Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Many Japanese no doubt harbor fond memories of their days at elementary school when they were asked to keep a diary of things like daily temperature change or the growth of morning glory seeds they had planted as homework during the summer vacation Compared with cutting-edge technologies such as genome editing and nanotechnology the plain observation of objects just as they are may appear to lack a trendy but they still amount to full-fledged scientific studies in their own right And some even make it into scientific articles that are published in academic journals of note Such was the case with the monitoring of the arrivals and departures of migrating swans undertaken for 55 years by successive generations of elementary school pupils in the town of Hiranai in Japan's northern Aomori Prefecture a professor of ecology with Hachinohe Institute of Technology felt a huge surge of encouragement after he received an email from a scientist refereeing a research paper that he had coauthored The reviewer was extolling the value of the children's swan monitoring records Hiranai’s coasts are so renowned as a migration ground for swans that the area was given “special natural monument” status by the central government in 1952 under the category of “The swans of Kominato and their migration ground.” Pupils attending Asadokoro Elementary School began keeping records of the swans there in 1956 with distinctions made between adult and young birds once in the morning and once in the afternoon almost daily from the time they arrived in autumn through the day the last bird departed sometime between March and June The pupils continued using a binocular and a telescope to keep records even when avian influenza spread in the 2000s A total of 2,000 or so schoolchildren took part in the monitoring which lasted until the elementary school closed in 2010 a local conservation group decided to publish a brochure to commemorate the activity which led to the material being incorporated into a scientific article Tanaka had learned that a colossal volume of records was kept in storage and thought they were sufficiently valuable to be published in an English-language science journal for the rest of the world to see An early manuscript of the article only covered an extract of the available data but the referee who extolled the value of the records called for everything to be published Members of the conservation group helped with the work for inputting reams of handwritten records into personal computers The paper was published in February in Data in Brief “This valuable data could not have been produced without the continuous efforts of all the elementary school students and teachers who participated in the monitoring,” the article says in its Acknowledgments section Principal battles complacency over falling U.S Principal breaks elementary school’s silence about tsunami 1 ton of shooting stars fall to Earth every day heat illnesses: Death fuels debate over masks at schools Mother’s remorse lingers after daughter caught up in tsunami Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission An earthquake struck Aomori Prefecture on Wednesday around 3:40 p.m. measuring four on the seven-level Japanese seismic intensity scale according to the Japan Meteorological Agency please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent occurred at a depth of about 10 kilometers Tremors with an intensity of four on the Japanese scale were recorded in the towns of Hiranai and Noheji Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun Today's print edition Home Delivery Sea cucumbers from Aomori Prefecture have lost their market since China imposed a ban on all seafood from Japan following the release of treated radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (Tepco) Fukushima No Twenty-seven fishing cooperatives in the prefecture have suspended operations in October when the fishing season for sea cucumbers starts in a normal year.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); also known as "black diamonds," are a luxury food item in Chinese cuisine The import ban adds difficulties for fishermen who are already struggling with declining resources due to poaching and overfishing of the product In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division 釧路のひと・ことが集う“ネオ公民館”を運営 | 木村琴絵がオススメする、北海道釧路市３つの「とっておき」 【札幌駅徒歩7分】温泉＆夜景＆朝食ビュッフェが充実！全605室「札幌ホテルbyグランベル」で快適ステイ 「良すぎる…」日本最北端の離島で過ごした旅の記録！大学生らが撮影した映像が話題に「青春だ」 札幌南区で広がる交流の輪！学生が地域と共につくりあげるコミュニティマルシェ「八百カフェ」とは 【2025年最新】大和ハウス プレミストドーム（札幌ドーム）へのアクセスと周辺ホテル完全ガイド！遠征・ライブ宿泊にも便利 【4月25日先行オープン情報も】札幌大通の新名所！2025年夏オープン「4PLA」のフロア詳細や見どころについて ナイトレースに名物グルメも！ホッカイドウ競馬2025開幕＆“馬のまち”日高町おすすめスポットガイド 【2025年版】函館近郊・道南エリアおすすめ桜スポット20選！北海道内で一足先に花見を満喫 【2025年版】北海道の花イベント16選 桜や菜の花、つつじ、チューリップが咲き誇る 【2025年版】旭川近郊・道北エリアおすすめ桜スポット10選！花見をしながらアウトドア 【2025年版】帯広・釧路近郊おすすめ桜スポット8選！家族や仲間とゆっくり楽しむ花見 【2025年版】登別・洞爺湖近郊・道央エリアおすすめ桜スポット10選！絶景とともに楽しむ花見 【2025年版】帯広・十勝近郊おすすめドライブスポット20選！絶景や食の魅力がいっぱい 【2025年版】札幌近郊おすすめドライブスポット20選！日帰りで楽しめる定番から穴場スポットまで 【2024年版】北海道の絶景に囲まれた秘湯・名湯15選！旅行で訪れたい絶対おすすめ温泉スポット 【2024年最新】ホッキョクグマやアルパカたちがお出迎え！北海道で動物たちと出会える＆触れ合えるスポット10選 【2024年版】一面の紫色に魅了される！北海道のラベンダーが楽しめるおすすめ観光スポット10選 「こんな素敵な所があったとは」まるで魔法学校！？釧路で撮影された幻想的な1枚がかっこいい！「アロホモラしたい」 札幌の味噌ラーメンを代表する超人気店『すみれ』 時代と共に進化する「味噌ラーメン」の味の秘密とは 宮の森の“完全予約制隠れ家サロン”で本格アフタヌーンティーを楽しむ 札幌「afternoonTEA afternoonALCOHOL」 札幌シメパフェ巡り（２）住所非公開＆会員制！札幌の“秘密のパフェバー”「Remake easy」に潜入 「素晴らしい景色…」まるで異世界！“鉄のまち”室蘭で撮影された一枚が話題に「圧倒される」 「もう廃棄するしかない」ももクロのイベントが中止になり販売できなくなった大量のホットドッグ→その後のファンの優しさに出店者が感動！「本当にモノノフっていいな」 島の“温泉ソムリエ”小島有貴がオススメする、奥尻島３つの「とっておき」＜あの人のとっておき帖＞ 地域からの恩恵に自覚的でいたい。５周年を迎えたドット道東が辿り着いた「ローカル事務局」という役割 オホーツクの海を愛する村井克詞がお薦めする、紋別３つのとっておき / あの人のとっておき帖 「新しい消費」と「関係人口」が創り出す、十勝と全国をつなぐ新たなライフスタイルの形とは 十勝シティデザイン創業者、柏尾哲哉さんインタビュー 北海道最小の村から全国へ！全国から注目される「おといねっぷ美術工芸高校」とそれを後押しする「おと高応援団」とは まちづくりに参加する方法を紹介！まちについて「知りたい！」「伝えたい！」「取り組みたい！」思い立ったら参加できるまちづくりの仕組み Shirtless fishermen have become the latest hot item driving the trading card-collecting scene in Japan has now collected more than 50 of these trading cards with her favorite being an expert at catching hotate scallops from the northern town of Hiranai “A fisherman wearing nothing but an apron by itself is funny,” said Nakayama Nakayama said she embarked on her new hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic when non-essential outings were discouraged Showing her collection off to other collectors on social media proved fun “It picked up steam when we were at rock bottom with no positive topics to talk about,” she said The sexy fisherman-card boom actually started before the pandemic began Popular trading cards typically feature characters from anime and people collect them and play games with them That led Aomori prefectural officials to wonder They put their plan into action and the cards quickly became a hit on social media Some 150 fishermen in the northernmost prefecture on Japan’s main Honshu island posed for pictures wearing nothing but their waders showing off their rugged physiques while smiling Each card features the fisherman’s name with a map of the prefecture showing where he is based The cards were handed out at local events with consumers being encouraged to find their favorite fisherman Prefectural officials believed it would spark an interest in local fishery products Nakayama said looking at the cards made her curious about the different types of fish and shellfish they catch others started coming to fishery product-related events to collect the cards farmers decided to create trading cards of their own a 32-year-old grape tomato grower in Tahara Two farmers in their 30s--one in Hokkaido and the other in Gifu Prefecture--immediately responded The idea of “agriculture trading cards” spread on social media and farmers all around Japan raised their hands to be featured a card also includes information about their whereabouts and what they grow Consumers who purchase products from these farmers receive a card along with the produce Ogawa promotes the cards on social media and often picks up “a card ‘in season.’” Ogawa said he and fellow farmers in his generation grew up playing with trading cards for us to be the main feature of a trading card is amazing,” he said Ogawa said one of the merits of the cards for the farmers is that it allows them to have a “direct connection with consumers around the country.” As fewer and fewer young people want to take over their family farming business getting to know other young active farmers is inspiring and motivating The success of the fishermen and farmer trading cards has spawned an increasing number of copycats from other business communities created a collection of cards featuring local restaurant owners in spring 2021 The cards feature owners striking a pose and a catchy phrase describing their business such as “Master of sushi” and “Legendary eel.” The cards also include fun facts about the owners “A macho guy who blushes easily,” one such description reads a set of trading cards featuring tour guides has been made available the “snow monkeys” at the Takasakiyama Natural Zoo in Oita A local publication company came up with the idea and started selling the cards in spring 2021 The cards feature their names and rankings Each monkey is graded on their attack ability one male boss monkey got 100 points in charisma but he was ousted from the troop over a relationship problem A female monkey who has the same name as the British Princess Charlotte of Wales scored 100 points in popularity said the cards have helped to boost the local economy Some people come to the park just to get the cards An employee of the Aomori prefectural government who started the trend claimed a triumphant victory This is like the age of trading card civil wars.” (This article was written by Daichi Itakura and Koki Furuhata.) Competition among salmon farms intensifies in north Japan Pro Baseball Chips marks 50th year offering baseball cards Creator of the popular manga series ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’ dies at age 60 Over a month has passed since the discharge of treated water into the ocean from the Fukushima No China’s response of banning imports of Japanese marine products is impacting the Japanese fishing industry especially fishermen and seafood processing companies handling products mainly exported to China such as scallops and sea cucumbers The first discharge of treated water from the crippled plant managed by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings and the second release is scheduled to start on Thursday treated water that contains small amounts of radioactive tritium is diluted with seawater to less than 1,500 becquerels per liter far below national and international standards Despite initial concerns over rumors of harm to seafood from Fukushima Prefecture products from the prefecture have not seen a major drop in price China’s ban is resulting in excessive stocks of products such as scallops and sea cucumbers leading to a decrease in their trading prices The government is trying to expand sales channels outside of China Scallops have been added to menus at some restaurants and local government cafeterias Ambassadors to Japan from the United States and European Union among others have expressed support for Japan’s fishing industry and their countries and regions are cooperating in expanding imports of scallops are a luxury food in China but are not widely consumed in other parts of the world making it difficult to expand export destinations and domestic consumption “We should see the current situation as an opportunity to increase domestic consumption of Japanese marine products,” said Nihon University Prof “Support should be provided to the industry as a whole through campaigns carried out by public-private partnerships Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser With U.S.-Japan trade negotiations beginning in earnest on Thursday Japanese companies face increasing uncertainty regarding their export prospects especially with some sectors already feeling the initial impact of the new U.S While they have seen significant growth in the U.S market due to the popularity of Japanese cuisine and a weaker yen the potential impact of the tariffs is a major concern creating both anticipation and anxiety about the outcome of the talks has seen a sharp drop in wholesale orders for squid products exported to Japanese restaurants in the United States this month with only one order received compared to the usual five or six on a monthly basis The company attributes the drop to customers holding off on purchases in anticipation of increased import costs due to the tariffs The company exports its products to the United States market accounting for 30% of its overseas sales The president of the frozen food company voiced his concerns about potential costs of freezing and storing raw materials saying: “If this situation persists into next month we hope the Japanese government will stand firm and not be swayed.” has applied to the government to export about 200 tons of last autumn’s harvest 70% of which is bound for the United States The company wants to export it during the 90-day temporary suspension of reciprocal tariffs which may prevent its rice from being cleared by the deadline rice destined for export is usually not allowed to be sold domestically said: “It is simply not feasible to export an entire year’s rice production in 90 days We want these negotiations to at least secure an extension of the temporary suspension.” the nation’s second largest scallop-producing region after Hokkaido many people are closely watching the progress of the trade talks “We hope that the fisheries and agricultural sectors will not be unduly burdened by being used as bargaining chips for automobiles and other sectors,” said Harumi Niki chairman of the prefecture’s federation of fisheries cooperative associations forestry and fisheries product and food exports to the United States totaled about ¥900 million with scallops accounting for more than 40% of that export value but the imposition of reciprocal tariffs would significantly increase costs for American buyers “If Hokkaido’s scallops destined for export to the United States are redirected within Japan we could see a drop in the price of Aomori scallops,” Niki said some companies are looking to diversify their sales channels beyond the United States a konnyaku yam cake manufacturer and seller in Tomioka already exports to 12 countries and regions where it enjoys strong sales in Japanese supermarkets The company’s sales in the United States have experienced significant growth rising from about ¥70,000 in fiscal 2020 to ¥40 million in fiscal 2023 this progress was directly affected by the high tariff policy To maintain consumer demand despite potential tariff-related price increases the company plans to begin exporting konnyaku noodles “We aim to differentiate our new offerings from our existing products and expand our sales channels to the Middle East and other regions,” said Kazumi Tsuchiya National Report Hokkaido and the Tohoku region in northeastern Japan were drenched in heavy downpours on Aug prompting an evacuation order for one town and a village being cut off by landslides 10 as torrential rains caused a river to overflow its banks there The warning covers 225 residents of 96 households About 700 residents in the village of Kazamaura in the prefecture are feared stranded as landslides occurred at several locations along National Route 279 a bridge over the Koakagawa river collapsed In Hakodate on the northernmost main island of Hokkaido the rainfall totaled 289.5 millimeters for the 24 hours through 9 a.m said service was suspended between Kuji and Hashikami stations on the Hachinohe Line for the entire day The low pressure system is forecast to move away from Japan after it passes through the Tohoku region on Aug The Japan Meteorological Agency is forecasting rainfall for the 24 hours through 6 a.m 180 mm for the Hokuriku region and 150 mm for the Tohoku region Record snowfall covers Hokuriku; JMA warns more on the way 8 likely to make landfall in Tohoku before dawn Calls for extra vigilance as typhoon nears eastern Japan Disaster images shot by 49 top photographers compiled in book heavy snowfall in store for Sea of Japan coast No reproduction or republication without written permission.