This article evaluates the regional competitiveness of Japan’s amberjack aquaculture industry and identifies structural factors behind its divergence. Using dynamic shift-share analysis (DSSA), we examine long-term changes in aquaculture entities across 22 regions classified as growing, stagnating, or declining from 1973 to 2023. The results show large disparities, with only a few areas sustaining competitiveness. Further analysis highlights vertical integration and organizational coordination as critical for sustaining competitiveness. The study introduces a new analytical framework and offers policy insights for fostering competitive aquaculture regions.

抄録全体を表示

This study explores how the digitalization of information sharing in a wholesale market relates to changes in transaction patterns. Focusing on a digital system that enables two-way communication between producers and the market, we conduct quantitative analyses using transaction data for spinach and strawberries before and after the system's installation. The results show that users generally experience higher average prices and shipment volumes. For spinach, increased volumes and reduced price variability are observed, whereas for strawberries, higher prices and greater variability are evident. These findings offer insights into how digital systems may promote more stable and efficient market transactions.

抄録全体を表示

This study investigated the distribution of off-spec vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and radishes, at farmers' markets. Our methodology assessed two conditions: commercialization by farmers and consumer preference. To verify commercialization, we examined whether farmers invest resources in converting off-spec vegetables into marketable products. The consumer preference condition required consumers to select off-spec vegetables when presented alongside standard produce. Our findings indicate that off-spec tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots meet both conditions, signifying successful market distribution. Conversely, off-spec radishes do not satisfy the consumer preference condition, suggesting insufficient distribution in these markets persists.

抄録全体を表示

This study examines how local trading practices function as informal institutions in two regional wholesale markets (Dedicated Economic Centers (DECs)) in the highlands of Sri Lanka. The order-based system in the Nuwara Eliya DEC ensures price stability and lowers transaction risks. In the Keppetipola DEC, wholesalers play a key role in the market by acting as intermediaries between farmers and buyers. Despite the lack of formal institutional rules, both markets have created flexible and effective institutional frameworks. The findings suggest that structural arrangements and endogenous institutional formation based on local practices are necessary for sustainable market functioning.

抄録全体を表示

This study analyzes shifts in eating-out behavior during and after COVID-19 using consumer purchase-history data. To assess whether these changes proved temporary or lasting, we categorized individuals by their annual share of food expenditures. We focus on individuals with high shares of food expenditures devoted to eating out and tracked their behavior. The findings indicate that some consumers returned to their previous dining patterns once restrictions ended, while others continued to avoid eating out. These variations suggest that COVID-19 reshaped eating-out behavior in uneven ways, with its effects varying in duration across individuals.

抄録全体を表示

This study examined how older adults aged 60–70 years evaluate different types of confectionery. The findings indicate that Japanese confectionery is associated with positive descriptors such as “healthy” and “low calorie,” whereas Western confectionery is perceived more negatively and linked to descriptors such as “fattening” and “high calorie.” Interestingly, perceptions of Japanese–Western fusion sweets, which combine characteristics of both confectionery traditions, shift toward positive descriptors such as “delicious” and “easy to eat.” Taken together, these findings suggest that emphasizing differences in ingredients and production methods can meaningfully shape consumer perceptions, even when products share similar physical attributes.

抄録全体を表示

This study examines how spatial relationships among geographically separated wholesale markets for domestic onions in Japan changed following the “2024 Issue”, a policy reform that restricts truck drivers’ working hours and has worsened transport conditions. Using weekly wholesale prices from Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, we compare the degree of market integration before (FY2015 to FY2023) and after (FY2024) the regulation. Prior to the regulation, these markets were fully or partially integrated. However, after the regulation, Osaka and Fukuoka became fully integrated, and Tokyo became isolated. These results suggest that recent labor regulations have reshaped spatial market linkages in Japan.

抄録全体を表示

This study analyzed consumer evaluations of Japanese scallops in Hong Kong using a web-based survey and choice-based conjoint analysis. The results showed that Japanese scallops were rated higher than their Chinese and Canadian counterparts, and that the presence of Marine Stewardship Council, Aquaculture Stewardship Council, and HACCP certifications contributed to higher evaluations. Furthermore, consumers who had participated in promotional activities for Japanese food, exhibited stronger preferences for Japanese scallops. These findings suggest leveraging certification schemes, enhancing in-person tasting events, and promotional activities as effective strategies for expanding Japanese scallop exports.

抄録全体を表示

This study investigates consumer preferences for home plant factory attributes in Beijing using the best–worst scaling method. Surveying 228 respondents, “price” emerged as the most important attribute, followed by “automation” and “design sense,” while “size,” “type,” and “growth rate” were considered less important. Preferences varied by age and hydroponic kit ownership. That is, older consumers favored design, whereas younger consumers prioritized automation. The findings suggest that customizable features and clear communication of home plant factory benefits may promote broader adoption. Future research should consider a wider range of demographic and cultural factors to validate these results and guide product development.

抄録全体を表示

This study investigates how information provision influences local residents’ preferences for processed pork products fed with locally sourced feed, using a choice experiment and mixed logit model. Results demonstrate that information highlighting the environmental and safety benefits of local feed significantly increases the willingness to pay for locally produced pork, particularly when emphasizing environmental preservation. Given that most consumers remain unaware of Japan’s current low feed self-sufficiency ratio, raising awareness of this issue, along with providing environmental and safety information, is essential to boost demand for locally fed pork.

抄録全体を表示

This study clarifies the impact of the exogenous shock of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food consumption in Japan. We present theory-consistent hypotheses, measure the food demand system, and compare elasticities before and after the pandemic outbreak. The results verify the hypothesis that the expenditure and own-price elasticities (absolute value) change less for at-home meals and more for eating out.

抄録全体を表示

This study employs two economic experiments—a dictator game and a Dizon-Ross and Jayachandran (DRJ) design—to assess parental altruism and the incentives shaping child-nutrition investments in Ghana. In the dictator game, fathers and mothers allocated more resources to children than to themselves or each other; joint decisions further increased child allocations. In the DRJ experiment without market price priming, fathers showed a higher willingness-to-pay (WTP) for enjoyment goods, whereas mothers showed a higher WTP for human-capital goods. Taken together, the results indicate that fathers play a significant role in strengthening early childhood nutrition.

抄録全体を表示

This study examines the determinants of factors affecting game meat adoption in Japanese restaurants through preliminary interviews and a nationwide survey of 200 establishments. The interviews show that chefs’ motivation for culinary expression and external factors, such as supply stability, shaped their decisions to incorporate game meat. Logistic regression analysis indicates that perceptions of food safety, consistent supply, recognition of cultural value, and preferences for quality-focused sourcing significantly boost adoption rates. Furthermore, Western-style restaurants show a greater likelihood of serving game meat. Factor analyses indicate that culinary expression stimulates adoption but supply instability and technical barriers hinder it. Internal factors motivate initiation, whereas perceptions of stability support sustained use.

抄録全体を表示

This study examines the ripple effects of the decline in the demand for commercial food and beverage products caused by the spread of COVID-19 among upstream companies, focusing on the pathways of these effects through inter-company transaction relationships. The analysis reveals that the distance between transactions from restaurants and bars affected the pace of sales recovery of upstream companies after the spread of the pandemic. In particular, companies upstream of food wholesalers, such as those engaged in processing, manufacturing, and raw material production, experienced sales recovery rates that up to 9 percentage points lower after the start of the pandemic.

抄録全体を表示

We examine the impact of decreasing Russian wheat exports on the global wheat market and food security by using a partial equilibrium model. The result of this study shows that the decrease in wheat exports in Russia in 2024/25 is projected to increase international wheat prices by 8.7-28.5%. Furthermore, the decrease in Russian wheat exports was projected to have a significant impact on food security in Egypt and India among the model covering countries. Therefore, we consider that Russian wheat market and policy remain one of the biggest uncertainties and risk factors in the global wheat market and food security.

抄録全体を表示

This study investigated the functions of farming activities established by a community association with the participation of older adults. Using a cross-measure approach in Miyagi Prefecture, we found that farming activities are positioned as social farms because they promote multigenerational participation in the community. The community association also contributes to ensuring local food security by serving as a coordinator for solving food access problems associated with farm harvests. Furthermore, it promotes community welfare and contributes to the realization of a community-based symbiotic society. Farming activities supported by community associations should be evaluated not only as a method of introducing care farming.

抄録全体を表示

This study examines how rural wholesalers (sanchi shonin) in southern Tochigi, Japan, have responded to the decline of kanpyo (dried gourd shavings) production by engaging directly in farming and processing. Drawing on interviews with five wholesalers, this study highlights a structural shift in which wholesalers have assumed a more active role in the production and distribution of kanpyo. Such involvement is not merely a strategy to secure product supply, but also contributes to regional agriculture by reducing farmers’ processing burdens, alleviating labor shortages, utilizing farmland to sustain production volumes, and fostering new entrants into farming.

抄録全体を表示

This study examines green grocery stores as intermediaries between producers and consumers. We explore whether these stores foster deeper mutual understanding from the perspective of valuation. Drawing on Bessy and Chauvin’s (2013) concept of intermediaries, we analyzed interview data from three stores. We generated 43 valuation codes for fruits and vegetables and investigated how valuation structures operate within the stores. Findings suggest that stores promote consumer understanding of producers by enabling interactive information flows and by reflecting affirmative values of produce in pricing based on the stores’ own perceptions.

抄録全体を表示