Japan agriculture minister makes pitch for premium grapes
TOKYO—Japan Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has asked the Philippines to start importing Japanese grapes, including a cultivar that has grown in global popularity and price in recent years.
Koizumi, a son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and the younger brother of actor Kotaro Koizumi, said he made the pitch in a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in Manila on Thursday.
The Inquirer was not able to get Tiu Laurel’s reaction, but Koizumi said, Philippine official appeared to show a positive response about holding technical talks for Japanese grape imports, particularly the Shine Muscat variety.
Japan already produces a range of grape cultivars that are reputed to be better than their Korean or Chinese counterparts.
Japanese grapes, however, are notoriously expensive even for Japanese people, but consumers continue to patronize them as a status symbol or special gifts to special friends.
The Shine Muscat cultivar is a highly sought-after, seedless variety renowned for its exceptional sweetness and rich muscat aroma.
The cultivar was bred at the National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences’ grape research center in Hiroshima Prefecture and is an early maturing variety that ripens in mid-August.
Production licenses
Last month, Japan’s agriculture ministry started to develop a production license system because of fears that Japanese luxury brand grapes were being grown abroad without permission.
These grapes are primarily cultivated in Japanese prefectures, such as Niigata, Yamanashi and Nagano, with some premium varieties being exclusively available through specialized retailers.
Also last month, Yamanashi Governor Kotaro Nagasaki to prioritize expanding Japanese grape exports over establishing a production license system.
