insights from frontier Japan

Wooden spoons made from white birch by Aitomi Mokuzai-kakou Corporation in the town of Tsubetsu in the Okhotsk region of eastern Hokkaido, which are used at five shops that sell dairy products in the town of Okoppe and the like, are proving popular among customers for their ‘cute’ cow designs. The spoons are part on an initiative derived from an Okhotsk Regional Promotion Bureau project, and the cost of manufacturing the spoons is covered by a forest environment transfer tax that the national government allocates to local governments for the purpose of maintaining forests in the region. As the trend shifts away from the use of plastic, the plan is to promote the warmth of wooded products.

Yotsuba Milk Products Co., Ltd. (Sapporo) announced on November 9 the receipt of the HDC Award from the Malaysian government agency’s Halal Development Company (HDC), for its contribution to halal certification, which indicates compliance with Islamic religious beliefs.

Yotsuba Milk Products started putting halal certification logos on Long Life (LL) milk and milk beverages in mid-September to accelerate exporting for Southeast Asia. The logo certifies that the products comply with Islamic law.

In June, Niseko Cheese Factory (https://goo.gl/maps/HtX8Y77ukGHpooxS6) relocated its facility within Niseko Town and opened a new factory. In August, a café will be added to the facility, and customers can taste Japanese sake and wine together with dishes that highlight the deliciousness of cheese.