The Epic Mystery of the Japanese Wolf--Are There Wolves in Japan?

Feb 27 (Bob Gymlan) - The wolf inspired fear, but it was also considered heroic. I like the woods because magic and mysticism runs seamlessly with science and nature. Survival and struggle are the laws of the lawless night.

The Japanese Wolf, or Honshu Wolf, is not your ordinary wolf. It was (or is) the last surviving member of the Pleistocene wolves, a lineage that was believed to have gone extinct with the dire wolf, some eight thousand years ago. It is maintained that the Honshu Wolf went extinct in 1905, but some disagree. Eyewitnesses and compelling photographs make a strong case for the Honshu Wolf.

And though the Honshu Wolf is indeed a real life cryptid, it is much more than that.

The saga of the Honshu wolf is symbolic of the struggle for balance between the needs of mankind, and the nature's citizens. The struggle between the old way and the new way, the old versus the new. Order V chaos, and the silent sorrow that can accompany an access of order.

Perhaps the wilderness should remain wild. ...continue reading

Baby Boom at North Safari Sapporo Despite Eviction Plans

Spring has brought a wave of newborn animals to North Safari Sapporo, a privately run zoo in Minami Ward, Sapporo City, even as the facility remains under pressure to remove illegal structures and relocate its animals.

Spectators Soak Up Rainy Sanja Festival

The Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo, a signature early-summer tradition of the downtown area, reached its peak on Saturday as groups of local carried mikoshi through the streets in the main 'Rengo Togyo' procession despite the rain.

Southern Kyushu Enters Rainy Season Earlier Than Okinawa for First Time in 49 Years

Southern Kyushu has entered the rainy season, marking the first time in 49 years that it has done so earlier than Okinawa. It is also the earliest rainy season start for any region in Japan since the Meteorological Agency began keeping records. Authorities are warning of heavy rainfall not only in Kyushu but across other parts of the country as well.

Saitama Road Collapse Recovery to Take 5-7 Years

A road collapse in Yashio City, Saitama Prefecture is expected to take five to seven years to fully restore, local officials said on Friday, following the recovery of a truck cab that had remained lodged in the sewer system since the January accident.

Eighty Years On, Okinawa Remembers the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill

Eighty years have passed since the end of World War II, yet the memories of its fiercest battles continue to echo in the heart of Okinawa. The district of Omoromachi in central Naha, now a lively urban hub filled with people, was once the site of one of the bloodiest clashes of the Battle of Okinawa—the Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Japanese Team Finds Black Holes Shoot Gas Like Bullets, Not Wind

A research paper co-authored by a lecturer at Fukuoka University of Education has been published in the British scientific journal Nature, detailing a groundbreaking discovery about supermassive black holes.

Japan Marks 150 Years of Meters

Japan’s prototypes of the kilogram and meter, which once served as national standards for weight and length, were presented to the press this week ahead of the 150th anniversary of the Meter Convention, the international treaty that standardized global measurement systems, to be marked on May 20th.

Major Ocean Shift 'Kuroshio' Brings Changes to Weather

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced has that the Kuroshio Large Meander, a phenomenon that has lasted for 7 years and 9 months, is expected to come to an end. The agency is urging people to stay updated, noting that changes in the Kuroshio Current may affect both fish species and fishing grounds.