This study aimed to investigate the diffusion process of new apples and grapes in the city of Suzaka, Nagano prefecture, Japan. The study focused on “continuity” and “marketing” because previous studies of the diffusion of innovations did not address these. Emerging products diffuse mainly in the prefectures where new varieties were developed and main production prefectures. Nagano prefecture is the most active in the development and diffusion of emerging products. Therefore, Suzaka, Nagano prefecture, was selected as the study area. The following new findings were obtained. Two types of farmers are considered innovative: constantly innovative farmers; and temporarily innovative farmers. The former contact actors with extensive expertise in new fruit products to maximize the benefits they will receive from growing them. On the other hand, the latter adopt new products as a turning point in agricultural management or from a social standpoint. Furthermore, there is a close relationship between farmers’ shipment forms and the diffusion of new products. Cooperative selling actively promotes variety renewal among famers. In particular, agricultural cooperatives diffuse new products developed by municipalities or the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. However, the diffusion of new products to farmers whose main shipment form is individual sales for gifts is slow. Products for gifts must have high profiles, and farmers find it difficult to sell new products because they are not yet widely known.

The food service industry in the 2000s was characterized by increases in the size of individual restaurants amid a sharp decline in their overall number. This study examined location trends by management style, as well as type of restaurant, in Wakayama, a local city, during restructuring of the food service industry between 2000 and 2010.

For the number of standard and specialty restaurants, which are primarily members of chains, the results showed a clearly decreasing trend in the city center and increasing trend along main roads and in shopping centers in the suburbs. In contrast, there was a sharp decline in the number of independent restaurants, but they maintained their locational characteristic of convergence around the city center. Japanese-style bars also tended to concentrate around JR Wakayama Station, regardless of the management style.

This study aimed to elucidate the diffusion factors of next-generation vehicles in Saitama city. The city is one of the most advanced in terms of smart-city policy development, using next-generation vehicles as a technological innovation. The author focused on diverse actors, such as government, private companies, institutions, and residents who used next-generation vehicles. The ways in which those vehicles are used and actors’ interactions were examined from the viewpoint of practical users. Finally, the author collected data from 23 sample actors, comprising one local government body, 11 private companies or institutions, and 11 individuals. All these actors used next-generation vehicles in their own ways in 2015.

Only a few actors had previously used next-generation vehicles as a part of their business. However, after the Saitama city project was adopted, more actors switched to using next-generation vehicles. The reasons why they chose the vehicles were not limited to economic efficiency, but also included the preference for eco-friendly technology, better quality of life, etc. The recognition of those advantages was often due to influence from “first-runner” users of next-generation vehicles. In addition, it was natural that most actors were only adopters of next-generation vehicles in the initial stage, although some gradually became promoters as well.

Consequently, actors’ interactions became more frequent. Next-generation vehicles have gradually become widely accepted. Using next-generation vehicles in Saitama city has become more popular with the increase in actors who use them in various ways and for various reasons.

The issue of the imports of US-produced rice, which entered the limelight under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement in 2015, has been left up in the air by US President Trump’s decision to quit the TPP. However, rice exports remain a pressing need for the USA and are expected to be on the agenda of bilateral negotiations. This paper examines the current trends in the supply of and demand for rice and in rice-producing areas in the USA since the country started exporting rice under the GATT Uruguay Round agreement in 1995.

In regions in California that produce rice exported to Japan, the findings were that: 1) Through expansion of domestic and international markets, historically high levels of production and profitability are being maintained. 2) Further expansion of the land area used for rice cultivation would be difficult due to constraints on irrigation. 3) The bulk of rice produced is of the medium-grain variety, and even with the recent Japanese food boom the market for short-grain rice has not expanded. 4) Farmers are reluctant to cultivate Japanese varieties of short-grain rice such as Koshihikari because they give low yields and are difficult to cultivate. Hence, currently in the USA, there is little pressure to export rice, and it is unlikely that the production of short-grain rice suitable for the Japanese market will increase. Therefore, in future US-Japan bilateral negotiations, the expansion of rice import quotas is unnecessary. Maintaining the present rice trade framework will lead to the most favorable outcomes for the USA.