Japan News Update #34 (2-8 August, 2022)

Vertical farming in Japan

Spread, a Kyoto-based vertical framing firm, announced that it raised a 4 billion yen (~$30.5 million) Series A goal and leveled up its product offerings. Currently, the company works toward its 2030 goal of producing 100 tons of lettuce daily. It's also working on joining a handful of fellow indoor farming companies with the release of vertically grown strawberries.
Source: Spread eyes strawberries and alternative meat following Series A raise (related)

Food and drinks sale by self driving car

A self-driving car selling food and drinks is undergoing trials on roads near Tokyo. The goal is to see if the unmanned service provides convenience to communities and helps retailers cope with a labor shortage. A telecom-services subsidiary of Japanese electronics firm Kyocera has teamed up with major retailer Aeon and the city of Chiba for the project.
Source: Autonomous food-vending car tested in Japan

NARO's new app to assess soil disease risk

National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), in collaboration with 16 other institutes, firms, and university, developed an assessment application of soil disease risk called Heso+. This app can detect ten primary vegetable soil diseases such as Tomato green wilt and onion downy mildew. It is expected that farmers can utilize this technology to improve the efficiency of soil disinfectant use and pest control, as well as to enable companies to offer new soil diagnostic services.
Source: NARO develops soil disease risk assessment system using AI, Press release

 Japanese alternative trend in the alcohol sector

Kirin Holdings, Japan's second-largest brewer, plans to expand to ¥500 billion ($3.8 billion) in health care. It's one of the first major players to lay out its plans after the World Health Organization called for stricter rules on digital marketing. Kirin's approach contrasts with bigger rivals like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Asahi Group Holdings, who are doubling down on alcohol and investing in higher-end businesses like craft beers.
Source: Kirin turns to health care as beer business draws scrutiny

Toward year-round onion production

Mirai Kyoso Farm Akita, an agricultural firm in Akita Prefecture, Sojitz, a major Japanese trading company, and NARO collaborate to develop the Tohoku region into an onion production center. The aim is to establish a system that will enable the year-round supply of domestically produced onions, mainly for processing and commercial use, by making them available for shipment in July and August, which is the off-season for major domestic onion production areas. Currently, imports from China and other countries account for about 15% of the domestic distribution volume.
Source: NARO, Sojitz, and farmers join forces to turn the Tohoku region into an onion production area