Tag - insects

 
 

INSECTS

Workers prepare processed crickets at Hygente Technology in Shinjo, Yamagata Prefecture, in November.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Apr 8, 2024
Next-gen protein sources explored as meat replacements in Tohoku
While proponents tout the benefits of edible insects and plant-based meat, getting consumers to change their eating habits remains an uphill task.
Blowflies collected by a research team led by Ryosuke Fujita, an associate professor at Kyushu University's Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, in Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, in December 2022
JAPAN
Jan 8, 2024
Blowflies may be bird flu virus carriers, Japan researchers find
With new outbreaks reported late last year, the research team is urging chicken farms to use insect-proof nets to contain the spread of the virus.
The sudden resurgence of bedbugs in Japan follows reports of similar outbreaks in countries like South Korea and France.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 30, 2023
Bedbug consultations surge in Tokyo and Osaka
Consultations over bedbugs in Tokyo and Osaka have surged this year to hit their highest numbers on record, according to pest control associations in the two prefectures, with experts warning that infestations are spreading nationwide.
A live projection from a microscope displays a magnified image of a bedbug during a lecture on bedbug control at the Korea Pest Control Association in Seoul on Nov. 28.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Dec 19, 2023
South Korean blockchain engineer fights bedbugs with data
Self-professed insectophobe maps out reported infestations on a website that also displays real-time news reports to keep track of the outbreak.
The fossil of a new species of dung beetle found during a geoscience class at Keio Senior High School
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 12, 2023
Fossil found in Japan school class confirmed as new beetle species
The almost perfectly preserved fossil was found in a rock during a geoscience class in last year at Keio Senior High School in Yokohama.
Fibercraze President Shunya Chosokabe is interviewed in the city of Gifu in September.
BUSINESS / Tech
Dec 10, 2023
Japanese startup develops bug-repellent clothing
The company, Fibercraze, teamed up with firms across the country to develop textiles with microscopic holes that can be injected with chemicals.
A bed bug in Paris in September
JAPAN / Society
Nov 27, 2023
Bedbugs are spreading in South Korea and China. Is Japan next?
Experts caution that it may only be a matter of time, given the number of travelers now arriving in the country.
A worker uses a vacuum cleaner inside a bullet train at Suseo Station in Seoul on Nov. 13. South Korea is launching a four-week campaign against bedbugs after multiple reports of infestations sparked widespread public anxiety.
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Nov 19, 2023
Bedbug anxiety comes for Asia, and the pest killers are here for it
Outbreaks in France and South Korea have people across Asia on high alert for bedbugs. Exterminators in the region say business is booming.
A Japanese research team has identified three genetically distinct populations of the Japanese honeybee.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 16, 2023
Three genetically distinct groups found for Japanese honeybee
Temperature rises caused by global warming could lead to a decline in the species.
A fragment of a German cockroach found in Nara Prefecture
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 13, 2023
One of the world’s most common cockroaches may have origins in Japan
The discovery marks what could be the first evidence of the presence of the species during Japan’s Kofun Period.
Products used to eradicate bedbugs at a pest control shop in Paris. The French government said on Sept. 29 that it was launching a concerted effort to fight the pests. The blood-sucking insects have been spotted in the Paris metro, high-speed trains and at Paris's Charles-de-Gaulle Airport, with disgusted travelers posting videos on social media.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 4, 2023
France to hold crisis meetings on bedbug 'scourge'
The blood-sucking insects have been spotted in the Paris metro, high-speed trains and at Paris's Charles De Gaulle Airport.
The city of Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles.
JAPAN
Sep 28, 2023
'Insect tourism' launched in rural Fukushima city
Tamura, located in the center of the Abukuma plateau, is known as a haven for insects such as rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles.
Former Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel (left) helps Lewis Hamilton prepare the Mercedes team's "bee hotel" at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture on Thursday.
MORE SPORTS / Auto Racing
Sep 22, 2023
Sebastian Vettel creates a buzz in Japan amid biodiversity crisis
The retired former champion invited current F1 drivers to make a small contribution to nature by building "bee hotels" next to the Suzuka Circuit track.
A deadly parasite that’s ravaged bee populations globally has made deeper inroads into Australia.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Sep 11, 2023
Bee-killing mite's rapid spread could cost Australia billions
A mite known for feeding on bees has spread further inland toward Victoria, the nation’s biggest producer of nuts and fruit.
Surging populations of plant-eating insects are disrupting farms and the food supply chain, causing problems far more serious than sticky windshields from bug excrement.
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 20, 2023
The insect apocalypse is coming to your neighborhood
Polar bears and sea turtles get most of the attention as victims of climate change, but when the bugs invade we're all going to feel it personally.
Warabeya Nichiyo Holdings has apologized after a video went viral that showed one of its rice ball products appearing to contain a cockroach at a Seven Eleven convenience store.
BUSINESS
Aug 7, 2023
Cockroach contamination sends rice-ball supplier’s stock reeling
The company said it is recalling all relevant goods from the factory in Omiya where the food was produced.
As synonymous with summer as fireworks and sweltering temperatures, mosquitoes are ubiquitous in Japan. However, will rising temperatures lead more dangerous species of the bug to call Japan home?
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / Longform
Aug 7, 2023
The mosquito: Summer’s unwelcome little bloodsucker
An outbreak of dengue in Yoyogi Park nine years ago could be a sign of things to come if the wrong mosquito makes it into Japan.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jun 23, 2023
Chemical-maker Kao unveils new way to combat mosquitoes
Researchers found that spraying a solution that allows mosquitoes' wings to become wet can prevent them from flying and knock them out of the air.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Mar 5, 2023
Silkworm sashimi, soy sauce locusts: Japan's edible insect metamorphosis
Companies are investing, chefs are creating and restaurants are opening, but will diners bite on insect cuisine?
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Feb 20, 2023
As food crisis looms, some wonder, 'What's it like to eat insects?'
A vending machine that offers edible insects was recently set up in Sendai, and the bugs are selling well, but it is also true that many people hate even the sight of insects.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores