On the process of recovery from East Japan Great Disaster in 2011, fisheries production, distribution and processing industries have rapidly been restored and reconstructed. The symposium focused on: 1) outlining the situation of recovery and changes in fisheries production after the disaster; 2) analyzing the changes in marketing and distribution along with the reconstruction of fishing ports and markets infrastructure; and 3) analyzing the manner in which the fish processing plants are rebuilt and equipped with highly productive technologies. Through comparing with agricultural sectors, the restoration of fish processing and marketing was characterized and analyzed.

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The East Japan Great Disaster in 2011 heavily damaged the Pacific Ocean coast of Tohoku, including the fisheries industries and fishing communities. This paper analyzes the present situation of recovery and reconstruction of fisheries in Iwate Prefecture. In the first part, it describes the outline of fisheries and related industries. In the second part, fisheries loss and damage and the public works infrastructure are analyzed. The third part describes Iwate Prefecture's recovery and reconstruction plan, implemented from 2011. The fourth part of the paper looks at the process of recovery in fisheries infrastructure and industries. Lastly, the present situation and tendency of those who are involved in the industries are critically analyzed, concluding that a large increase in fisheries workers is necessary for a further recovery.

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This paper describes the recovery process of Ohfunato Fish Market and identifies the changes of market and distribution. Despite the level of damage for processing plants, buyers, and many other fisheries-related companies, they have still struggled and made much effort to recover. With a strategic policy for recovery, Ohfunato Fish Market has taken leadership in rebuilding fish marketing and distribution. Notably, the Market has achieved improvement of transaction capability and facility development with high standards of hygienic environment. It has become a symbol of the recovery in Ohfunato City.

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This paper analyzes the trends and directions of salmon processing business in Iwate prefecture, Sanriku region, on the recovery process from Great Disaster of East Japan in 2011. As the catch of salmon has continued to decline, local fish processing business has depended less on salmon. Processing plants have faced stiff competition in purchasing raw materials in landing sites. In the salmon food products production system, division of labor between primary treatment of raw materials and its value adding processing has changed rapidly. Such structural changes in the fish processing business greatly affected dynamic change of salmon food system.

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After the Great Disaster 3.11, the marine product processing industry in Iwate Prefecture, which is one of the basic industries in the coastal area, has been suffering from a female labor shortage in the workplace. This situation brings questions regarding the potential for the industry to persist in the future. This paper analyzes the characteristics of this partial labor market by means of examining the real state of the relationship between the industry and the local community. At the same time, from the viewpoint of the vital statistics of local population, a set of policies is discussed to secure human resources for the industry.

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This paper examines problems regarding the fishing industry reconstruction process after the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster from the viewpoint of research on agricultural reconstruction processes. There are big differences in the reconstruction processes between agriculture and fisheries, most notably reduction rate, stance of policy support, speed of reconstruction, and tasks specific to the respective industries. Research on the reconstruction process from the disaster has to be undertaken from two viewpoints, continuity and discontinuity. The issues of fisheries are those relevant to the period before the earthquake and those that constitute new problems due to the new situation change, and it is necessary to analyze both correctly and study future prospects.

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The purpose of recent agricultural policy reform in Japan is the restructuring of Japanese agriculture so that it is better suited to globalization of the world market. The rice policy reform should be also understood in this context. Modification of any restriction policy would cause a surplus of rice production. Restructuring of agricultural cooperatives and rice distribution system would lead to instability of the relation between supply and demand in Japanese rice market. The repeal of the Main Crop Seed Act strengthened the role of private company in rice seed market. As the result of recent agricultural policy reform, the positioning of private companies in the market is enhanced overall within Japanese agriculture. Under this situation, it is especially important to emphasize the importance of public sector and cooperative associations for Japanese agriculture.

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Food retailers are putting strength into sales promotion because of the scaling down of the food market of Japan. As well known, self-service selling is considered as a fixed style of supermarket that increases business efficiency. However, a change of strategy in supermarket has been occurring recent years, such as re-adopting the traditional clerk-service based style in meat departments to make an appeal of specialty to the customers. This study assessed the effect of the movement of meat sales specialization in supermarkets by examining the case of supermarket chain Y, which includes approximately 100 stores covering the Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu areas of west Japan. Supermarket Y differentiated the meat clerk-service from the self-service by merchandising the domestic brand meat along with the rare body parts and value-added hot 'ready to eat' meat products cooked inside the store kitchen. Moreover, the clerk-service in supermarket Y is oriented as a traditional butcher, providing flexible human services. The findings showed that it is significant for maintaining a certain customer base and increasing sales steadily, even slightly, by pre-selling domestic meat in clerk-service of supermarket. For that, it is essential that the domestic meat handled in clerk-service is provided with quality information that is clear and easy for consumers to understand.

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As competition in a food supermarket becomes severe, food packaging material is important to differentiate it from competition by another company. The manner of food packaging material by wholesaler was investigated in a case enterprise from the angle of the product differentiation. The case enterprises are Company A and Company G. Company A completed an M & A and differentiated itself from competitors by production of original goods and assortment of goods by establishment in the clean room. Company G, on the other hand, is the largest in the Kansai area. It has differentiated itself by selling goods produced through joint buying. While competition in a food packaging material wholesale market becomes severe, the enterprise which can differentiate its product is likely to excel.

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This study focuses on a Japanese beef import company in Hong Kong and examines its strategies for expanding the sales of Japanese beef in wholesale and retail section. Japanese beef supplied by this company is classified to three ranks by the proportion of marbling: high-middle-low. Results of the survey conducted with this company manager and analysis of sales data shows that the sales quantity of high and middle rank beef accounts for large percentage in total sales quantity, especially middle rank in retail section. However, the consumers in Hong Kong are getting to prefer the beef imported from Australia to middle rank Japanese beef in recent years; the reason being the balance between price and marbling. As a measure against the competitiveness with Australian beef, this company tries to expand the sales channels of the wholesale section in response to the increase of Japanese restaurant and differentiate Japanese beef from Australian beef through the retail section. It can therefore be concluded that it is necessary to transmit the detail information to a consumer for expanding the export of Japanese beef to Hong Kong market.

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This paper examines the manner of apple production center correspondence while the apple export destination diversifies to the tropical zone, and the subtropical zone. In those zones, the freshness of the apple might decrease. On the other hand, in the apple production center in Japan, the ratio of the low storability apple increases due to weakening of the labor force. In recent years, the inflection of spreading 1-MCP is useful for the freshness maintenance of the apple. To show that the 1-MCP effect is sufficient, the development of a direct relationship between production center merchants and the farmers, along with the establishment of organizations of the small units for apple production for export in the farm co-op must be demanded.

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