On 14 December 2021, it was reported that there was a large surplus of raw milk and that 5,000 tonnes was expected to be disposed of. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Kaneko said he would work with industry groups to increase consumption and take other measures. The new coronavirus infection has also caused a big drop in business use, and the surplus will be created because school lunches and shops will be closed during the New Year holidays, he said.
Milk has been introduced into school lunches and is a familiar food to Japanese people. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the correct storage, shelf life, nutritional value and health benefits of milk.
In this article, we take a Q&A approach to milk knowledge to make it easier for the general public to understand and use in their daily diets.
Matsuyama City in Ehime Prefecture is one of the top municipalities in Japan (population over 500,000) in terms of the amount of waste it produces. In the past, it boasted first place for nine consecutive years. Now it is competing with Hachioji City in Tokyo for first and second place by a narrow margin.
The western part of Tokyo, including Hachioji City, has been reducing waste by charging for rubbish bags. Surprisingly, however, Matsuyama City has not introduced a charge for rubbish bags. So why is there so little? I have interviewed them.
