In Japan, developing quality food supply systems based on local ecologies and cultures has been advocated as a possible strategy for differentiation by locality-based food enterprises. Quality is regulated by several institutions based on different socioeconomic contexts, the meaning of which thus varies among people, regions, and countries. To understand such quality food supply chains, therefore, it is necessary to accumulate empirical studies on what constitutes quality taking into account the economic and sociocultural contexts in Japan. The aim of this paper is to examine how the quality of raw materials used in miso (soybean paste) production is evaluated, focusing on miso supply networks of locality-based enterprises A and B. It considers first how the quality of raw materials is conceptualized by these miso processors, their suppliers of raw materials, and their consumers. It then examines how these actors' behaviors combine the social with the material aspects of quality. Finally, the paper reflects on how quality is maintained among people participating in the miso network. The results are summarized as follows. 1) Local companies A and B have defined quality in terms of the production method and procurement form of raw materials. In the process, their attitudes toward raw materials were influenced by those of farmers and consumers who are very conscious of food safety. 2) Companies A and B made preparations for materializing quality, while receiving farmers' agreement with the conceptualized quality. Then they made a positive approach to farmers who were well grounded in accepting it. As a result, networks for procurement were built up, which showed a distinctive process of spatial growth according to the specific production conditions of raw materials. 3) Close relations between local processors, consumers, and farmers are paramount in the maintenance of quality. For example, by means of letters, phone calls, and the Internet, companies A and B make efforts to communicate accurate information on raw materials to consumers, while building up technical support systems for farmers. 4) Building these relationships also helps these companies to reduce spatial distances among network participants.

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In recent years, the branding of agricultural products has been an important processs in food production in Japan. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of the hog industry and “branded pork” projects in Asahi village, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Asahi is the biggest production center of hogs in Ibaraki Prefecture. Since the 1970s, Asahi has been home to full-time hog farmers who receive government assistance. Since the hog farmers could not work together to organize an systematic production and shipping system, each farmer expanded the scale of hog management independently. However, currently many farmers are worried about the rising cost of hog management, the occurrence of environmental problems, and a fall in hog prices. Therefore they recognize the importance of branded pork projects and some producers have already started branding.
Branded pork projects allow for stable hog prices and reinforce the connection between the production sector and the retail sector. Since these branded pork projects achieve the stable production and supply of traceable, high-quality pork, retailers think highly of them. However, there are some problems, such as the limited extent of branded pork distribution and differences in branded pork handling by each retailer.

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