Society

US pork exporters to face tariff disadvantage

Nov 10 (NHK) - The US Agriculture Department says US pork exporters to Japan will face tariff disadvantages if 11 countries reach a broad agreement on the Trans Pacific Partnership free trade deal, or TPP.

In a report released on Tuesday, the department says a broad TPP agreement without the US would likely contain tariff concessions for a wide range of pork products and give advantage to key exporters such as Mexico. The US pulled out of the trade deal in January.

It also refers to the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement. The two sides struck a broad deal in July. The report says the EPA would remove or lower tariffs on a wide range of European pork products shipped to Japan.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has expressed a willingness to negotiate a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with Japan.

Analysts say the US could increase pressure on Japan to open up its agriculture market.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

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Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

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