Iwate Nippo Co., Ltd. Thank you for your 30th year in Okinawa. 30th anniversary of the release of Iwate brand rice ~ “Golden Wind” and “Ginga no Shizuku” PR project ~

[Iwate Nippo Co., Ltd.] Thank you for the 30th year in Okinawa. 30th anniversary of the release of Iwate brand rice ~ “Golden Wind” and “Ginga no Shizuku” PR project ~ ​ Iwate Nipposha Co., Ltd. Press release: October 26, 2024 Thank you to Okinawa for 30 years. 30th anniversary of the release of Iwate brand rice ~ “Golden Wind” and “Ginga no Shizuku” PR project ~ Iwate’s brand of rice made its debut on the market in the fall of 1994 with the cooperation of Okinawa Prefecture, overcoming the Great Cold Damage. On the 30th anniversary of its release, we will express our gratitude to Okinawa Prefecture and develop a project to promote rice produced in Iwate Prefecture.
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(From left) October 26th issue of Okinawa Times, Iwate Nippo, Ryukyu Shimpo Iwate Nippo Co., Ltd. (Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, President and CEO of Kawamura Corporation) and the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives Iwate Prefecture Headquarters (Kiyotaka Ito, Chairman of the Steering Committee) will be working on a project in Iwate from October 26th to early December. A PR project will be held in Okinawa Prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan area to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of branded rice. Iwate Prefecture, which suffered severe cold damage in 1993, has a history of conducting an “emergency seed propagation project” on Ishigaki Island, approximately 2,500 kilometers away, with the cooperation of Okinawa Prefecture, in order to secure seed rice for planting the following year. there is. The Iwate Prefecture’s first original rice variety used in this project was named “Kakehashi,” symbolizing the ties between the two prefectures, and debuted on the market on October 26, 1994. This project consists of 1. Advertising in three local newspapers in Iwate and Okinawa, 2. PR caravan to Okinawa Prefectural Office, Ishigaki City Hall, etc., and 3. Sales PR events in Okinawa Prefecture and the Tokyo metropolitan area. In addition to expressing our gratitude to the people of Okinawa for 30 years, we will promote Iwate’s brand rice “Golden Wind” and “Ginga no Shizuku,” which are highly rated by the market as “juniors” of “Kakehashi.” [Overview of PR business] 1. Advertising in 3 local newspapers As a joint project between Iwate Nippo, Okinawa Times, and Ryukyu Shimpo, a one-page advertisement was posted in each newspaper on October 26th. Contains messages from three producers from Iwate and Okinawa. When the three papers are lined up, an arch-shaped “kakehashi” appears. The “rice stationery” on each page is connected by red thread (mizuhiki), which symbolizes the bond between the two prefectures and the celebration of the 30th anniversary. The producers featured in each paper are as follows. ・Iwate Nippo: Hirohiko Ohama (Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture), who produced the seed rice for “Kakehashi” ・Ryukyu Shimpo: “Golden Wind” producer Makoto Morioka (Oshu City, Iwate Prefecture) ・Okinawa Times: “Ginga no Shizuku” producer Atsushi Kawamura (Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture) Click here for details on the 3 papers dated October 26 →
https://www.iwate-np.co.jp/content/okome/ 2. Okinawa Prefectural Office/Ishigaki City Hall PR Caravan ・Okinawa Prefectural Office: November 1st (Friday) 9:20-9:40 *Approximately 20 minutes (planned for the deputy governor’s office) ・Ishigaki City Hall: November 1st (Friday) 15:30~ *About 20 minutes Visitor (planned) National Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives Iwate Prefecture Headquarters Steering Committee Chairman Kiyotaka Ito Iwate Prefectural
Headquarters Director Tsukasa Takahashi Takuma Nishimura
(Nishimura/Takuma) Iwate Nippo Co., Ltd. Representative Director and President Koji Kawamura Director, Executive Officer, Editor-in-Chief, Shin Sato, and others 3. Sales PR events in Okinawa Prefecture and the metropolitan area (1) Ishigaki Island Festival: November 2nd (Saturday) and 3rd (Sunday) from noon Venue: Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture, Shinei Park, etc. *We will be exhibiting at the same booth as Ishigaki City and Kitakami City, Iwate Prefecture, which is a friendship city. (2) Metropolitan area events 1. 30th anniversary of Iwate brand rice release Okinawa product gift campaign Date: November 8th (Friday) 10:30-17:00 Venue: Iwate Prefecture antenna shop “Iwate Galaxy Plaza” (Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo) Contents: “Iwate Junjo Musume” will participate, and the first 50 people who purchase “Golden Wind” and “Ginga no Shizuku” will receive a gift from Okinawa. We will also have rice tastings. 2. “Good Job Promotion Fair” PR event Date: December 3rd (Tuesday) and 4th (Wednesday) 10:00-17:00 (until 16:00 on the 4th) Venue: Tokyo Big Sight (Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo) Contents: We will exhibit a booth at the “Good Job Promotion Fair” and conduct PR. *Each project is specially sponsored by the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Iwate Prefecture Headquarters (nicknamed JA Zennoh Iwate). This event will be sponsored by the Iwate Rice Branding Production and Sales Strategy Promotion Council. [Other Okinawa prefecture sales information] It will be held from November 8th (Friday) to November 11th (Monday) at 41 Aeon Ryukyu Co., Ltd. stores, including Aeon Gushikawa SC in Uruma City. “17th Iwate Morioka Day with Tohoku Fair” We will be selling “Golden Wind” and “Hitomebore from Iwate Prefecture.” ・Flagship store: Aeon Gushikawa SC ・Holding stores: 5 GMS stores, 4 Aeon Style stores, 32 Max Valu stores [Inquiries regarding release] Iwate Nippo Co., Ltd. General Business Bureau Business Development Department Motoki Uenaka Telephone: 019・653・4119 (Weekdays 9:00 to 17:00) Fax: 019・626・1881 [Iwate brand rice]
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/130976/24/130976-24-9fdd2441aa39c41d9f83b4106b4d2eb2-1625×2300.jpg Golden wind (Konjiki no Kaze) It debuted on the market in 2017 as Iwate’s flagship rice, which was created by identifying delicious genes from approximately 2,000 strains, cross-breeding them, and conducting repeated taste tests. It has a good balance of softness and stickiness, and is characterized by a rich sweetness that lingers. The cultivation area is limited to the southern part of the prefecture, where the most delicious rice is produced in Iwate, and only farmers who meet the standards grow the rice.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/130976/24/130976-24-e5dc3cb943fb48203917db2154fdf5bd-1496×2205.jpg Galaxy drop (Ginga no drop) Iwate Prefecture’s original paddy rice variety, the fifth staple non-glutinous rice released in 2016. It is characterized by its white color when cooked, well-balanced flavor, and mild texture. It has received high praise, including receiving the highest “Special A” rating in the Japan Grain Inspection Association’s 2023 rice taste ranking for six consecutive years. (Reference information below) “Emergency seed propagation project” that survived the Great Cold Damage In 1993, the “Heisei Rice Riot” occurred due to a nationwide rice shortage due to the cold summer. Iwate Prefecture was hit by severe cold weather damage with a rice crop condition index of 30 (severely poor), making it difficult to secure rice seeds for the following year. Therefore, an unprecedented “emergency seed propagation project” was carried out on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture, where double-cropping is being carried out. In December of the same year, a total of 2 tons of rice seeds were transported from Iwate to Ishigaki Island in Iwate Nos. 34 and 36. With the cooperation of 64 farmers, cultivation was carried out on 50 hectares, one-fifth of Ishigaki Island’s paddy field area, and in May 1994, the rice was increased to 116 tons, exceeding the target of 72 tons, and returned to Iwate. In the fall of 1994, there was a huge harvest, and Iwate No. 34 was named “Kakehashi” and Iwate No. 36 was named “Yume-sansa,” and they were delivered to consumers as Iwate Prefecture’s first original paddy rice variety.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/130976/24/130976-24-15aa8f7e67f91181332ea5035fd27685-1272×1800.jpg Release advertisement for “Kakehashi” and “Yume-sansa” (Iwate Nippo, October 20, 1994) “Kakehashi exchange” between Iwate and Okinawa In the emergency seed propagation project, staff were dispatched from Iwate Prefecture and cultivation proceeded while coordinating with the local authorities. The wet rice cultivation techniques passed down from Iwate have had a major impact on rice cultivation in Ishigaki City, and the current main variety, “Hitomebore,” is known as Japan’s earliest new rice, “super early rice,” which is released in June. The “kakehashi exchange” between Iwate and Okinawa prefectures, which began through these connections, has expanded not only in the agricultural field, but also in a wide range of fields, including sports (marathon exchange) and education (sister school exchange between Yaeyama High School and Morioka Daishi High School). The two prefectures still have strong ties. At Maesato Park in Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture, there are the late Yosuke Takahashi (then director of Iwate Prefecture’s Agricultural Administration Department and former vice governor of Iwate Prefecture), who spearheaded the “Emergency Seed Propagation Project,” and the late Kuninori Sugawara (then Ishigaki Island). A monument has been erected to honor the achievements of dispatched employees.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/130976/24/130976-24-97bc4c9c61deefc98ee67e2134b3096d-879×626.jpg Monument in Maesato Park, Ishigaki City, Okinawa Prefecture