Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > December, 2005

"Tochigi Freshmates" Pay a Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Friday, December 9, 2005 JAPANESE Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi received a courtesy call from Ms. Yuko Furuuchi and Ms. Rika Irie, the "Tochigi Freshmates," who are promoting agricultural and livestock products from Tochigi Prefecture, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Prime Minister Koizumi savored the "tochiotome" strawberries produced in Tochigi Prefecture that he was presented with and remarked, "These are very sweet and tasty." Tochiotome strawberries are exported to Hong Kong and other regions and are sold at 1,200 yen a package (16 strawberries per package), which is twice the price they are sold for in Japan. Prime Minister Koizumi has been emphasizing in his speeches that Japanese agricultural products are sold at high prices in China, and he gave words of encouragement on this day as well that, "These are tasty and will sell well. We should take every opportunity to export them."