Local and domestic

Japanese-origin goods. The stronger argument is continuity of production, not transport distance.

“Local is better” does not hold automatically

Domestic and regional products can win on transport distance. But transport is only part of a life cycle, and depending on growing method and yield, an imported product can carry a lower total burden. Judging on food miles alone oversimplifies.

The substantive case for buying domestic is continuity. In regions losing producers, a reliable buyer is often the condition under which production continues at all.

What to check

Origin of the raw material — different from where it was processed
Whether the producer or region is named specifically
Seasonality — in-season produce generally takes less input
“Made in Japan” does not mean the ingredients are Japanese