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AI Suggests Recipes Using Okinawan Ingredients

NAHA, Nov 05 (News On Japan) - Visitors to Uruma Marche, a local produce market in Uruma City, can now use artificial intelligence to get instant cooking ideas for Okinawan ingredients.

The initiative, launched on November 4th in collaboration with a local company, aims to promote local consumption by making it easier for people to cook with regional produce.

Using a dedicated app, customers scan a QR code displayed beside fresh fruits and vegetables, input the number of servings and flavor preferences, and receive AI-generated recipes along with ingredient quantities. The system even provides suggestions for rare fruits not commonly found elsewhere.

When a visitor from outside Okinawa scanned the QR code for an atemoya fruit, the AI instantly proposed “Tropical Chicken Curry with Atemoya,” describing it as a southern-style curry where the fruit’s sweetness harmonizes with spices. The visitor reacted with amazement, calling it “very convenient.”

Toppan Digital’s Hideaki Matsumura said the system was developed to respond to consumers’ curiosity about discovering new ways to use familiar ingredients. Uruma Marche’s Jun Osuga added that the project supports the city’s goal of promoting local production for local consumption.

The demonstration experiment will run from November 4th to 6th, with Uruma Marche aiming for full-scale implementation in fiscal 2026.

China Advises Against Travel to Japan

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a travel advisory on November 14th, urging Chinese citizens to avoid visiting Japan for the time being, citing “serious safety risks” to Chinese nationals following Prime Minister Takaichi’s remarks on a potential Taiwan contingency.

Fujii Becomes Youngest Lifetime Triple Crown Holder in Shogi History

Shogi champion Sota Fujii, who defended his title in the prestigious Ryuo Tournament, expressed his joy on November 11th after becoming the youngest player in history to qualify for the lifetime title of "Eisei Ryuo" (Lifetime Ryuo).

Japan Plans to Triple Departure Tax to 3,000 Yen

Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy committee has drafted a resolution calling on the government to raise the “departure tax” to secure funds for overtourism countermeasures. The proposal seeks to increase the current 1,000 yen per-person levy to 3,000 yen, and to set the rate at 5,000 yen for travelers using business class or higher.

Tokyo Issues Influenza Epidemic Warning for First Time in 16 Years

Tokyo Metropolitan Government issued an influenza epidemic warning on November 13th after the number of reported cases reached the alert threshold, marking the first such announcement in November in 16 years.

Russia Bans 30 More Japanese Nationals

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced on November 11th that it has decided to impose an indefinite entry ban on 30 Japanese nationals as a countermeasure against what it called Japan’s “hostile policies” following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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