West Japan farm develops giant "shiitake" mushroom

Yasuhiro Takano, president of mushroom producer Takano Kinoko Plant in Tokushima ciy, western Japan, shows off a box of his giant "shiitake" mushrooms on May 21, 2015. Takano spent 12 years developing the new variety, which averages about 15 centimeters in diameter and contains three times as much "umami" tasty flavor as the conventional shiitake. Tokushima Prefecture is Japan's largest producer of raw shiitake. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo