Half a world away from the secretive farms that produce Japan's legendary Kobe beef, Jerry Wilson raises the American version of the meat that will become $50 steaks and $13 burgers. The chocolatey brown cattle at Wilson's
Meadows Farm don't technically produce Kobe beef - that term is reserved for the Japanese super high-end cut famous for its
succulent taste and eye-popping prices. Wilson calls his meat "American Style Kobe Beef." Other
ranchers use similar names like "Kobe-style beef" or "wagyu beef," a reference to the breed of cattle. Whatever the name, domestic production of the pricey product has grown from practically nothing a dozen years ago to a flourishing
boutique niche, with recent growth fueled in part by a ban on Japanese beef because of reports of foot-and-mouth disease. While American ranchers might not be able to match the mystique of Japanese Kobe and much of the domestic product is cross-
bred, they say their product compares to the legendarily
luscious stuff. (AP)
Japan's next prime minister Yoshihiko Noda compares himself to a eel-like fish and admits his looks won't get him anywhere in popularity contests, but many say his calm and expertise are exactly what the nation needs at a time of crisis. Noda, until now finance minister in Prime Minister Naoto Kan's cabinet, will take over as Japan's sixth leader in five years as the nation grapples with the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and a meltdown at a nuclear power station. The 54-year-old judo practitioner is considered a safe pair of hands and a stabilising influence after Kan's sometimes erratic and divisive rule. But doubts run deep about whether the advocate of fiscal responsibility and tax increases to contain Japan's bulging debt can overcome a divided parliament and deep rifts in his own party sufficiently to tackle a long list of economic ills. (Reuters)
A boat carrying 23 passengers capsized on Wednesday in central Japan, leaving one tourist dead and three people missing, local media said. The fire department in the city of Hamamatsu in western Shizuoka prefecture said the sightseeing boat capsized while going down the Tenryu River. The boat was carrying 23 people including the boatmen and a tour guide, according to NHK Television.
A woman in her 70s was pronounced dead, while a 2-year-old boy, an 82-year-old man and a boatman are missing. Six other people were hospitalized, including one elderly woman who was unconscious. (channel6newsonline.com)
Japan's former imperial capital of Kyoto apologized Saturday after rejecting wood from the tsunami-
Reports that Japan is considering taking the Dokdo/Takeshima dispute to the ICJ risk further inflaming tensions with South Korea. Neither side seems likely to give in. Questions over their status keep rearing their head. Known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, this 
The world's largest 
Minamisanriku, Miyagi Prefecture -- It's 4:50 in the morning and golden rays of sunshine are already streaming through the glass block windows at the Shizugawa High School Judo Dojo. The sound of 
Ryo Ishikawa came of age during the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament because for the first time he challenged all the way. The greatest players in the world were on show and the 
Already burdened by the triple calamity of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear 
The Japanese economy was hit hard by the huge earthquake in March, with the twin disasters of the tsunami and the ensuing crisis at the Fukushima nuclear plant impacting severely on economic output. Industry bosses are counting on the reconstruction effort to stimulate demand in the coming months. The summer 
When U.S. act Washed Out hit the Red Marquee stage on Friday night, that's when the Fuji Rock Festival 2011 really began to get going. Coming off a 
From faulty spacecraft to two damaged facilities, the past year has been a tough year for Japan's astronomical programs. Yes despite the 
South Korea has banned three Japanese lawmakers from entering the country after they arrived at a Seoul airport in an attempt to travel near disputed islands. South Korea's foreign ministry said Monday that the lawmakers from Japan's conservative Liberal Democratic Party were stopped when they tried to leave Seoul's Gimpo airport. The lawmakers had planned to visit an island that sits close to a set of 
The number of foreign residents in Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures dropped 10.5 percent to 30,092 between the end of December and the end of March, according to the Justice Ministry. The three prefectures were the hardest hit by the March 11 earthquake-tsunami disaster. The number of foreigners declined 1.9 percent nationwide during the same period. (AFP)
Japan's industrial production rose 3.9 percent in June from the previous month, reflecting a continued recovery in earthquake-hit supply chains following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The data however missed market expectations of a 4.3 percent gain expected in a survey of economists by Dow Jones Newswires. "Industrial Production is on a recovery trend after the Great East Japan Earthquake," the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a statement. Leading the rise were gains in automobile production and electronics parts and devices, the ministry said, as Japanese companies continued to revive output levels after slashing them in the quake's aftermath. (AFP)
The recent findings that current and former power company executives have been making huge political donations to the Liberal Democratic Party since the 1970s show the industry and party have long had 
When Yuta Moriya was offered Apple Inc.'s 613-gram iPad by his employer last summer, he 
As Japan plunged into crisis with a triple earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in March, organisers of the Fuji Rock Festival were faced with a choice over whether the show should go on. In the aftermath, "audiences didn?t want to go to concerts," said Johnnie Fingers, director of the Fuji Rock festival organising company SMASH. "Japan needed time for healing." However, Fingers -- aka John Moylett -- a pop pianist and founding member of new wave band The Boomtown Rats featuring Bob Geldof, said it was clear that 
An annual festival that traces its roots to 10th-century feudal Japan opened Saturday in Fukushima Prefecture, featuring dozens of horsemen clad in full samurai armor and prayers for those who perished in the March 11 quake and tsunami disaster. The holding of the event was once threatened by the massive tragedy brought on by the disaster and by the ongoing crisis at a nearby nuclear plant, but the organizing committee of the Soma Nomaoi (Soma Wild Horse Chase), headed by Minamisoma Mayor Katsunobu Sakurai, decided to carry on the ancient tradition 
A strong earthquake has 
The 
Toyota is developing a safety technology that takes control of the steering so the vehicle can