Environment

The government plans to designate waters around the Izu-Ogasawara oceanic trench as a marine protected area (MPA) that limits fishing and other human activities.

The rapid economic development experienced across Southeast Asia has created a serious garbage problem, as growing volumes of rubbish highlight a shortage of disposal sites.

The concentration of radioactive cesium-137, which was spread about following the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, has been rapidly decreasing in river waters in municipalities near the facility in Fukushima Prefecture, according to a survey by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency.

When the world rang in 2019, it also prepared to usher in the Year of the Boar. But in Sasayama, a picturesque, historical city of about 42,000 nestled in rural Hyogo Prefecture about an hour by train from Osaka Station, the wild boar is a symbol of pride, part of a famous local dish and a bane to farmers. It’s also a highly intelligent, aggressive animal that hunters like Yuji Enso have long pursued and respected.

Akira Sakano, the 29-year-old head of an environmental nonprofit organization based in Tokushima Prefecture, is serving as one of the eight co-chairs of the annual World Economic Forum being held in Davos, Switzerland.

If you suffer from pollen allergies and live in eastern or western Japan, forecasters recommend starting treatment as soon as possible.

Tochigi Prefecture has boasted of the largest strawberry production in Japan for 50 years in a row. There is even a strawberry called Tochihime that is sold only in the prefecture.

The enchanting winterly view of the soft rime snowscape in Zao, Yamagata Prefecture, could soon be only visible in photos, as the trees that form the canvas of the mesmerizing scenery have been seriously damaged by insects.

Japanese companies are pouring investment into plastic recycling facilities to handle the rise in bottles and used home electronics remaining in the country following China's near-total ban on imports of plastic waste.

In Okinawa Prefecture, one coffee company is doing its part to preserve the region’s hundreds of endemic coral varieties.