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July 04, 2025
 

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WHALES

Killer whales have been caught on video breaking off pieces of seaweed and using them to rub and groom each other, scientists announced on Monday, saying it is the first evidence of cetacean tool manufacturing.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 25, 2025
Killer whales use seaweed as tools to groom each other
The researchers hypothesize that the behavior promotes skin health while strengthening social bonds.
Whales sense their surroundings largely through sound and create complex vocalizations, or songs, when they’re searching for mates and food.
ENVIRONMENT / Climate change
Mar 22, 2025
Why we should worry when whales stop singing
A new study has found that whale songs can act as a barometer for the effects of climate change on ocean ecosystems.
Ramen with simmered tuna cheek meat and soup made from bluefin tuna bones in Tokyo's Koto Ward
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 4, 2025
Novel seafood noodles become flavor of the moment in Tokyo
Noodles served with tuna, yellowtail, whale meat or other ingredients are gaining in popularity.
Greenpeace activists protest next to a fake whale's tail in front of the Japanese Embassy in Berlin in 2010. The real motivation behind Japan's whaling may lie in asserting its maritime sovereignty, as the country defends its exclusive economic zone amid territorial disputes.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Dec 19, 2024
For Japan, whaling is intertwined with maritime sovereignty
While Japan has an undeniable culture surrounding seafood, the current generation of people do not show much interest in whale meat.
Environmental activist Paul Watson waves after getting released from prison in Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 18, 2024
Japan 'regrets' release of anti-whaling activist Paul Watson
The 74-year-old Canadian-American activist was released after Copenhagen turned down Tokyo's request to bring him to Japan.
A scene from "Whale Restaurant," a documentary film about whale food culture in Japan
JAPAN / Society
Sep 30, 2024
Documentary on whale food culture in Japan showing in U.S.
Director Keiko Yagi said she found it difficult to find theaters that would agree to show the film.
A guest uses chopsticks to grab and taste raw meat from a fin whale at the exhibition and business meeting of domestically produced fin whales hosted by Japan's whaling company Kyodo Senpaku at Tokyo's Toyosu market on Friday.
JAPAN / Society
Sep 14, 2024
Hearts, tails and blubber at Japan fin whale tasting
"Once young people eat it and they realize it's good, they will eat it more and more," said Hideki Tokoro, the head of Japan's main whaling firm.
The Kangei Maru, a 9,300-ton whaling mothership, was launched in May.
JAPAN
Sep 11, 2024
Japan shows first commercial fin whale catch in 48 years
The country this year added the fin whale to a catch list that already includes minke, Bryde's and sei whales.
Japan's new whaling mother ship, the Kangei Maru, arrives at Ariake pier in Tokyo on Thursday.
JAPAN
May 23, 2024
WiFi, drones and sharp blades on Japan's whaling mother ship
The country has a quota this year of around 350 Bryde's, minke and sei whales.
Japan's new whaling mothership, the Kangei Maru, is seen during the ship's launch ceremony at a port in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, on Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 22, 2024
Japan's new 9,300-ton whaling vessel sets sail on first hunt
The departure of the Kangei Maru heralds a new era for an industry defended by the government as an integral part of Japanese culture.
Japan will add large fin whales to its list of commercial whaling species.
JAPAN
May 9, 2024
Japan to start hunting fin whales after five years of commercial whaling
The country resumed commercial whaling in 2019, after withdrawing from an international body that regulates the commercial hunt of the marine mammals.
JAPAN
Feb 20, 2024
Whale found dead in Osaka Bay to be buried on prefectural land
After being buried for up to two years, the skeletal remains will be offered as a specimen to the Osaka Museum of Natural History.
JAPAN / Society
Feb 7, 2024
Orcas appear to escape after being trapped in drift ice off Hokkaido coast
Local officials are hopeful that the animals escaped to safety as the density of drift ice decreased Wednesday.
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.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 12, 2023
Portugal bans tourist boats from approaching orcas after incidents
Authorities say boats should move away from the animals to avoid contact, and that if they are already close, vessels need to stop, leaving the engine running, until they leave.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 3, 2023
For toothed whales, sound production is all in the nose
Echolocating toothed whales make the loudest sounds in the animal kingdom by forcing highly pressurized air past structures called phonic lips in their nose.
Japan Times
WORLD
Feb 15, 2023
Deep-sea mining noise pollution threatens whales, study finds
Scientists warned that commercial-scale extraction of valuable minerals from the ocean floor would damage habitats and interfere with the way cetaceans communicate.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jan 2, 2023
U.S. ignored own scientists' warning in backing Atlantic wind farm
Marine scientists have warned that projects along the New England coast could imperil endangered North Atlantic right whales.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Mar 22, 2021
Whale sightings aid quest to protect wildlife in Indian Ocean oasis
Scientists are on a quest to document whales and other marine mammals living around the Mascarene Plateau, hoping to bolster arguments for protecting the remote underwater ridge.
JAPAN / EXPLAINER
Jun 30, 2019
Japan's return to commercial whaling brings criticism from conservationists and praise from industry players
Following its withdrawal from the International Whaling Commission, Japan will resume commercial whaling within the country's exclusive economic zone.
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.
Onosato's yokozuna promotion causes rare quirk in new sumo rankings
Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato holds a copy of the latest banzuke ranking in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, on Monday.
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. 
Over 900 earthquakes strike Tokara islands in space of two weeks
A screenshot shows many quakes occurring in the Tokara islands over the past 30 days, in this image taken from the U.S. Geological Survey website.
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."
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.

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