For Hisako Ueno's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Public awareness of the issue is growing in the country, spurred in part by the work of Uyghur activists, and that is increasing pressure on the government to take action.
A new website is pledging to help house hunters avoid neighborhoods inhabited by "stupid parents who let their children play on roads and parking lots.”
A mechanical wolf with fake fur, bared fangs and flashing red eyes is keeping residents and crops safe in the face of increasing encounters with bears.
The firms' business models have been criticized for putting profit ahead of the needs of franchise owners.
