Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information National Report Organizers of age-old horse festivals that captivate the public with daring deeds are increasingly locked in a contentious battle between tradition and animal rights Activists are pushing for changes in the way animals are treated they object to the frequency and harshness of whippings during the events and have filed a steady stream of criminal complaints against these and other practices This has left regional communities across Japan torn between preserving their traditions and meeting animal welfare requirements 21 when the prefectural police referred 10 individuals to prosecutors over alleged violations of animal protection laws regarding the Tohoku Banba horse race last spring An animal welfare group in Nagano Prefecture called LIA had filed a written complaint over the way riders repeatedly thrashed the sides and hindquarters of their mounts during the festival a test of horsepower that involves the animals pulling weighted sleds The group said its intention was also to raise awareness among residents of what constitutes animal abuse “We always pay keen attention to the safety of the riders and the horses,” countered Wakuya Mayor Tokuo Endo in a statement issued on Jan He pledged to make “further efforts to raise security awareness to ensure that both horse owners and spectators can fully enjoy the event.”  The festival dates to before World War II and last year’s event marked the 74th time it has been held Endo said the town is committed to “passing down its deep-rooted horse culture to posterity.” A town official said horse whippings could not be helped as the practice is “traditionally part of the race.” The official felt the latest protest was out of line because the competition’s rules were amended not long ago to prohibit riders from hitting their horses unnecessarily the official stressed that special whips had been distributed by the organizer to minimize the chance of inflicting pain on the animals Most of the riders facing possible criminal charges are hotly contesting the accusation of animal abuse one of the horse owners who watched the festival last year felt the use of riding crops during the event was “excessive” and called for the introduction of rigorous restrictions on the number of times horses are whipped added a new rule: riders will be disqualified if they strike their horses with a whip or reins The organizer told The Asahi Shimbun that this year’s festival scheduled for April 20 will likely be held under the new rule a Shinto ritual known as “Ageuma Shinji” (Horse jumping festival) held annually at Tado Taisha shrine in Kuwana led police to refer 12 participants to prosecutors last autumn over suspected breaches of the animal welfare law The case centered on a horse that stumbled and broke its leg forcing the owner to euthanize the animal in May 2023 The 700-year-old rite involves young riders hellbent on charging up a muddy earthen ramp and then forcing their horses to scale a 2-meter mud wall at the top The ritual is designated by the prefectural government as an intangible folk-cultural property Kuwana authorities removed the mud wall last year to reduce the risk of horses getting injured “We are committed to conserving the historic festival even if it means changing the traditional style,” said a city official organizers ended up calling off an age-old event after criminal charges were sought against an individual who hit his horse in the face with reins during the Tohoku Bariki horse race in Tono The matter was referred to prosecutors in 2022 as a suspected case of animal abuse but the person was not indicted for any crime in the end Though the competition’s executive committee in 2023 revised its rules eight participants in the race in June 2023 faced criminal complaints for hitting horses with their hands and reins 14 that it will cancel this year’s festival to “determine our course of action for the future.” professor emeritus of anthropology at Waseda University in Tokyo who specializes in issues related to animal sports and welfare noted that friction can arise with indigenous cultures when the international community tries to enforce its notions on animal rights He made the point that while bullfighting is generally forbidden in France exceptions are made for certain traditional rites and rituals “Joint movements may be the only way to form a compromise between those who champion animal welfare and those intent on preserving traditions,” he said (This article was written by Ikuko Abe and Yosuke Fukudome.) Shinto festival in Mie blasted over mistreatment of horses Age-old festivals reviewing animal treatment in face of abuse criticism Mie horse-riding festival held without a hitch after criticism Police report record number of animal cruelty cases last year Summer horse festival to avoid brutal heat after animal deaths 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 Nutrition and Health (including climate and ecological aspects) Metrics details (Micro)albuminuria (a manifestation of renal microvascular damage) is an independent predictor of mortality risk even when the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio is ≥ 10 mg/g in the general population Excessive sodium intake and obesity are strong predictors of cardiovascular disease the effect of obesity on the relationship between sodium intake and albuminuria is not fully understood The purpose of the present study was to investigate the cross-sectional relationships among dietary sodium intake and albuminuria in a general population cohort Subjects were 928 apparently healthy adults Body mass index was calculated using the height and body weight Urinary sodium/creatinine and albumin/creatinine ratios were measured in spot urine samples Estimated 24-h urinary sodium/creatinine ratio (e24UNa/Cr) was assessed using age Both the body mass index and e24UNa/Cr positively correlated with the urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (both and had a synergistic effect on increasing urinary albumin/creatinine ratio independent of age When subjects were divided into 6 groups according to the tertiles of e24UNa/Cr and body mass index < (normal-weight) or ≥ 25 (overweight) the prevalence rate of urinary albumin/creatinine ratio ≥ 10 mg/g increased with rising e24UNa/Cr and being overweight (P < 0.001) An increase in body mass index increases the positive association between urinary sodium excretion and (micro)albuminuria in the general population Excess sodium intake may strengthen cardiovascular risk by increasing (micro)albuminuria To mitigate cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence UACR is an important factor that can be observed even in apparently healthy individuals the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between obesity The present study may provide that overweight is an important factor to accelerate the sodium intake-dependent renal microvascular damage in Asians who represent the majority of the world’s population We hypothesized that a combination of excess salt intake and degree of obesity (increased BMI) would increase albuminuria compared with either of these factors we sought to investigate the cross-sectional relationships among urinary sodium excretion and albuminuria in a Japanese general population cohort The present study recruited the general population who underwent a health check-up All subjects were residents of Wakuya Town or the surrounding areas in the Miyagi Prefecture Hypertension was defined as a brachial systolic/diastolic blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg and/or antihypertensive drug treatment The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus was based on antidiabetic drug treatment and/or a medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus assessed using questionnaires Hypercholesterolemia was diagnosed based on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels of ≥140 mg/dL and ≥150 mg/dL and/or cholesterol-lowering drug treatment Smoking status was evaluated using a questionnaire All the participants provided written informed consent The present study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee All hemodynamic measurements were performed in a quiet Brachial blood pressure and heart rate were measured twice using HEM-9000AI (Omron Healthcare Japan) in a sitting position after the subjects had rested in a seated position for at least 10 min The Kruskal–Wallis test was performed to investigate the combined effects of obesity-related parameters and e24UNa/Cr on the prevalence of UACR ≥ 10 mg/g Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (version 21.0; IBM SPSS Japan A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant The characteristics of the 928 participants are listed in Table 1 and the brachial systolic/diastolic pressure was 125 ± 16/76 ± 11 mm Hg and visceral fat obesity was observed in 283 (30%) subjects The median value and interquartile range of UACR were 5 mg/g and 4–11 mg/g and macroalbuminuria were observed in 849 (91%) The median eGFR was 70 ml/min per 1.73 m2 (interquartile range: 64–79 ml/min per 1.73 m2) and 181 subjects (20%) had kidney dysfunction The subjects were classified into quartile groups according to the estimated 24-h urinary sodium/creatinine ratio (e24UNa/Cr) (A and D) P values for trend were assessed by one-way analysis of variance P values were evaluated using one-way analysis of variance Table 2 summarizes the results of multivariate analysis of UACR determinants When multivariate linear regression analysis was performed with potentially relevant factors the interaction term between e24UNa/Cr and BMI was found to be a major independent correlate of UACR (P = 0.04 and BMI were also independent positive correlates of UACR men = 1) was independently but negatively correlated When BMI was replaced with waist circumference (model 2) the e24UNa/Cr-related increase in UACR was strikingly greater with increasing waist circumference (P = 0.04) Kruskal Wallis test was performed for comparison between groups. *P < 0.05 vs. e24UNa/Cr ≤ 141 mEq/g and BMI < 25 kg/m2 group; †P < 0.05 vs. e24UNa/Cr 141-173 mEq/g and BMI < 25 kg/m2 group. Kruskal Wallis test was performed for comparison between groups e24UNa/Cr ≤ 141 mEq/g and WC < 85 cm in men or < 90 cm in women group; †P < 0.05 vs e24UNa/Cr 141–173 mEq/g and WC < 85 cm in men or < 90 cm in women group The present study examined the relationships among urinary sodium excretion and albuminuria in the general population of Japan We found that both e24UNa/Cr and BMI positively correlated with UACR The e24UNa/Cr-related increase in UACR was strikingly greater with increasing BMI The overall results did not change when BMI was replaced the waist circumference the prevalence rate of UACR ≥ 10 mg/g increased with increasing e24UNa/Cr and presence of overweight status or visceral fat obesity this is the first study to demonstrate that being overweight magnifies the positive association between urinary sodium excretion and (micro)albuminuria in the Japanese general population when BMI was replaced with waist circumference urinary sodium excretion-related increases in albuminuria were strikingly greater with increasing waist circumference 96% of the participants in the current study had normal weight or were overweight Even a slight increase in BMI within the normal weight to overweight range correlated with an increase in albuminuria the urinary sodium excretion-dependent prevalence rate of high albuminuria (UACR ≥ 10 mg/g) was strengthened by overweight or visceral fat obesity These findings indicate that even mild obesity (i.e. overweight) strengthens the damage to the renal microvasculature caused by excess salt intake Considering these reports and new findings from the current study combined increases in BMI and excess salt intake may increase renal microvasculature damage potentially by increasing the glomerular capillary pressure caused by higher renal blood flow The present study provides valuable evidence that combined excess salt intake and mild obesity increases CVD risk suggesting that both BMI and waist circumference should be controlled to prevent damaging the renal microvasculature This study revealed for the first time that visceral fat obesity strengthens the association between urinary sodium excretion and albuminuria visceral fat obesity may magnify the increased CVD risk owing to excessive salt intake This novel finding provides additional evidence of the importance of waist circumference in preventing renal microvascular damage this study may provide clinically important implications since the subjects of this study cohort were the general Japanese population Whether the same results as this study were obtained in obese subjects and whether there are racial differences needs further clarification confounding factors such as protein consumption may influence the associations between sodium excretion Further studies will be necessary to conduct a detailed analysis that excludes these effects Excess salt intake could potentially have a pernicious effect on CVD risk through renal microvascular damage The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request Microalbuminuria and cardiovascular disease Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium Association of estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in general population cohorts: a collaborative meta-analysis Impact of body mass index and the metabolic syndrome on the risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle-aged men Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin Preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes: a call to action from the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association Ethnicity-specific BMI cutoffs for obesity based on type 2 diabetes risk in England: a population-based cohort study and mortality: a community-level prospective epidemiological cohort study Association between obesity and chronic kidney disease defined by both glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria and urinalysis findings in US young adults from the Add Health Wave III study Dietary salt intake is related to inflammation and albuminuria in primary hypertensive patients Sodium intake affects urinary albumin excretion especially in overweight subjects Association of dietary sodium and potassium intakes with albuminuria in normal-weight and obese participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study Rapid growth of the world population and its socioeconomic results Examination Committee of Criteria for 'Obesity Disease' in Japan; Japan Society for the Study of Obesity New criteria for 'obesity disease' in Japan Report of the working group for dietary salt reduction of the Japanese society of hypertension: (2) assessment of salt intake in the management of hypertension Central pulse pressure and aortic stiffness determine renal hemodynamics: pathophysiological implication for microalbuminuria in hypertension Modification of the modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) study equation for Japan Kidney Disease; Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group KDIGO 2012 clinical practice guideline for the evaluation and management of chronic kidney disease Racial and ethnic differences in microalbuminuria prevalence in a diabetes population: the pathways study Association of albuminuria with intraglomerular hydrostatic pressure and insulin resistance in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance Obesity-related plasma hemodilution and PSA concentration among men with prostate cancer Mechanisms of obesity-associated cardiovascular and renal disease Hemodynamic and neuroendocrine responses to changes in sodium intake in compensated heart failure A central body fat distribution is related to renal function impairment Intersalt revisited: further analyses of 24 h sodium excretion and blood pressure within and across populations Download references We would like to thank all the subjects in this study and the staff of Wakuya Health Insurance Hospital for their assistance by Grant-in-Aids for Scientific Research 26461248 and 20K11504 from the Ministry of Education Miyagi University of Education Medical Center Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine KT analyzed the data and drafted the manuscript The authors declare no competing interests Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-023-01327-2 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article To Better Accommodate the Needs of Customers Information listed here is shown as of the date of release sales and programs may be terminated or contents such as specifications and prices may be modified by the time you read this information * Latch cam: A structure for pressing down the switch part of the latch Navy released shocking pictures showing widespread devastation in Japan following last week’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and accompanying tsunami The photos include a house floating in the open ocean 2011 Tōhoku earthquake was the strongest on record in Japan It was the fifth most powerful quake since record-keeping began more than 100 years ago The quake caused tens in billions in damages page 1 | page 2 | page 3 Before-and-after tsunami satellite pictures (03/15/2011) Google released satellite images revealing the devastation caused by the March 11 tsunami in Japan Japan’s earthquake disaster may boost rainforest logging in Borneo (03/13/2011) Malaysian loggers say Japan’s recovery from last week’s devastating earthquake and tsunami will boost demand for rainforest timber Is Japan’s tsunami linked to climate change? (03/11/2011) Could the earthquake that triggered Japan’s devastating tsunami be linked to climate change but recent research suggests that changing climate has the potential to influence earthquakes in some parts of the world The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] 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 Japanese version the pigs at the Shiwahime Swaine farm in Miyagi Prefecture have consumed a diet comprised mostly of corn and rice Farmer Ishikawa Teruyoshi is planning to put 1,000 of his pigs up for sale and he will advertise the fact they were "raised only on domestic feed" It's a selling point that also marks a shift in methods about 80 percent of animal feed is imported Prices are now 50 percent higher than two years ago Japan produces just 38 percent of what its population consumes in calories the lowest rate among the Group of Seven nations Ishikawa says soaring costs and supply concerns prompted him to make a change "Japan's food self-sufficiency rate is too low I think it is important to focus on domestic production The corn for Ishikawa's pigs comes from a neighboring town Farmers there harvested the first crop just last year Town officials had encouraged them to turn to corn because not only had it become more expensive the number of people available for agriculture work is declining due to an aging population Town official Fujisaki Koji explains that "rice is the mainstay crop for the town but it requires a lot of work by the farmers Farmers who switched from rice to corn could use equipment they already had and they received free technical advice from agriculture experts The number of working hours needed to produce corn is about one-ninth of that needed for rice Farmers in Wakuya hope this year's crop will yield more notes that while government subsidies make it worthwhile now He also expects the stalks and other parts of the plants will nourish the soil Oikawa supports the home-grown shift: "I think it would be ideal for Japanese farmers to produce corn for feed for domestic livestock" Tohoku University professor Ishii Keiichi is a global agriculture expert He says growing corn for feed is an effective way to increase Japan's self-sufficiency farmland is limited and often narrow in shape Japan has a very small amount of farmland compared with other G7 countries Ishii says that means it's essential to use the land as effectively as possible He says growing corn for livestock feed could prove vital to protecting national food security "Three things will be important to maintain domestic corn production instead of relying on imported feed again," he says "One is consumer interest in domestically-fed pork farmers need to improve quality and yields." and town officials hope the cows may also be able to subsist on locally grown corn The animals' manure can be used to fertilize the soil used for crops Ministry of Agriculture figures show domestic production of corn used for livestock feed is expanding rapidly more than four times the amount produced seven years ago Officials regard each ear of locally-produced corn as a step toward better national food security.