The cities of Higashikagawa and Sanuki played host to the "Tour de 103" cycling event earlier this month with riders from Kagawa Prefecture and beyond soaking up the Tosan region's attractive sea and mountain scenery as they swept by on silver wheels Organized by a committee made up of local cycling enthusiasts and volunteers the May 14 event was created with the aim of promoting tourism in the eastern region of the prefecture.The 10th edition of the event this year was attended by 264 people from both inside and outside the prefecture aged between 9 and 76 years old.Toramaru Park in Nishimura was once again the starting point in the event that features two different courses The longer course of about 103 kilometers weaves around Hiketa's Ado Pond roughly 70-km course runs through Higashikagawa and the eastern part of Sanuki.Riders set off amid chilly but were still able to enjoy panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea and tranquil woodland while pedaling along at their own pace.Participants ate dishes such as wild boar minced meat on rice and hot udon noodles at a rest area along the course At least 250 of the riders crossed the finish line."You have the sea and the mountains The views were amazing," said Aki Nishimori who hails from Takamatsu."There were people cheering along the route It gave me power," she said with a smile.Tetsuo Chiba I definitely want to participate again next year."To commemorate the 10th edition of the event who won a bronze medal in wheelchair rugby at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and is aiming to compete in the 2024 Paris Paralympics in paracycling took part in a 10-km tour of Higashikagawa with local children The Shikoku Shimbun Restauranteur using farmed salmon to promote famous art island Naoshima Udon "Maranic" event held in western Japan City officials learn easy Japanese as number of foreign residents increases To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible We may receive a commission on purchases made from links For sushi or a veggie stir-fry, it's easy enough to head to most grocery stores and pick up a bottle of soy sauce without glancing at the price tag. Basic ingredients like soybeans, wheat, water, and salt make the base of soy sauce so it's logical that this seasoning and condiment wouldn't surpass a few dollars But if you add 38 years of aging and traditional techniques tracing back to the Edo period you can find yourself looking at a $182 price tag for a 55 ml bottle The world's most expensive soy sauce comes from Kamebishi a soy sauce brewery based in Higashikagawa The brewery was founded by Lord and samurai Iyemon and continues to be owned and operated by his descendants They are the only soy sauce producer that uses the time-consuming and labor-intensive mushiro koji method — more on what this is this later The umami flavor normally found in soy sauce is amplified after 38 years of aging resulting in an incredibly rich sauce with woody with some flavors similar to balsamic vinegar shared in a Business Insider video that the lactic acid fermentation process produces five flavors — sweet and umami — and soy sauce is the result of the balance of these flavors the soybeans are steamed and soaked to soften the hard exterior they are hand-mixed with a finely ground barley powder inoculated with the Aspergillus oryzae mold — this is called koji where the mold breaks down protein and starches in the beans and barley converting them into sugar and amino acids involves laying the koji mixture out on straw mats (mushiro in Japanese) and placed on top of bamboo trays for precisely three days and three nights The temperature is constantly monitored and adjusted during this time Once the initial mushiro koji method is complete the koji is blended with salt and water to create a mixture in a state of moromi the stage of fermentation when the koji and soybeans become a soft solid The thick paste sits in large open-air vats and is stirred frequently for the first few months it is placed in wooden barrels that are sometimes upwards of 150 years old the paste is left to sit without stirring for longer periods and the color changes from a golden-brown color to a deep brown-black as the mixture oxidizes The final step is pressing the thickened and aged paste stacked on top of one another and pressed by a machine to extract the sauce Anything older than 10 years is too dry for this method; instead a PVC pipe with a hole stuffed with gauze is placed in a bottle and soy sauce is dripped into the bottle – it takes a month to fill one bottle with this technique it is heated to stop the fermentation process it is packaged in glass bottles and sold to customers around the world The 38-year-old soy sauce is currently the most expensive and oldest bottle Kamebishi sells but it is in the process of producing a 41-year-old sauce and in 2032 it will have a 50-year-old sauce The average bottle of soy sauce can add umami to scrambled eggs or Japanese pickled cucumber and Kamebishi's 38-year-old soy sauce can certainly be used wherever you normally use the sauce But this costly condiment might be better reserved for special occasions the producer recommends some specific pairings to allow for the deep flavors of the aged sauce to shine like serving it alongside delicate scallop sashimi or light sea bream and turbot Here's an interesting twist: Kamebishi also suggests trying the aged soy sauce along with sweet dishes or with the super sweet and fragrant Victorian pineapple Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Kagawa Prefecture--When he was starting out in business in the 1960s who would inherit the major glove maker Swany Corp crisscrossed the globe trying to introduce the brand to new markets But because the young salesman could not yet speak English very well virtually no one he met with while trying to pitch the company’s ski and thermal wear understood what he was saying when he pronounced the word “glove.” Miyoshi desperately studied English to become a better global pitchman and his skills gradually improved But he never shook his sense of frustration at the dominance of Anglo-American English which has sidelined other languages to such an extent that some call it “English language imperialism.” “Anglophones have a great advantage just by being who they are,” Miyoshi said Now in his golden years and no longer helming the company But the language he wants to replace English with is not Japanese or one that is tied to any nation for that matter The 83-year-old former president of Swany is pumping hundreds of millions of yen (millions of dollars) into efforts to popularize Esperanto an artificial language created more than a century ago that has long struggled to really take off He ran advertisements across a range of newspapers--three German calling for Esperanto to be adopted as an official language of the European Union He believes the entire world would change if Esperanto is adopted as an official language of the European Union “Esperanto can be learned five times quicker than English,” Miyoshi said “I am convinced it will be a key to world peace.” Miyoshi is running three alternating full-page ads once a month for seven months through July He said he came up with the plan for the ads after he sold his stake in Swany which had been taken over by one of his sons-in-law They decided to sell Swany to an outside party because the company had no heir apparent Miyoshi said he and his family will cover the cost of the ads which he described as totaling “several hundreds of millions of yen.” He has enlisted the help of his wife and two sons-in-law who have worked in the company’s management “My family members were initially dead set against my proposal,” he said “They said it was like throwing money down the drain Zamenhof saw up close how religious and ethnic differences put people at odds with each other and thought a universal language with simple grammar could help bridge the gaps between people otherwise divided by language barriers His three children would eventually be killed in the Holocaust Miyoshi also lived through World War II and saw its devastation up close He was 5 when he saw ash falling in what today is Higashi-Kagawa--where Swany is based--during an air raid carried out over Takamatsu He remembers how he saw his parents off as they set out to provide relief after cooking all the rice they had and making it into rice balls Miyoshi began studying Esperanto when he was still president of Swany when he was 55 He said he has grown so familiar with the language that he sometimes finds himself responding in Esperanto when he receives phone calls in English Miyoshi is an honorary member of the European Esperanto Union which organizes national Esperanto associations in EU member states he strategized in online meetings with European Esperantists including a great-granddaughter of Zamenhof about where to place his ad buys--always in Esperanto When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February last year some European Esperantists proposed putting the ad blitz on hold should be given recognition precisely now for the sake of a permanent peace,” he told them He is not the only one in the world promoting Esperanto a phrase was written in Esperanto on the official match ball used in the soccer World Cup last year to replace Russian text which was removed because of its aggression against Ukraine But one expert said despite the enthusiasm its proponents have it is unlikely the EU will adopt the language anytime soon “The EU sets out that its official languages should be those commonly used in its member states so it appears unlikely that it will designate Esperanto as one of its official languages,” said Goro Christoph Kimura a Sophia University professor of sociolinguistics But Miyoshi’s ads “could have a social impact by reminding European citizens of Esperanto’s presence.” It only has an estimated 1 million speakers around the world today “The EU may not make Esperanto an official language despite my ads,” he said “But I would accept that only if I (first attempt to change its mind) before I die.” Linguists bust COVID-19 myths for minority language users Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission The days are getting warmer but that is not the only indication of spring at Shirotori Shrine in Higashikagawa where 666 handmade pinwheels resembling the shape and color of cherry blossoms spin every time a gentle breeze passes by The shrine began displaying colorful pinwheels in its grounds from the fall of 2021 in the hope that with the help of "good breezes It gradually increased the number of pinwheels on display Sections of the decorations are swapped periodically to match the colors of the seasons The pinwheels inspired by cherry blossoms are displayed every spring since 2022 they are installed at such spots as near the Zuishinmon gate in front of the main prayer hall Each new pinwheel is about 20 centimeters in diameter handcrafted by shrine staff using transparent plastic folders They were installed to wooden shelves in early March with the help of volunteers Attached to each pinwheel is a strip of paper on which visitors' various wishes are scribbled including wishes for the well-being of their family members and success in passing entrance exams The strips of paper can be bought for 300 yen ($2) at the office area from 8:30 a.m the shrine offers a limited-edition "shuin" seal impression with a cherry blossom design for 500 yen and cherry blossom-shaped "omikuji" fortunetelling slip for 50 yen through May 8 The cherry blossom pinwheels will be on display through May 12 Contact the shrine for more information at 0879(25)3922 The Shikoku Shimbun Takamatsu Instagrammer shares Japan etiquette advice for foreign visitors Kagawa high school students win national flower arranging competition Karate school members engage in midwinter training at Kagawa Pref. beach To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox, subscribe here. Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription. Please check your inbox for a confirmation email. If you wish to change your message, press 'Cancel' to go back and edit. Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible. Country disposed of 9.87 million chickens last season between November 2020 and March 2021 I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice Japan culled a record number of chickens at poultry farms in 2022 as cases of highly infectious avian influenza surged across the country The number of culled birds rose to 9.98 million after a perfecture in Tokyo began the slaughter of around 930,000 chickens at a farm Culling began at a farm of Shirosato town in Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of Tokyo, after genetic testing confirmed avian flu in some of the birds A record number of 56 infections of bird flu were confirmed across 23 of the country’s prefectures this season, according to Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The culling of poultry rose from the previous record of 9.87 million slaughtered between November 2020 and March 2021. Avian or bird flu is a infectious disease of poultry and wild birds that can speak through entire flocks of commercial or domestic birds in a matter of days and cause deaths. The strain spreads through bird droppings, saliva or contaminated feed and water. The first case of bird flu this year was detected on a poultry farm in Okayama in western Japan in October. More than 430 emus were culled after more infections were detected in Fukuoka prefecture earlier this month. The ministry of agriculture has called farms to ramp up efforts to prevent the spread of flu and continue thorough disinfection at the poultry farms. The record disposal of birds has led to soaring prices of chicken meat and eggs across the country with food processing companies manufacturing ready-to-eat products complaining of shortages in the supply chain. Authorities believe the latest round of bird flu in Japan was caused by migratory birds. News of the culling comes as Europe is under the grip of what experts have called the “most devastating” outbreak of bird flu ever. Around 2,500 bird flu outbreaks were detected in the farms of 37 European countries from October 2021 to September 2022, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the EU said. Some “50 million birds were slaughtered” on affected farms at that time, the EFSA reported, adding that it did not include preventive culls of chickens, ducks and turkeys. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Officials in protective suits head to a poultry farm for a suspected bird flu case in Higashikagawa, western Japan in 2020 Animals slaughtered and restrictions introduced in response to outbreaks of the virus in a number of countries Several outbreaks of severe bird flu in Europe and Asia have been reported in recent days to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in a sign the virus is spreading quickly again The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza has put the poultry industry on alert after previous outbreaks led to the culling of tens of millions of birds It is attracting the attention too of epidemiologists as the virus can be transmitted to humans. China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza so far this year South Korea reported an outbreak at a farm of around 770,000 poultry in Chungcheongbuk-do citing a report from the South Korean authorities Also in Asia, Japan reported its first outbreak of the 2021 winter season at a poultry farm in the north-east of the country confirming a statement last week by Japan’s agriculture ministry In Europe, Norway reported an H5N1 bird flu outbreak in the Rogaland region in a flock of 7,000 birds, the OIE said. Read moreBird flu circulates naturally among wild birds and when they migrate to the UK from mainland Europe in winter the disease can be spread to poultry and other captive birds The Belgian government put the country on increased risk for bird flu ordering poultry to be kept indoors as of Monday after a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu was identified in a wild goose near Antwerp This followed a similar move in neighbouring France earlier this month and in the Netherlands in October Earlier this month, a bird flu prevention zone was declared across Great Britain legally requiring all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures after a flock of poultry was culled near Dundee in Scotland in response to a bird flu outbreak Bird flu can affect humans in rare cases if people touch infected birds or while preparing infected poultry for cooking please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun POULTRY FARM: Officials in protective suits head to a poultry farm for a suspected bird flu case in Higashikagawa TOKYO – Japan has detected its first outbreak of bird flu for the 2021 winter season with confirmation of a case of "highly pathogenic avian influenza" at a poultry farm in the northeast of the country the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday About 143,000 egg-laying chickens are being exterminated at the farm in Yokote city in Akita Prefecture the ministry said in a statement on its website adding that restricted zones up to 6.2 miles from the site have been established we do not believe that there is any possibility of avian influenza being transmitted to humans through the consumption of chicken meat or eggs," the ministry said But an increase in the number of people in China getting infected from bird flu this year is turning into a source of concern among epidemiological experts especially as the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza in 2021 to the World Health Organization with six dead and many of the others critically ill Outbreaks of bird flu have also been reported in recent days and weeks in Europe with farms in Poland the latest locations for infections Japan had its worst season of winter flu on farms yet with more than 3 million chickens culled and a quarter of the country's prefectures affected Japan has an egg-laying flock of around 185 million hens and a broiler population of 138 million Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post University of Guam students and faculty are leveraging international academic conferences to foster economic innovation and workforce development positioning the island as a hub for what School of Business and Public Administration Dean Roseann Jones Saturday’s Mad Collab Block Party in Hagåtña brought together more than 70 local businesses and artists in celebration with hundreds of attendees It was all about the wonders of Artificial Intelligence in the palm of your hand All of the latest features in Samsung's Galaxy AI were showcased at a GTA-sponsored event Thursday Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: