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July 01, 2026
 

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ANIMALS

A cat rubs its body against silver vine. Researchers have found that cats typically prefer silver vine over catnip.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Japanese researchers find cats prefer silvervine over catnip
The team observed how cats would react to both silvervine and catnip when they were left to roam around freely.
Toru Miyazaki, president and director of the Institute for AIM Medicine, talks about a drug to treat kidney diseases in cats at his lab in Tokyo.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 9, 2026
Cat renal disease drug nearing practical use in Japan
Many cat owners are waiting in anticipation for the drug to be put into practical use.
Anthony Gallegos, 43, stands in a pasture with cattle on his ranch, three days after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed that New World screwworm was detected in a Texas calf in Zavala County, near La Pryor, Texas, on June 6.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 9, 2026
Deadly screwworm pest spreads in U.S. with three new cases
The fly has been detected in a calf in La Salle County, Texas, a goat in Gillespie County, Texas, and a dog in New Mexico, according to the the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
When bells aren’t enough to prevent encounters with bears, outdoorspeople in Japan now have a wide range of deterrents to choose from.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Jun 6, 2026
In Japan, a bull market for bear deterrents
With no end in sight to the rise in bear encounters, manufacturers are bringing new kinds of deterrents to the market.
The 2026 environment white paper underscores the importance of nurturing fresh hunters with advanced knowledge and skills as existing hunters are getting much older.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2026
Bears emerge as serious safety threat in Japan, says white paper
The white paper underscores the importance of nurturing fresh hunters with advanced knowledge and skills as existing hunters are getting much older.
Officials of the Environment Ministry and prefectural governments in northeastern Japan hold a meeting in Sendai on Wednesday to discuss measures to cope with bears. In neighboring Fukushima Prefecture, authorities are on the hunt for an "extremely intelligent" bear that remains at large.
JAPAN
Jun 5, 2026
‘Extremely intelligent’ bear at large after hurting four in Fukushima
The bear apparently unlatched a window while evading capture and turned on a water tap to drink from.
Park Gyeong-je, 65, a migratory beekeeper, stands among beehives at an acquaintance's family gravesite where he received permission from the family to keep hives as a second location for migratory beekeeping in Okcheon, South Korea, on May 13.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Jun 4, 2026
A South Korean beekeeper counts the cost of climate change
Rising temperatures are disrupting South Korea’s beekeeping industry, as earlier blooms, harsher weather and disease cut honey production and put pressure on migratory farmers.
According to Japan's transport ministry, around 70,000 cases of roadkill occurred on state-managed roads in fiscal 2022.
JAPAN
Jun 3, 2026
Japan to boost efforts to prevent roadkill
According to the ministry, around 70,000 cases of roadkill occurred on state-managed roads in fiscal 2022.
A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in bear sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2026
Bear goes on rampage in Japan, injuring four people
A record 13 people were killed by bears in Japan last year, and there has been a jump in sightings as the animals emerge hungry from hibernation.
Catches of Japanese sandfish in Akita Prefecture have declined sharply, from over 10,000 tons a year in the mid-1970s to about 6 tons in the most recent season.
JAPAN
Jun 2, 2026
Calls grow in Akita to ban fishing for sandfish amid warming seas
Some fishery operators have voiced reluctance about a fishing ban, fearing that such a move could prevent them from catching other fish and shellfish.
A crested ibis takes flight after being released in Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Sunday.
JAPAN
Jun 1, 2026
Crested ibises released into wild in quake-hit Ishikawa
The prefectural government hopes the effort will be a symbol of reconstruction from the powerful January 2024 earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula.
An experimental study has found that mosquitoes can learn to love common repellent.
WORLD / Science & Health
May 29, 2026
Mosquitoes can learn to love common repellent, scientists find
The results were found “under very specific conditions” in the lab and do not “call into question the effectiveness” of the repellent DEET, the lead study author said.
A captured bear in Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture, earlier this month
JAPAN
May 28, 2026
Bear sightings hamper school activities in Japan
The sightings have led to evacuations, delays and some children opting to stay home as boards of education grapple with how to safely continue classes.
A jawbone of Naumann’s elephant at the Murakami Kaizoku Museum in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 27, 2026
Naumann’s elephant may have gone extinct in Japan 10,000 years earlier than thought
Up until now, the widely accepted theory was that the elephant disappeared from the Japanese archipelago about 24,000 years ago.
Honeybees crawl on the rack of a beehive in Baker, West Virginia, on May 9.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
May 25, 2026
As bee population collapses, U.S. apiarists fear research cuts
America’s beekeepers are losing colonies at record rates, and many fear the shutdown of a key USDA bee lab will make the crisis even harder to contain.
A crab photographed by a research group at Nagasaki University
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 24, 2026
Origin of crab walk dates back some 200 million years
The team recorded movements of 50 crab species — 35 species that had adopted sideways walking and 15 species that walked forward.
The Environment Ministry aims to gain a better understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Japan to survey bear habitats in Niigata and Tohoku region
The government surveys aim to gain a better understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
The Metropolitan Police Department discovered the lower half of a human body on Tuesday, approximately 100 meters off a hiking trail in Nippara, in the town of Okutama, located on the outskirts of western Tokyo.
JAPAN
May 20, 2026
Possible fatal bear attack reported in mountains of western Tokyo
If confirmed, the incident in the mountains of Okutama would mark Tokyo’s first recorded fatal bear attack since at least 2006.
Mice can attack emerging crops, devour and soil stored grain, and damage machinery by chewing through cables.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 19, 2026
Mouse plague drives Australia to allow potent bait to save crops
The economic impact from mice can be widespread as they can attack emerging crops, devour and soil stored grain, and damage machinery and infrastructure by chewing through cables.
Visitors gather in the rain to catch a glimpse of Punch the monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, in April.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
May 18, 2026
Japan arrests Americans over stunt at baby monkey Punch’s zoo
Images on social media showed a person scaling the fence in a costume that included a smiley face head with sunglasses, prompting the monkeys to scatter.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan falls in gut-wrenching fashion as Brazil strikes late to win World Cup clash
Brazil's Gabriel Martinelli (right) shoots past Japan defenders Shogo Taniguchi (left) and Takehiro Tomiyasu to score in the second half of a match in the round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Houston on Monday.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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