Freshly Harvested Corn Surpass Melon in Sweetness

Jun 16, 2026 | News On Japan

The harvest of fruit-like sweet corn has reached its peak in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, where farmers begin picking before dawn to preserve the crop's high sugar content and freshness.

At the farm of Minoru Hasebe in Hekinan, harvesting began at around 3 a.m. on June 16. Working in darkness, Hasebe wore a headlamp as he moved through the fields gathering corn.

The city is known for cultivating Mirai, a variety prized for its high sugar content and soft skin. Because corn consumes sugars stored overnight during the daytime and gradually loses sweetness after being harvested, farmers pick the crop before sunrise and ship it on the same day.

"It's sweet, the skin is soft, and it has a great texture," Hasebe said. "It's sweeter than a melon."

The harvest is expected to continue until early July, with the corn being sold at JA Aichi Chuo direct-sales stores and supermarkets.

朝採れトウモロコシ、メロンを超える甘さ

愛知県碧南市でフルーツのように甘いトウモロコシの収穫が最盛期を迎えており、農家は糖度と鮮度を保つため夜明け前から収穫作業を行っている。

现摘玉米甜度胜过哈密瓜

在爱知县碧南市，水果般香甜的玉米迎来收获旺季，农户们为了保持玉米的高糖度和新鲜度，从天亮前便开始采收。

Source: CBC

Powerful Earthquake Rocks Kumamoto

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture at around 4:27 p.m. on July 28, registering the highest level of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale and prompting a tsunami advisory for coastal areas.

Japan Braces for Typhoon No. 13

Typhoon No. 13 is forecast to move north at violent strength through the weekend, while torrential rain, sudden thunderstorms and dangerous heat threaten wide areas of Japan on July 28.

51 Foreigners Including Five Japanese Detained in Laos

Authorities in Laos have detained 51 foreign nationals, including five Japanese men and women, on suspicion of involvement in an online fraud operation selling furniture and home appliances.

Are Japanese Temples Up For Sale?

Temples that have long shaped Japanese life and culture are increasingly closing and being put up for sale as falling numbers of parishioners and a shortage of successors leave many religious institutions unable to continue operating.

Typhoon No. 13 Forecast to Intensify

Typhoon No. 13, which formed on the afternoon of July 27, is expected to intensify rapidly into a violent storm as it draws in clusters of highly developed clouds, though forecasts remain sharply divided over whether it will eventually approach Japan.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

51 Foreigners Including Five Japanese Detained in Laos

Authorities in Laos have detained 51 foreign nationals, including five Japanese men and women, on suspicion of involvement in an online fraud operation selling furniture and home appliances.

Coast Guard Searches High School Over Fatal Boat Accident

The Japan Coast Guard has searched Doshisha International High School on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and injury following a boat accident off Henoko in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, that killed a female student and a boat captain.