people who have never tried the variety to taste one. The prefecture says the harvest of its mainstay Sato Nishiki cherries is expected to decrease this year due to bad weather during the blooming season, but Yamagata Beniou is growing well as the new brand bloomed early and grew during good weather. The prefecture expects to ship about 70 tons of Yamagata Beniou this year, more than double last year's volume.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Regional lender Jimoto Holdings exits government control
Shareholders of Jimoto Holdings approved Thursday a plan to resume dividend payments on preferred shares held by the government, allowing the regional banking group to exit from effective government control. The plan was approved at a general shareholders meeting held in the city of Yamagata. In the business year ended in March 2024, Jimoto Holdings incurred a net loss for the second straight year due to the deterioration of earnings at subsidiary Kirayaka Bank, based in Yamagata. The group also has Sendai Bank, based in city of Sendai, under its wing. At a general shareholders meeting in June 2024, Jimoto Holdings decided to forgo dividend payments, giving preferred shares that are held by the government voting rights equivalent to 63% of the total. At an extraordinary shareholders meeting in September last year, Jimoto Holdings revamped its management team, working to improve its profitability. As a result, the holding company regained profitability in the business year ended in March this year, and it decided on a policy of resuming dividend payments. The focus is now on whether the group will be able to repay a total of ¥78 billion in public funds injected into Sendai Bank and Kirayaka Bank as planned. Kirayaka Bank received public funds following the financial crisis triggered by the 2008 collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers. Public funds were again injected into the bank, following the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami that heavily hit northeastern Japan, and the COVID-19 crisis.
NHK
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NHK
Japan's northeastern region showcases summer festivals at Osaka Expo
People from northeastern Japan have jointly showcased their region's traditional summer festivals at the World Expo in Osaka. The Tohoku Kizuna Festival was established to help the region recover from the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami. The annual event brings together six of Tohoku's major summer festivals and has been hosted in turn by its six prefectures. People from Tohoku held a special version of this event at the Expo arena over the weekend to express their gratitude for the domestic and international support they received for their rebuilding efforts. Their performance was also aimed at showing the world how each prefecture has recovered. On Sunday, 550 people representing the six festivals paraded through the arena. Those from Akita Prefecture hoisted 12-meter-long bamboo poles, each weighing 50 kilograms and adorned with paper lanterns. They balanced them on their shoulders and foreheads, to loud applause from spectators. Dancers from Yamagata Prefecture performed while waving straw hats decorated with red flowers. Participants from Fukushima Prefecture marched through the venue carrying a giant, 12-meter-long straw sandal.
SBS Australia
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Roger Pulvers on Hisashi Inoue's time in Canberra in 1970s
SBS Japanese 19/05/2025 15:35 Hisashi Inoue was from Tohoku region in Japan, born in Yamagata Prefecture and moved to Iwate Prefecture when he was in the third year of junior high school. He passed away in 2010, the year before the Great East Japan Earthquake. Mr Palvers first spoke with Mr Inoue in 1974 at an interview. Mr Pulvers says they hit it off over a conversation about the Japanese poet and author Kenji Miyazawa, and continued to get to know each other like relatives. Mr Inoue taught as a visiting professor in Japanese studies in the School of Asian Studies at the ANU from March to July 1976. He also wrote two pieces during his stay in Canberra. Mr Palvers is US-born Australian writer, translator, playwright, director and filmmaker, who had lectured in Japanese language and literature at the ANU since 1972. He is also a recipient of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon in 2018 and the Order of Australia in 2019. Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our Download the free and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese and page!
