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July 05, 2025
 

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ENVIRONMENT

Hiruzen Kougei employee Moeko Hirao, craft brewer “Sugichan” and furry friend Tsubu help out with the tomato harvest at 6:37 a.m.
LIFE / Travel / Longform
Oct 16, 2023
The farmer's intern: A month in the Japanese countryside
Escaping the chaos of Tokyo for a month, our writer heads to rural Okayama Prefecture and discovers the delights of natural farming.
A man pours water atop his head outside the Emergency Aid Coalition during a heat wave in Houston in August.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 14, 2023
2023 virtually certain to be warmest year on record, U.S. says
"There is a greater than 99% probability that 2023 will rank as the warmest year on record," the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said.
Anand Malligavad, a mechanical engineer known as “Lake Man,” stands in the clean waters of Kyalasanahalli Lake in Bengaluru, India. Malligavad, who turned to centuries-old knowledge to reclaim dozens of lakes, is now in demand across India.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Oct 13, 2023
India’s ‘lake man’ relies on ancient methods to ease water crisis
In the seven years, 35 lakes in Bengaluru with a combined water-holding capacity of about 106 million gallons have been restored.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 11, 2023
Japan to revitalize forestry industry to counter hay fever
“We will aim to resolve hay fever, which is a social issue, and revitalize local communities through the promotion of forestry,” Kishida said.
BUSINESS
Oct 11, 2023
Carbon pricing platform kicks off at Tokyo Stock Exchange
More than 180 organizations, including oil firms and regional banks, have decided to participate in the platform.
The Environment Ministry previously planned to carry out the probe on the so-called forever chemicals, which have been detected in well water in many parts of Japan, in fiscal 2024.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Oct 10, 2023
Probe into PFAS contamination to take place earlier than planned
The Environment Ministry previously planned to carry out the investigation on the so-called forever chemicals in fiscal 2024.
Visitors walk along the Marina Barrage water catchment area in Singapore in 2009.
BUSINESS / Markets
Oct 10, 2023
Singapore fighting rising seas to save $50 billion in real estate
During a half-century of independence, Singapore has fought to expand its territory, inch by hard-won inch. On the tip of the Malaysian peninsula, the island city-state piled up sand to expand its coastline and reclaim land from the sea.
Dendrobium orchids — highly sought after due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine — growing in the wild in Nepal.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability / OUR PLANET
Oct 8, 2023
The orchid obsession: How science and smuggling meet in a global trade
Love of the flowers has a dark side, with the desire for rare varieties underpinning a robust illegal trade believed to have wiped out entire species.
Peak of fossil fuel consumption may be approaching, but the post-peak period may not lead to a rapid decline, which could impact global efforts to combat climate change.
COMMENTARY
Oct 8, 2023
With fossil fuels, ‘peak demand’ isn’t what it sounds like
Peak fossil-fuel consumption will be a cause for celebration. But we should remain skeptical it’s as near as the IEA has said, especially for gas.
A man carrying shovels walks along an area affected by a flood near the bank of the Teesta River in Singtam, Sikkim, India, on Thursday.
ASIA PACIFIC
Oct 7, 2023
A calamitous flood shows the dangers lurking in melting glaciers
At least 26 people were killed in the tiny state of Sikkim. But as much as the disaster was a shock, it was hardly a surprise.
Pump jacks in an oil field in Midland, Texas. Big Oil is responsible for the bulk of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions and pressure for action is building.
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2023
Exxon Mobil's megadeal to test climate-aware shareholders
Negotiations between Exxon and Pioneer are advanced but have not yet led to an agreement over the acquisition.
A Jera thermal power plant
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 6, 2023
Japan climate group calls for ban on top power firm's emission claims
The group says the ads may mislead consumers as Jera fails to mention that the ammonia the utility plans to use would emit CO2 during production.
A lithium mine near Itinga, Minas Gerais state, Brazil
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2023
We’re not even close to running out of green minerals
Rising reserves challenge fears of mineral shortages in green transition.
A mother carries her child inside her burnt house, following a wildfire in Bejaia, Algeria, on July 25
WORLD / Society
Oct 6, 2023
Tens of millions of children uprooted by climate disasters
Weather disasters fueled by climate change sparked 43.1 million child displacements from 2016 to 2021, the U.N. Children's Fund has warned.
JAPAN
Oct 5, 2023
Japan begins releasing second batch of treated Fukushima water
The release, part of a decommissioning process expected to take decades, has stirred tensions with some neighboring nations.
Soy farming has seldom been synonymous with sustainability, but more farmers in Brazil are working to regenerate depleted land instead of expanding the agricultural frontier.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 5, 2023
Can Brazil's farmers grow more soy without deforestation?
Deforestation is fueling climate change impacts including harsher heat, drought and floods.
Tourists leave Ittoqqortoormiit, Denmark, after visiting the village on Aug. 20.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
Oct 4, 2023
Inuit hunters blame cruise ships as narwhal disappear
While some view Arctic tourism as a means to reinvigorate the community, others worry it could destroy the last surviving Inuit hunting societies.
Hong Kong and China Gas, part of billionaire Lee Shau Kee’s business empire, is accelerating an expansion of biofuel firm EcoCeres in foreign markets.
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 3, 2023
Hong Kong tycoon’s energy empire ramps up green jet fuel push
EcoCeres, one of Asia’s largest producers of green jet fuel, is exploring the possibility of expanding into new markets like the U.S. and the Middle East.
A TotalEnergies tanker truck with sustainable aviation fuel at the 54th International Paris Airshow near Paris on June 19
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Oct 3, 2023
Too expensive, too scarce: Doubts grow over green aviation fuel
Generating the required quantities of alternative fuel would require huge areas of land and natural resources.
American disability rights activist Helen Keller paid a visit to Japan 75 years ago this month.
JAPAN / History / Japan Times Gone By
Oct 2, 2023
Japan Times 1948: Helen Keller recounts impression of Japan tour
Kanto residents continued to come to terms with the violence following the previous month's earthquake, and Helen Keller pays a visit to Japan.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Mount Fuji is considered one of Japan's most iconic symbols and is a major draw for tourists. It's still a mountain, though, and potential hikers need to properly prepare for any climb.
What it takes to save lives on Mount Fuji
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Muji has been sustainable from the beginning
Muji has been sustainable from the beginning

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