As a special beer for Valentine’s Day this year, Hitachino Nest, one of the best-known craft beer brands in Japan, released its “Chocolate Beer Ale”. What makes this beer so special to us at Hokusei North America is that this beer use not only one, but three 100% fruit purees from Oregon Fruit Products (OFP), that we export to Japan. [...]
Due to a sudden steep upturn in the number of COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations, Multnomah County (Portland’s county) and 14 other Oregon counties recently moved into the COVID-19 “Extreme Risk” category. This classification went into effect on April 30, and will last at least until May 6. […]
Recently, our friends and partners at Portland Gear, a fashion design and retail company famous for its Portland-branded products, launched a cherry blossom-inspired apparel collection. Portland Gear created these products in honor of the ongoing close relationship between Portland and Japan, symbolized by the beautiful cherry trees common to both locations. Over the years, Portland Gear's products have proven to [...]
Allport Editions, a Hokusei North America partner, is well-known for its wide variety of artistic, thoughtful, and smile-evoking greeting cards. However, Allport also carries a wide variety of jigsaw puzzles, sales of which have helped the company carry on during the coronavirus pandemic. The reason for this boost to Allport's business is that jigsaw puzzles are enjoying a resurgence in [...]
As a very appropriate and uplifting gesture during the coronavirus epidemic and corresponding explosive usage of Zoom videoconferencing service, the Portland Japanese Garden is offering free, downloadable Zoom backgrounds. For Spring 2021, the Zoom background is fittingly, a photo of an amazingly beautiful flowering cherry tree in front of the Portland Japanese Garden's Pavilion Gallery. The cherry blossoms offer a [...]
Yesterday, February 28th, marked the one-year anniversary of the first known COVID-19 case in Oregon. Since that day a year ago, the state (not to mention the world) has gone through a seemingly unending series of changes and trials that have drastically altered Oregonians' lifestyles, attitudes, and economic situations. We would like to extend our sympathy to the loved ones [...]
Perhaps not know by many, but Toyama Prefecture* is Oregon's sister state in Japan, and 2021 is the 30th anniversary of this SistermState relationship. Although Toyama is not visited as much by tourists as Tokyo and Kyoto, it deserves to be on the "must see" list of any visitor to Japan. Oregon is suitably paired with Toyama, due to the [...]
Recently, the Hokusei North America team received an inquiry about hazelnuts from a potential Japanese client. Although we knew that hazelnuts are grown in Oregon (and that they taste pretty good on salads). So in the process of working on this project, we learned a few interesting things about hazelnuts: Oregon accounts for nearly 100% of the U.S. hazelnut crop. [...]
Hokusei North America is kicking off the new year with another shipment of fruit purees from Oregon Fruit Products, for Japanese brewers. This will be the biggest shipment yet, consisting of 6 different puree types, the most popular being blackberry puree. The increased demand from Japanese brewers for Oregon Fruit Products’ fruit purees stems from awards garnered by Japanese beers [...]
After a very tough 2020, we finally made it to 2021 (phew). In the Eastern/Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the Year of the Ox. According to the zodiac, the ox represents hard work, positivity and honesty -- qualities which will be reflected by events, developments, and interactions in 2021. The Ox's traits are especially welcome, especially after a year when [...]