Ishinomaki, a tsunami-hit, cold area, hopes hanging on the production of olives

In November, the landscape of olive trees bearing green and black fruit is becoming familiar to Ishinomaki residents in Miyagi's northeastern Japanese prefecture, which usually sees winter temperatures below freezing.

"When I heard the project for olive growing, I wondered if we could do it successfully in such a cold area as this," said Shoetsu Chiba, 70, about the farming initiative that began to help rebuild the live....