News On Japan

Antarctic Researcher Shares Experience

NARA, Jul 16 (News On Japan) - A teacher who spent four months conducting research at Japan's Showa Station in Antarctica shared her experience with students during a special lesson held at Seisho Prefectural Elementary, Junior High, and High School.

The lesson was led by a teacher who participated in the National Institute of Polar Research’s teacher dispatch program and carried out scientific observations and research in Antarctica. She currently teaches science and biology at the affiliated elementary, junior high, and high school.

Fulfilling a lifelong dream to visit Antarctica, she spoke to the children about the continent’s unique environment. She described how fish living in Antarctic waters can survive even after being frozen, highlighting their remarkable adaptation to extreme conditions.

Students also had the opportunity to observe and sketch specimens of plankton, which serve as a food source for Antarctic fish.

"I enjoyed looking at the plankton," one student commented. "It was great to learn more about them."

"I’m glad the students became interested in Antarctica," said the teacher. "I hope some of them will be involved in future Antarctic research."

Source: 奈良テレビNEWS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Thick black smoke billowed across an expressway in Fukuoka on May 11th after a fire broke out beneath an elevated section of the road, temporarily blocking visibility for drivers and forcing a partial road closure.

Part of the exterior wall of a commercial building collapsed in Osaka on May 10th, causing a nearby highway signpost to topple onto a taxi in what authorities suspect may have been linked to the building’s aging condition.

A brown bear was caught on camera running at high speed through a residential area in Hokkaido, as sightings of unusually large bears continue to spread across the region this spring.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on May 7th that Tokyo has been selected as a host city for the Olympic Qualifying Series, where athletes will compete for places at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The "Okihiki" ceremony, in which citizens transport timber to the Outer Shrine of Ise Grand Shrine ahead of its next Shikinen Sengu reconstruction seven years from now, began in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, on May 9th.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Education NEWS

Changes are emerging within PTAs that support children's school lives as growing numbers of dual-income households make it increasingly difficult for parents to participate in traditional school activities.

As the number of foreign residents living in Japan continues to rise, so too does the number of foreign children attending Japanese schools, prompting educators to strengthen support not only for language learning but also for cultural adaptation.

The remains of Ainu people held at the Natural History Museum in London were returned to Japan, marking the fourth case of repatriation of remains taken overseas.

The rapid spread of artificial intelligence into classrooms is transforming how students learn and how teachers work, with pilot programs across Japan highlighting that the key lies not in relying entirely on AI but in using it effectively.

The number of children in Japan continued its long-term decline, with those aged 15 and under falling by 350,000 from a year earlier to a record low of 13.29 million as of May 4th, just ahead of Children’s Day, according to data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

A children’s book sales event held in a park in Tokyo’s Ueno area on May 4th drew 18,300 visitors including families, highlighting the resilience of the children’s book segment even as overall print publishing continues to decline.

A former professor at Hokkaido Education University who had been detained in China on suspicion of espionage while temporarily visiting the country seven years ago and later sentenced to six years in prison has been released, though concerns remain over his situation.

A preview video for the program "Hokkaido Fact: Who Fights Discrimination—Ainu and the Majority" is set to air from 3:24 p.m. to 4:24 p.m. on May 10th, examining the evolving nature of discrimination surrounding Japan’s indigenous Ainu people and the growing debate over how society should respond.