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July 04, 2025
 

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WHALES

Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Jun 1, 2019
U.S. biologists probe deaths of 70 emaciated gray whales
U.S. government biologists have launched a special investigation into the deaths of at least 70 gray whales washed ashore in recent months along the U.S. West Coast, from California to Alaska, many of them emaciated, officials said on Friday.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Mar 1, 2019
Russia orders firms to free captive orca, Belugas held in Far East 'whale prison'
Russian authorities have ordered the release of nearly 100 whales held captive in cages in Russia's Far East in a case that has drawn the ire of President Vladimir Putin, the public and international film stars, TASS news agency said on Thursday.
JAPAN
Oct 3, 2018
Japan's sei whale meat sales deemed to be in violation of Washington convention
An international conservation committee ruled on Tuesday that Japan's domestic commercial distribution of meat from sei whales caught for scientific purposes violates the so-called Washington convention and advised the country to take corrective steps.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Sep 21, 2018
Proliferation of marine parks in China fueling shadowy trade in cetaceans
Eight beluga whales jump in unison out of a bright blue indoor pool, flipping their tail fins and spewing water as a packed audience cheers and snaps photographs.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Regional voices: Chubu
Sep 8, 2018
200-year-old Mie puppet's neck on the line as whaling ban makes crucial part scarce
Onyudo is a giant kimono-clad, long-necked puppet that has been preserved by residents of the Nakanaya area of Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, for more than 200 years.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 28, 2018
Defying criticism, Taiji pushes forward with bold plans based on continued dolphin hunts
A few years back, the normally sleepy town of Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture was filled with activists furious with its traditional dolphin hunt, which was featured in "The Cove," a 2009 Academy Award-winning documentary.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 17, 2017
Big and brilliant: Study links large size of sperm whale's brain to complex social behavior
Cetaceans — whales and dolphins — are among the brainiest of beings. In terms of sheer brain size, the sperm whale is tops on Earth, with a brain six times larger than that of a person.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Sep 17, 2016
Did Japan fudge the truth about whaling?
If you've been following the tragic farce that is Japan's official stance on whaling, you'll know that the arguments made by the country's Institute for Cetacean Research (ICR) to try and justify the hunting of whales have been soundly rejected. Japan maintains it needs to kill whales as part of a scientific...
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Aug 7, 2016
Exquisite dolphin fossils provide insight into evolution of ultrasonic hearing, echolocation
Fossils unearthed in a South Carolina drainage ditch are providing insight into the development of ultrasonic hearing in prehistoric whales, a trait closely linked to their uncanny ability to hunt and navigate using sound waves and echoes.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 3, 2016
Crab traps pose growing threat to whales along U.S. West Coast
A blue whale found tangled in plastic rope off California has become a symbol for a little-known but growing hazard faced by the ocean's largest creatures along the U.S. Pacific Coast: commercial crab traps dotting the sea floor and drifting astray by the thousands.
WORLD / Science & Health
Dec 10, 2015
Fossil of carnivorous whale named to honor 'Moby-Dick'
Don't call me Ishmael. Call me "Albicetus."
Japan Times
LIFE / Lifestyle
Sep 19, 2015
Taiji drops anchor on dolphin hunts despite increasing pressure
On the harbor road heading east toward Tomyozaki Point, there is a moss-encrusted monument dedicated to an ill-fated whaling expedition in 1878. Facing fierce westerly winds, the fishermen released their catch, a right whale and her calf, and tied their boats together with nets to bolster defenses, but...
WORLD / Science & Health
May 12, 2015
Blue whales, unused to dodging, at risk from ship strikes
Blue whales are vulnerable to cargo ship strikes because they are so used to being the largest animal in the ocean that they often fail to avoid the vessels, a Stanford University biologist has found.
JAPAN
Apr 25, 2015
Taiji dolphin culls dealt setback
The world's leading zoo organization announces it has lost patience with Japan's continued use of dolphins from the fisheries drives at Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, and suspends its Japanese member from its roster.
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Jan 17, 2015
Longevity, genetics and the whale
The oldest person in the world — and the oldest ever Japanese person — is Misao Okawa. She lives in Osaka and is 116. She'll be 117 in March.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Jan 10, 2015
Modern technology aids whale research
In my last column of 2014, "Twelve ways to spend 2015 with nature," I mentioned the possibility of taking a whale-watching trip to the Ogasawara Islands. Ignore the international media hype about the country's pelagic whaling industry — it's a dying custom; instead, focus on the fact that Japan has...
WORLD
Aug 8, 2014
California cargo ships to slow for whales under new program
The massive container ships passing through the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of Southern California will be paid a bonus of $2,500 per trip to slow down, in an effort to cut off-shore air pollution and reduce collisions with whales.
WORLD / Science & Health
Oct 8, 2013
Report links sonar to whale stranding
The mysterious stranding of about 100 melon-headed whales in a shallow Madagascar lagoon in 2008 set off a rapid international response — a few of the 3-4-meter-long marine mammals were rescued, necropsies conducted, a review panel formed.
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Sep 14, 2013
On the trail of the legendary Koryak reindeer herders
The dark herd rushed at the slope like a massive wave crashing ashore. Hitting the base of the steep escarpment they were momentarily lost from my viewpoint; they surged upslope, reemerging into view on the upper terrace as a thundering horde, the vibration of their cloven hoof beats discernible through...
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health / NATURAL SELECTIONS
Aug 10, 2013
In science terms, Japan has no need at all to kill whales
Final arguments from the defence and prosecution were heard in mid-July, and the world court is now considering its judgment. At issue is Japan's right to conduct its seasonal "scientific" whaling program in Antarctic waters. But the case has involved arguments about how to define science itself.
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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