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Tag - environment-ministry

 
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July 24, 2026
 

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ENVIRONMENT MINISTRY

Mobile power banks were the products most frequently responsible for fire or smoke incidents involving lithium-ion batteries.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jul 4, 2026
Lithium battery fires hit record high in Japan in fiscal 2025
Mobile power banks were the products most frequently responsible for fire or smoke incidents involving lithium-ion batteries, followed by heated tobacco products.
Hunters and a police officer approach a man wearing a bear costume during a drill for a bear intrusion in Yaita, Tochigi Prefecture, last month.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Jul 2, 2026
Japan deploys bear cameras in mountains as attacks surge
Bears have killed at least five people since April 1, all in the northern region of Tohoku.
Hikers walk past a bear warning sign in the Okutama area in western Tokyo on Sunday as local authorities urge visitors to take precautions following increased reports of bear sightings in the region.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / FOCUS
Jun 16, 2026
Why more bears are entering urban areas
Five deaths have already been reported this year as of the beginning of June, with bears showing a growing willingness to roam closer to where people live.
A crested ibis takes flight after being released in Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Sunday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
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.
The Environment Ministry aims to gain a better understanding of bear behavior in wide areas, as bears often roam across prefectural borders.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
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.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
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.
Asian black bear sightings reached an all-time high of 50,776 in fiscal 2025, the environment ministry announced Monday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
May 12, 2026
Black bear sightings in Japan more than doubled in 2025
The total number of deaths caused by bear attacks in fiscal 2025 was 13, the highest in recorded history.
Japanese authorities confirmed Friday the first fatal bear attack of 2026, in which a 55-year-old woman died on April 21 in Iwate Prefecture, according to media reports.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 8, 2026
Japan confirms year¡¯s first fatal bear attack
The victim, reportedly a 55-year-old woman, died on April 21 in Iwate Prefecture, an environment ministry official said.
Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara speaks during a meeting with members of the Minamata disease victims organization held Thursday in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 1, 2026
Decades later, the dispute over Minamata disease remains unresolved
Victims urge the government and the chemical firm whose wastewater discharges caused the neurological disorder to properly take responsibility.
French Environment Minister Monique Barbut speaks during a news conference in Paris on April 24.
ENVIRONMENT
Apr 25, 2026
G7 says nature talks a success as climate sidelined for U.S.
The Group of Seven skirted any direct mention of global warming to appease the U.S., its largest and most powerful member.
Japan¡¯s greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.9% to a record low of about 1.05 billion tons of carbon dioxide in fiscal 2024, the Environment Ministry said.
ENVIRONMENT
Apr 14, 2026
Greenhouse gas emissions in Japan fell to record low in fiscal 2024
In fiscal 2024, emissions in Japan were down 28.7% from fiscal 2013 and the amount of carbon dioxide released slipped below 1 billion tons for the first time since then.
Ise-Shima National Park in Mie Prefecture
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 31, 2026
Japan moves to attract more foreign visitors to national parks
The Environment Ministry will work on improving accessibility and multilingual support to hit its target.
Water utilities will be required to conduct PFAS tests every three months in principle under new tap water quality standards that will take effect next month.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 23, 2026
Japan to mandate inspections for PFAS in water from April
The Environment Ministry aims to assess PFAS concentrations in water supplies nationwide.
The red-crowned crane has been removed from the Environment Ministry¡¯s Red List of threatened species.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society
Mar 17, 2026
Japanese crane no longer considered ¡®threatened¡¯ as population recovers
The species saw its population drop to as low as 33 in 1952 due to overhunting, but after conservation efforts about 1,200 are believed to now be living in the wild.
Japan is hosting a three-day closed-door meeting among working-level officials from around 20 countries to push for progress toward a global treaty on plastic pollution.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Mar 1, 2026
¡®Unofficial¡¯ talks on plastic pollution treaty to begin in Japan
Supposedly final talks in South Korea in 2024 toward an agreement failed, and a renewed effort in Geneva last August likewise collapsed in overtime.
A monitor shows Japanese Environment Minister Hirotaka Ishihara delivering a speech at a ministerial meeting of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change in Belem, Brazil, in November.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 13, 2026
Japan to stay the course on fighting climate change despite U.S. exit
Experts say the U.S.¡¯s recent departure from international climate organizations will have a limited impact on Japan¡¯s own initiatives.
A bear warning sign is displayed in Shirakawa-go, Gifu Prefecture, in November.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 8, 2026
Japan sees record 47,000 Asian black bear sightings over eight months
The April-November figure nearly doubled from the previous annual record high of 24,348 marked in fiscal 2023.
Swollen or deformed batteries are particularly prone to ignition.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 24, 2025
Japan aims to eliminate serious lithium battery fires by 2030
In a policy package drawn up by central government agencies including the Environment Ministry, local governments and companies are urged to properly dispose of used batteries.
Under the current law, storage is regulated only when scrap brought into yards is classified as ¡°waste.¡±
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 18, 2025
Japan to introduce permit system for scrapyard businesses
The move is a response to cases in which environmental problems like fire and soil contamination were caused by improper storage of such scrap as used metals and plastics.
Poor harvests of beechnuts are thought to be one of the major reasons behind the increase in bear attacks and sightings.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Dec 8, 2025
High number of bear attacks possible in 2027 due to expected poor nut harvest
Beechnut harvests are considered to influence the number of bear incidents Japan sees each year.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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