National Aug 28, 2020
Blue Japanese butterfly endemic to Ogasawara Islands feared extinct
No individuals from the species Celastrina ogasawaraensis have been confirmed since 2018.
Food & Drink Feb 29, 2020
Tokyo Cacao: Japan’s first 'soil-to-bar' chocolate
by Jeana Cadby
Tokyo Cacao is pushing the boundaries of cacao production with the first ever chocolate bar of entirely Japanese origin. The chocolate lineup is produced from trees grown in the Ogasawara Islands, which fall under Tokyo's jurisdiction despite being nearly 1,000 kilometers away from the ...
National Dec 17, 2019
'You can't go home': Monthlong escape to Ogasawara Islands a hit with teleworkers
Liner service Ogasawara Kaiun Co. is looking for participants for a 28-day, 27-night tour to the Ogasawara Islands, an archipelago of over 30 subtropical islands some 1,000 kilometers south of central Tokyo, highlighting a special chance to escape into nature. The company operates the Ogasawara ...
National Aug 20, 2018
Chichijima family keeps Japan's earliest coffee cultivation tradition alive
On Chichijima, one of the Ogasawara Islands and known as the first place in Japan to grow coffee, a father and daughter have maintained a practice of coffee cultivation that ceased during World War II when all the islanders were forced to evacuate. Motomi Nose, ...
National Jul 19, 2018
The Japan Coast Guard is planning to deploy patrol ships to the Ogasawara Islands, about 1,000 km south of Tokyo, with the aim of strengthening its capabilities of cracking down on illegal foreign fishing boats, a government official said Wednesday. Under the plan, an as-yet ...
National / History Jul 12, 2018
Ogasawara Islands: Remote witnesses on the front lines of Japanese history
by Reiji Yoshida
The Ogasawara Islands, also known as the Bonin Islands, have faced a number of unique — if not bizarre — developments over the course of history. Clustered in three groups, the volcanic, tropical chain of more than 30 islets about 1,000 km south of Tokyo ...
Travel Jun 29, 2018
Ogasawara Islands: A distant archipelago, barely connected
by Louise George Kittaka
Resplendent with pristine beaches, clear blue waters and outdoor activities aplenty, the Ogasawara Islands are a relaxing "Japan away from Japan."
National / Crime & Legal Apr 7, 2015
Chinese fishing captain gets suspended sentence for poaching coral
The Yokohama District Court on Tuesday sentenced a Chinese fishing boat captain to 18 months in prison, suspended for four years, for poaching coral in Japanese territorial waters. The 43-year-old skipper, Lin Benzhang, was also fined ¥4 million for illegally collecting precious red coral last ...
Environment Jan 27, 2015
Cat-catchers prowl Ogasawara Islands to help rare birds
by Yusuke An
Conservation groups are stepping up efforts to capture all of the feral cats living in the Ogasawara Islands in an effort to protect indigenous rare birds. The island chain, also known as the Bonin Islands, lies about 1,000 km south of Tokyo. More than 400 feral ...
Environment | WILD WATCH Dec 13, 2014
Twelve ways to spend 2015 with nature
by Mark Brazil
As 2014 winds down and the promise of another year lies ahead, it's time to come up with a few New Year's resolutions. Instead of planning for the future or trying some new-fad diets or exercise regimes, how about a resolution to spend a ...
Editorials Nov 24, 2014
Tokyo needs to work closely with Beijing to end Chinese fishermen's poaching of red coral in Japan's exclusive economic zone.
Environment | WILD WATCH Jul 12, 2014
An audience with an island menace
by Mark Brazil
By 8 o'clock on a warm early summer morning on Chichijima, one of Tokyo's Ogasawara Islands, bright sunshine was already threatening to overwhelm my light-sensitive eyes and the heat was cranking up in preparation for what I refer to as reptilian warmth. The panoramic view ...