Tag - nature

 
 

NATURE

Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT
Jul 10, 2018
As Arctic warms, reindeer herders tangle with new industries
When he's not out on the Arctic tundra with his 2,000 reindeer, his dog and Whitney Houston blasting through his headphones, Nils Mathis Sara is often busy explaining to people how a planned copper mine threatens his livelihood.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jun 22, 2018
Baobabs a wake-up call for action on climate change
The decline of the baobab, a tree whose longevity has astounded many, is an indication that more needs to be done to prevent climate change.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 2, 2018
Endangered mountain gorilla population recovers to over 1,000
The population of mountain gorillas, one of the world's most endangered species, which survives on the forest-cloaked volcanoes of central Africa, has increased by a quarter to over 1,000 individuals since 2010, wildlife authorities said.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
May 18, 2018
Study finds one-third of world's protected wildlife areas under threat from development
A third of the world's protected areas for wildlife are suffering road-building, more farms and other man-made threats that are undermining goals to safeguard the diversity of life on Earth, scientists said Thursday.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books / RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS ABOUT JAPAN
May 5, 2018
'Shinrin-Yoku: The Art and Science of Forest Bathing': It's simple, get out into nature when you can
According to Qing Li, forest bathing is a cure-all: Time spent with trees can boost the immune system, increase energy, decrease anxiety, depression and anger, reduce stress and bring about a state of relaxation.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Our Lives / TELLING LIVES
May 2, 2018
Stressed out? Bathing in the woods is just what the doctor ordered
If you go down to the woods today — and you should — leave your smartphone behind. Find a spot by a bamboo grove or take shade under a camphor tree and immerse yourself in the total effect of shinrin-yoku, or "forest bathing."
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 29, 2018
Fossils of 'badass' Argentine meat-eating dinosaur unearthed
On a semiarid Patagonian landscape 85 million years ago, a formidable meat-eater called Tratayenia rosalesi reigned as the apex predator, part of an enigmatic dinosaur group that menaced South America and Australia for tens of millions of years.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 15, 2018
Cold-blooded? Study finds female pythons care for their young
Shedding their cold-blooded image, snakes emerge from a recent study as more caring creatures that protect their nests and remain with their young for a brief period after hatching.
JAPAN
Mar 13, 2018
Estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan's national parks hit record 6 million in 2017
The estimated number of foreign visitors to the nation's national parks increased to a new record of 6 million last year, with a park in Kumamoto Prefecture, which was hit by natural disasters in 2016, having enjoyed a boost, the Environment Ministry has announced.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Mar 8, 2018
China to create massive panda nature reserve: China Daily
China's Sichuan provincial government has secured 10 billion yuan ($1.58 billion) in funding over the next five years for a planned Giant Panda National Park, three times the size of the U.S. Yellowstone National Park, China Daily reported Thursday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 8, 2018
Bat's surprising genetic trait holds secrets to longevity
Bats are the longest-living mammals relative to body size, and a species called the greater mouse-eared bat lives especially long. Researchers now have unlocked some of this bat's longevity secrets, with hints for fighting the effects of aging in people.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Feb 2, 2018
Judge orders U.S. officials to reconsider denial of protections for Yellowstone bison
A judge has ruled that U.S. wildlife managers erred in denying Endangered Species Act protection to bison at Yellowstone National Park and must reconsider extending such safeguards to America's largest pure-bred herd of wild buffalo.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jan 26, 2018
One in 20 of South Africa's rhinos slaughtered in 2017
South Africa's efforts to stem the poaching of endangered rhinos for their horns failed to prevent another 5 percent of the population being slaughtered last year.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 28, 2017
Science stories you might have missed in 2017
Birds barter shrewdly, brainless jellyfish sleep and researchers raise their statistical standards.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 16, 2017
Nurture as important as nature for success
The world would be a better, richer, more equal place with less emphasis on natural talent and more on humans' potential to improve.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 26, 2017
Experts call prickly pear cactus a 'miracle' crop for dry regions
Experts say the prickly pear cactus — which decorates homes around the world — could help alleviate hunger in arid regions due to its multiple uses.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Oct 6, 2017
Emblematic Australian island stick insect not extinct after all
When black rats invaded Lord Howe Island after the 1918 wreck of the steamship Makambo, they wiped out numerous native species on the small Australian isle in the Tasman Sea, including a big, flightless insect that resembled a stick.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Sep 23, 2017
Cephalopods show signs of intelligence
Is it morally acceptable to eat intelligent animals? Everyone can make their own mind up about this. Some people think that there's nothing wrong with eating any kind of animal. For me, I drew a somewhat arbitrary zoological line in the sand and decided that any animal "above" a fish was off-limits....
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO
Sep 20, 2017
With every new construction in Japan, fewer trees
When houses are demolished, there is a very bad habit here of cutting down all the trees on the plot, leaving the ground cleared and empty for new construction.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Sep 15, 2017
Plan to fell symbolic trees near Meiji University ahead of 2020 Games draws local flak
Making the streets in the nation's capital more accessible ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020 — particularly for those with disabilities — will come at a cost.

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