Latest news with #YoshidaNaoki
NHK
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- NHK
North America's largest anime convention underway in Los Angeles
Fans of Japanese animation are flocking to Los Angeles to attend North America's largest anime convention. The annual Anime Expo has been underway since Thursday. The four-day event has served as a major showcase for Japanese pop culture in the United States for more than 30 years. More than 300 exhibitors are introducing new content and items, including the latest Japanese animation works and video games. The convention also features events, such as panel discussions hosted by Yoshida Naoki, who produced the latest video game title in the popular Final Fantasy series. Cosplayers dressed up as anime characters took photos of each other, while other visitors bought exclusive items. A man said he enjoyed seeing so many people openly showing that they love anime. The Japanese government is promoting the country's content industry, such as movies and animation, with the aim of expanding overseas sales about fourfold to 20 trillion yen, or about 138 billion dollars. The Japan External Trade Organization says a significantly growing number of Japanese companies are visiting the Anime Expo for business. It adds that the visitors also include firms that are not related to the content business.
NHK
02-06-2025
- Business
- NHK
Japan agriculture minister says transparency needed in rice trade
Japan's agriculture minister is reviewing the country's rice distribution system as part of efforts to try and reduce the surge in prices of the staple food. One retailer has said the supply chain is part of the problem because it is crowded with too many companies. President Yoshida Naoki of the Don Quijote outlets has made the argument in a letter to Agriculture Minister Koizumi Shinjiro. Yoshida says the national agricultural co-operatives, known as the JA Group, collect most of the crop and control the supply chain. He says the JA Group sells the rice to a limited number of wholesalers and it then goes through multiple tiers of other brokers that add a profit margin. He argues that this process cranks up the price by the time it reaches stores. "The rice supply and distribution system is far outdated," said Yoshida. "This needs to be recognized as the first step in addressing the problem." Koizumi told reporters on Sunday that Yoshida's views need to be considered to identify what has caused rice prices to double in the past year. "Rice distribution should become more transparent," he said. "That's one of the issues the government has to discuss." Koizumi says the ministry will review the supply chain system for further discussion by the government.
