The report on the implementation of the Convention, due by States Parties every 6 years, includes a section on the elements inscribed on the Representative List. Read more on periodic reports Japan Inscribed in 2009 (4.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity lightweight patterned textiles made from the ramie plant are ideal for the hot and humid Japanese summer Echigo-jofu: techniques of making ramie fabric in Uonuma region Niigata Prefecture developed in the north-western part of Japan’s main island and bear the mark of the region’s cooler climate – particularly its snowy winters Ramie fibres are split from the plant by fingernail and twisted into threads by hand bundles of ramie threads are bound tightly with cotton before dying so as to produce a geometric or floral pattern when the thread is woven into fabric using a simple back-strap loom The cloth is washed in hot water and massaged with the feet after which the wet fabric is placed on the snow-covered fields for ten to twenty days to be lightened by the sun and the ozone released by the snow’s evaporation Clothes produced by this method have been popular among people of various social classes for centuries Practised today mainly by older craftspeople the art remains a point of cultural pride and an important tool for reinforcing a sense of identity for the community Password forgotten? Focus on Japan Japan >> Yuki Kawakami is not your typical carp breeder she is the fourth-generation operator of the renowned Torazo Urakawa Koi Farm in Ojiya Sixteen years after the farm survived a deadly earthquake in the region she is using social media — and her English skills — to promote sales abroad and help her family’s business stay afloat amid the challenges of the coronavirus Kawakami is confident the farm will survive the pandemic “We’ll also beat this coronavirus Kawakami used her smartphone to take video of the carp to send to a potential buyer in the U.S “Send more photos,” the customer quickly replied with customers from across Japan and overseas visiting to make purchases “We have to get through this somehow,” she said a powerful earthquake devastated the region around the farm The quake killed 68 people and forced residents in the area to evacuate it killed many carp as well as fighting bulls a huge blow in an area where bullfighting is a local tradition The shaking cracked about 30 ponds and caused other damage at Kawakami’s farm Watching her father’s determination to get his business running again left a deep impression on Kawakami “Don’t let the curtain come down on the Torazo brand,” one buyer told her That’s when she realized the stature of her family’s business “Breeding carp is a job recognized around the world,” Kawakami said She returned to her hometown in April 2018 and started learning to lead the farm the pandemic has completely altered the farm’s fortunes But Kawakami understands the power of social media to connect with people around the world she uploads videos of the fish with English messages she has received inquiries from around the globe she has sold more than 10 fish in less than two hours there are challenges social media can’t fix Some of the farm’s pricier carp can cost nearly $10,000 and potential customers require seeing the fish in person before making a purchase That makes it difficult to predict when business might return to normal but I want to use this as an opportunity to grow the number of carp fans and breathe life back into my hometown,” she said Two months after China halted imports from Japan of "nishikigoi," or ornamental carp breeders have started shipping their products to other destinations in an effort to make up for what they hope will be only the temporary loss of their biggest overseas market It is still not known why Beijing took such a measure Some observers speculate it may be in response to Tokyo's decision last year to release treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant an act the International Atomic Energy Agency approved but China criticized The government has been pushing China to resume trade involving ornamental carp but Beijing has yet to respond and has given no explanation of its action The All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association said that while breeders still hope to continue shipping the freshwater fish to China they have no choice but to diversify export channels "Breeders are in a tough situation because China is a big market," said Tsutomu Senuma Niigata Prefecture-based group of breeders and distributors China accounted for 19 percent of Japan's nishikigoi exports The United States came second with 14 percent and Thailand and Britain fourth equal with 7 percent each Appreciated as "swimming jewels," the beautifully hued carp have drawn rising demand from abroad with exports doubling from a decade earlier to 6.3 billion yen ($43 million) in 2022 "We are puzzled because China has said nothing," Senuma said over the phone "We are waiting for the resumption of exports but we do not know Chinese authorities' thinking about the issue." expressed regret at not being able to export his carp to China and said he is shifting his focus to growing markets in Southeast Asia -- most notably Indonesia Niigata is the largest nishikigoi producer in Japan with what is now Ojiya and a part of Nagaoka we are cultivating new markets like Cambodia and Myanmar," Isa said in a separate phone interview "We are also increasing our dealings with India and Sri Lanka." Isa's carp farm is one of 15 in Japan that the Chinese government had approved for direct exports to the country expired in September 2021 without Beijing renewing them and those for remaining farms also automatically expired in March 2022 Isa and other farms continued shipments to China via a quarantine facility in Nagaoka But a three-year export deal China granted to the facility similarly expired Oct meaning that breeders were no longer allowed to ship their nishikigoi to China China's share of sales from Isa's farm was previously about 30 percent Isa said he does not recall Chinese authorities declining to renew export permissions before "I would like to see an early resumption of nishikigoi exports to China," he said The government has been urging China to renew the licenses -- which carp farms had applied for through the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries before the expiration dates -- but has received no response from Beijing The suspension came after the government in 2022 designated nishikigoi as a priority export item and set a goal of increasing the value of exports to 9.7 billion yen in 2025 with China and Hong Kong together to account for 2 billion yen of the total In a meeting in San Francisco last November Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to promote strategic relations of mutual benefit but remained apart over Beijing's import ban on Japanese fishery products in the wake of the treated water release a unilateral measure Tokyo sees as not being based on science Semuma did not comment on a rumored link between China's halt of carp imports with the ban on Japanese seafood imports which China imposed following the start in August last year of the release of what Beijing labels "nuclear-contaminated water." "We should not speak based on speculation," he said it may be better that we do not overreact and provoke China We will try to diversify export channels as we closely watch the situation in China." FEATURE: Japan's high-end medical services attract affluent Chinese tourists FEATURE: "Snack" bar tours giving tourists a taste of after-dark Japan FEATURE: Emergency helicopter innovations extending lifeline to those in peril 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 a festival in Japan’s snow country fills the clear blue sky of Ojiya City Niigata Prefecture with brightly colored hot air balloons floating above the snowy white landscape No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form This year’s first traditional bullfighting tournament was held at the Ojiya bullfighting arena in Ojiya On the first day of the latter half of the Golden Week holidays the bullfighting arena was filled with about 1,000 spectators and huge cheers erupted as the fighting bulls 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 in which there is no matador and the animals compete against each other is called Ushi no Tsuno-tsuki (oxen horn-butting) a national important intangible folk cultural asset It is said to have a history of about 1,000 years some of them raised by children from a nearby elementary school It is typical for each bout to end in a draw Thunderous applause arose whenever officials called seko “I felt the fighting spirit and guts of the bulls.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Niigata Prefecture--A traditional bullfighting festival opened here to say goodbye to a “gentle” giant and to pray for the end of the novel coronavirus pandemic The event started on May 3 under strict countermeasures to prevent the spread of infections Designated an important intangible folk-cultural property the Tsunotsuki bull-versus-bull combat festivity is held in Ojiya’s Higashiyama district as well as the Yamakoshi district of Nagaoka also in Niigata Prefecture “Tsunotsuki takes place partly in prayer for driving away infectious diseases,” said Senichi Mano chairman of Ojiya Togyu Shinko Kyogikai (Ojiya bullfight promotion council) All bullfights were halted in May last year after the COVID-19 state of emergency was issued nationwide around 500 spectators visited the Ojiya bullring They had their temperatures checked and their hands and fingers sterilized with alcohol before entering the facility Groups watched the matches while maintaining proper distance from other groups A special bout was organized to celebrate the retirement of a bull named Gyutaro The second-generation bull at the Ojiya city-run Higashiyama Elementary School was raised by children there “A more veteran fighting bull aged 12 is still active but he (Gyutaro) had grown too gentle to be a fighter through his interactions with children,” Mano said Gyutaro will return to a stock farm in Iwate Prefecture where he was born A third bull will be delivered to the students “He (Gyutaro) remembers who I am and clung to me for food,” said Ena Hirasawa a sixth-grader who started caring for the bull in her first year at the elementary school “The best memory about him is when we held a tug of war with him in the athletic meet.” The Tsunotsuki festival in Ojiya takes place mainly on Sundays The events this year are scheduled for June 6 The festival was also held in Yamakoshi on May 4 and 5 offered a traditional drum performance during the May 5 event Local railways team to survive virus pandemic Koi farmers hit by pandemic vie to reach foreign buyers online VOX POPULI: Diesel train that helped supply disaster-struck areas is retiring Ship remembered for saving 800 Russian children a century ago Sales for ‘Go To Eat’ campaign coupons begin early in Niigata 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 While Prime Minister, Tanaka Kakuei played an important role in promoting the nishikigoi It is a well-known fact that the pond at Tanaka’s Mejiro estate in Tokyo contained 200 of the fish which were first developed in the mountains of his native Niigata Prefecture Tanaka similarly stocked a pond that was created during his time in office in the grounds of Akasaka Palace He also gifted the colorful carp to visiting foreign dignitaries and aristocrats to emphasize the nishikigoi’s status as Japan’s national fish These efforts contributed to the strength of nishikigoi exports today Tanaka Kakuei feeding nishikigoi at his home following his election as head of the Liberal Democratic Party in July 1972 Two days after Niigata’s annual Koi Show in November 2020 I visited another show organized by former employees of the award-winning Dainichi Koi Farm who have gone on to set up their own aquaculture businesses the small gathering had only a few foreign attendees from Europe and Asia that these people had travelled to Japan despite the COVID-19 pandemic further impressing me at just how popular these fish are overseas The Ojiya Nishikigoi Center in Niigata Prefecture hosted the event by former employees of the Dainichi Koi Farm Attendees included buyers from Germany chair of the host organization and 40-year industry veteran admits that he first considered foreign interest in nishikigoi to be a passing fad I never thought that overseas buyers would come to Japan just to buy carp,” he says “or that I would travel abroad to sell them I was certain that the international nishikigoi craze was a flash in the pan The youth of buyers is helping drive this trend While nishikigoi enthusiasts in Japan tend to be older the fanbase overseas includes a sizable proportion of younger people suggesting that interest will remain high for the foreseeable future Although Japanese breeders are steadily graying Nogami insists that the industry is on firm footing for the future proudly pointing to the large contingent of up-and-coming farmers a lot of trial and error when breeding fish The effort required presents a challenge for newcomers but the global market for nishikigoi offers successful breeders a chance to make a lot of money making it an attractive career for young people Nogami Hisato Buyers send photos and videos of fish to overseas collectors in real time head of the Niigata chapter of the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association says that while he welcomes the influx of young farmers The industry is enjoying burgeoning exports and high prices paid by overseas buyers but the enthusiasm is not shared by the Japanese public who Isa says are starting to forget how special the nishikigoi is He places the blame for this on the industry’s inability to shake the image that the ornamental fish are a hobby for the wealthy he wants more people to understand that they can buy a juvenile nishikigoi for a few hundred yen and keep it in a fish tank Young carp of the kijiro variety in a home aquarium Carp grow to the size of their surroundings which is why breeders keep their stock in large ponds during the warm months between spring and autumn a fish kept in a household aquarium will remain relatively small inexpensive juvenile carp are popular family pets with children in households often being put in charge of feeding Isa also points to the growing number of skilled koi farmers in Europe and elsewhere a development directly attributable to the export of top-level nishikigoi abroad “Breeders overseas are not yet at the level of Japanese farmers,” he explains are seeing good results and will one day be serious competitors.” He warns that there might come a day when people in other countries will not even realize that nishikigoi originated in Japan and asserts that decisive steps need to be taken to prevent this from happening “I believe that we need to make it our national fish advertise the fact that this treasure comes from Japan and boost its popularity with the local population.” Isa of Isa Koi Farm overlooks a pond containing two-year-old nishikigoi To prepare nishikigoi for exhibit at a show they are kept in a large pond to allow them plenty of space to grow a tourist information center in Ojiya in Niigata Prefecture offers visitors a chance to learn about the different aspects of ornamental carp Adjacent to the center’s exhibition area is a Japanese garden with a large pond containing over 300 fish The entrance of Nishikigoi no Sato Tickets are ¥520 for adults and ¥310 for elementary and junior high school students The facility is around 10 minutes by bus from Ojiya Station on the JR Jōetsu Line What makes this facility unique is the fact that around 250 of the nishikigoi on display are privately owned People purchasing locally-bred carp are able to entrust the fish to the facility for free on the condition of keeping them there for at least one year owners are able to take their nishikigoi home once they have determined the fish has reached a suitable size This approach serves the dual purpose of ensuring that more carp are raised while also giving members of the public a chance to view the fish Visitors can feed the specimens displayed in the pond an activity that is especially popular with young children Nishikigoi swimming in an outdoor pond will be transferred to indoor tanks once the weather turns cold in November In the viewing area young children are entranced by nishikigoi The success of the carp farming industry has also made possible the preservation of some of Niigata’s natural surroundings Take for instance the practice of cultivating rice in terraced paddies As local population of rice growers gets older the traditional growing method is falling out of practice due to the significant burden involved it has been possible to preserve this idyllic scene terraced rice farms in the Chūetsu region were listed as Japanese agricultural heritage in recognition of their implementation of systems that used snow to enable the farming of both rice and carp the community of Yamakoshi timed its inaugural pageant featuring terraced paddies lit up with electric lights with the famed Nagaoka fireworks show Terraced paddies and ponds lit up during the inaugural pageant (Courtesy Nagaoka Incorporated Association of Tourism and Conventions) Nagaoka’s world-renowned fireworks display Efforts to recognize nishikigoi as Japan’s official fish are gaining momentum the ruling Liberal Democratic Party established a league of Diet members with the goal of promoting nishikigoi culture and the industry as a whole the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association’s poster featured an ink drawing of a carp by Tanaka Kakuei inscribed with the word kokugyo (national fish) Hopes are high in the industry that growing overseas demand for nishikigoi will rekindle domestic interest in the fish and bolster appreciation of it as a national treasure The entrance to an underground walkway near Ojiya Station is shaped like a nishikigoi Banner photo: Carp swimming in the pond at Nishikigoi no Sato.) A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 shook the Chuetsu region of Japan's Niigata prefecture on October 23 became the largest disaster in terms of scale and impact since the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji (Kobe) earthquake The earthquake caused large-scale destruction of properties in the region and the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents from their homes the city of Ojiya (population: 41,461; households: 12,266) suffered the severest damage as it was closest to the epicenter professor Haruo Hayashi from the Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University and his research team helped develop three GIS applications that were important contributions to the disaster response These applications were a GIS portal site for quickly sharing disaster-related GIS data an efficient method of accessing and recording damage in the field throughout the city and customized GIS systems to speed up the issuance of damage certificates This GIS portal project had great significance because it gathered various organizations from the national and private domains together and built a framework in which geographic information could be shared in real time to support disaster response activities The establishment of the project initiated a foundation that would be carried on and utilized in future disaster events The goal was to build an Internet GIS site so organizations involved in postdisaster events, most of them scattered throughout the country, could readily upload and/or download GIS data. The team, along with Esri Japan Corporation, developed the site (www.geographynetwork.ne.jp/ disasters/explorer.jsp) based on the Japanese version of Esri's Geography Network Because of the adoption of the Geography Network framework the team was able to build the site in less than 10 days and could easily start providing data many organizations were anxious to get Hayashi's research team had been in the city of Ojiya since the day after the earthquake occurred and was asked to help conduct damage assessments because the team had done extensive research in the past on structural damage assessment processes Evaluation results of the damage assessments were recorded on paper survey sheets but to streamline the data entry process and increase data accuracy ArcPad PDA applications were also developed following the same procedures used in the manual process The following summarizes the benefits of utilizing ArcPad for damage assessment: Damage certificates are issued to victims of a disaster to officially acknowledge their losses These certificates determine eligibility for receiving various kinds of relief measures and a reduction on their national health insurance premiums so it was important to process the assessment results as quickly and correctly as possible it was decided to digitize the assessment results from paper survey sheets into a database where the information could be managed and retrieved accurately and efficiently the damage assessment results were linked to the building footprints of the Property Tax layer and photographs of the damage were linked to the building polygons Once the database was built and ready to be deployed several customized ArcGIS applications were developed to streamline the process of issuing damage certificates The goal was to build a GIS database system that would improve the efficiency of the distribution process so that the city could issue as many damage certificates as possible while simultaneously providing satisfactory services to disaster victims The Property Tax Department started issuing damage certificates on November 21 and more than 3,200 certificates—which amounted to one-quarter of the households in the city of Ojiya—were issued during the first four days without any disruption Most of the Property Tax Department personnel as well as supporters from adjacent cities but all of them were able to use the system with less than one-half hour of training and were completely comfortable in using GIS to process their work The GIS system certainly played an important role in producing damage certificates the city of Ojiya could not have achieved as much as it did in such a short time Damage certificates were issued for a full year The project indeed demonstrated the value of utilizing GIS technologies in emergency response and illustrated the importance of data integration For more information, contact Paul Yoshitomi, Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University (e-mail: paul@drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp, tel.: 81-774-38-4283), or visit Kyoto University's Web site (www.drs.dpri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/top.html) Contact Us | Privacy | Legal | Site Map Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Niigata — A city known for traditional Tsunotsuki bull wrestling is slated to host the nation’s first opera in a bullring Tsunotsuki features two bulls that wrestle after locking horns and is designated as an important intangible folk cultural property The bulls are separated from each other before they inflict mortal wounds on each other came up with the idea of using his hometown’s bull wrestling ring as a venue after he studied “Carmen,” an opera that features bullfighting culture he has hoped to do something that would link his hometown’s tradition to the classic opera Shinada and Ojiya Mayor Shoichi Otsuka hit it off and decided to perform “Carmen” with the cooperation of the Ojiya city government will become the first opera to be performed in a bullring in Japan About 40 people ranging from professional singers to local residents have been rehearsing for the opera since last May The production depicts a tragic love story between Carmen where bullfighting has a significant cultural footprint The opera features the songs “Toreador Song” and “Habanera,” which are known to even many Japanese But the lyrics depict a spear-stuck bull and a blood-spattered bullring among other scenes which contrast wildly with Ojiya’s bull wrestling culture where bulls are treated more like family members The committee decided to keep the lyrics in the original language unchanged for the performers to sing but will alter the Japanese subtitles and will add a dash of local color with a scene of Seko bull handlers who encourage the animals in a Tsunotsuki session It will also have a scene that shows how the bulls are separated from each other “Having this opera staged in an actual bullring will definitely make for a place with energy that the audience can’t experience in an indoor hall,” said Shinada who will play the role of a bullfighter a sixth-grader at Ojiya Elementary School who will take part in the choir “I’ll do my best in the performance to make Ojiya more widely known through this opera.” https://adv.yomiuri.co.jp/m-data/english/index.html  To raise funds for the show’s sound and lighting among other expenses donations were accepted via crowdfunding through March 22 Tickets among other gifts will be distributed in proportion to the amount of donations Japanese version wealthy foreigners descend on Niigata Prefecture to inspect and purchase brightly colored prized specialty koi in transactions that sometimes see tens of millions of yen changing hands for a single specimen It takes only about 90 minutes by Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Nagaoka and then nearly an hour by car to reach the mountain area where many carp-culturing pools are situated One wholesaler based in Ojiya city said he usually tours carp ponds on a daily basis in the fall with two dozen or so visitors from overseas The novel coronavirus pandemic upended global travel resulting in a sharp drop in visitors eager to monitor every aspect of their purchases being shipped overseas Anxieties are running high among local carp farmers as they turn to new ways to reel in overseas consumers in the face of the COVID-19 crisis are coveted around the world as luxury display fish and sometimes called “swimming gems,” which is often reflected in their prices A single specimen can fetch hundreds of thousands of yen and sometimes go sky high a Taiwanese purchased a nishikigoi for more than 200 million yen ($1.9 million) For the 300 carp farming agencies in Niigata Prefecture Nishikigoi are kept in indoor pools during winter because of heavy snow They are transferred to larger outdoor ponds in spring so they can spend their summer there many nishikigoi have reached adulthood and will sell for high prices the fate of those prized fall fish is up in the air “Carp that grow big in the fall cannot be accommodated in the pools and will have to be discarded if they remain unsold,” said Kazuhiro Hirasawa who manages about 80 carp ponds mainly in the Yamakoshi district of Nagaoka mainland China and Europe have been the driving force behind the species’ popularity International demand for Nishikigoi has grown at a rapid clip in recent years is responsible for freight shipment at Niigata Airport in Niigata city The company said nishikigoi accounted for roughly 90 percent of international cargo weight that departed from the airport last year Data from Niigata Prefecture shows that nishikigoi exports from the prefecture totaled 2.619 billion yen in 2019 a 1.4-fold increase over the past five years Overseas customers flock to production facilities to examine the koi up close for color It also offers a chance to spot any damage to ventral fins Even though travel restrictions brought on by the pandemic are now partially eased The downward trend in visitors is expected to result in a drastic plunge in sales.Masaru Hosomi worries about growing expenses weighing on his operations if he continues keeping the fish “I am anxious that carp market values may decline Nishikigoi are said to have originated during the Edo Period (1603-1867) and are indigenous to a local mountain range covering Ojiya and Nagaoka The fish have become Niigata’s most important regional specialty According to the central government’s trade statistics total exports of display fish doubled from 2009 to 4.3 billion yen in 2018 Nishikigoi accounted for 90 percent of them More than 60 percent of those who raise nishikigoi for exhibition purposes are in Niigata Prefecture according to the 2018 fisheries census from the farm ministry This is the second time this year that famers have faced a pandemic-induced seasonal koi crisis Smaller nishikigoi are marketed at cheaper prices in spring But when the first wave of the pandemic struck shipments were halted due to travel restrictions enforced around the world Producers decided to wait until summer for the restrictions to be lifted but carp are not normally exported in such sweltering temperatures Carp agents rose to the challenge by shipping their product in heat-resistant containers made of foam polystyrene Nishikigoi are normally placed in bags with oxygen and water inside of corrugated boxes for export The Nagaoka city government distributed 1,500 of the containers including ones developed by a manufacturer in Osaka Prefecture It budgeted 5.25 million yen for the effort Some producers’ summer sales dropped by 70 to 80 percent but others said their carp sold as well as usual thanks in part to the government aid the local fish farmers are innovating in the face of a sales crisis A carp cultivators’ association in the Chuetsu region of Niigata Prefecture is developing its first carp shopping site to counter the drop in visitors The Niigata branch of the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association (JNPA) developed an online system that opened Oct 20 to display nishikigoi available in stock It lets customers complete the trading process online without having to directly visit the production facilities Once farmers register information about their nishikigoi under the system the data can be shown to brokers on a screen displaying the appearance of the fish age and the producers’ contact information The website was designed by an online system developer in Ojiya the first time a carp farmers’ organization in Niigata Prefecture has introduced an online transaction system “The site may prove a lifesaver for some producers,” said Mitsunori Isa head of the JNPA’s Niigata branch.Hirasawa said he is confident it will help bolster the popularity of koi and lure new customers “The system will allow buyers and fans who are unable to visit the carp ponds to check the nishikigoi for themselves,” Hirasawa said “Carp that do not sell well will also be shown Former shipping container maker uses them to farm ‘Anti-virus’ face mask effective even after being washed 100 times Niigata — Students at Higashiyama Elementary School played tug-of-war with a bull during a sports day event held for the first time in four years on Saturday in Ojiya the students help take care of the bull named Gyutaro which appears in traditional bullfighting events in the city The school teaches its students about the history of the community which is famous for a type of bullfighting called “ushi no tsunotsuki.” The event is a nationally designated intangible folk culture property the school has been raising bulls for about 20 years The game of tug-of-war played against the bull at the school’s sports day event was the first to take place since 2019 students pulled on two ropes tied to Gyutaro the fourth bull at the school to be given the name would not budge and ended up pulling the students and easily won the game “Gyutaro is so strong and [the rope] cut my hands a little but it was a good memory,” said a third grader at the school Today's print edition Home Delivery There’s a folk tale that has been handed down for generations in Ojiya a small city in Japan’s northwestern Niigata Prefecture known for its traditional textile industry and nationally recognized crop According to “The Legends of Ojiya,” a book published in 1979 near the town’s Mitsuboshi-ya liquor store once stood a centuries-old cedar but one day it began to leak sake — a lot of sake.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); “It was the end of 1916,” the narrator says I woke up to find a split in the trunk of a cedar watery substance began to flow out with a gurgling sound.” In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division First bred long ago in a remote mountain village in Niigata Prefecture nishikigoi ornamental carp now have admirers around the world The heavy snowfall areas in Japan account for around half the country’s land area a researcher at the Nishiwaga Town Snow Country Cultural Institute in Iwate Prefecture about the various technologies and culture that have been fostered in the heavy snowfall areas in Japan The Japanese official Pokemon Twitter account revealed new utility hole covers based on Magikarp These Poke Lids are actually placed on several manholes in Ojiya City in Niigata While all four lids in Ojiya feature Magikarp each of them also include another different Pokemon One of them has a regular Magikarp posing with its shiny variant Another Poke Lid shows a distant silhouette of its evolved form Another one features a hardly-noticeable cameo with Feebas And the last one shows a poor Magikarp picked up by a Pidgeotto The latest mainline Pokemon titles, Pokemon Sword and Shield, are immediately available worldwide on the Nintendo Switch. A variety of merchandise related to the franchise will also be available next year, ranging from Figmas to Funko Pops.