News On Japan

Japan trials fire ant detection dogs

TOKYO - Japan's Ministry of the Environment is conducting experiments using detection dogs in response to the increasing infiltration of fire ants at ports and surrounding facilities.

Fire ants within Japan have spread to 107 cases across 18 prefectures, requiring urgent countermeasures.

Detection dogs for fire ants have been used in overseas locations like Taiwan. The plan is to conduct a demonstration experiment at harbors and facilities in Tokyo after October to verify their effectiveness accurately. Based on this verification, they will consider full-scale implementation.

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Typhoon No. 6 entered the strong-wind zone surrounding Okinawa's main island as of the latest 10 p.m. update on May 31st, while moving north-northwest southeast of Miyakojima, prompting warnings of dangerous winds, torrential rain, and potentially severe weather across Okinawa, the Amami Islands, and eventually large parts of Japan.

A series of false bear sighting reports posted to an online alert system operated by Aomori Prefecture has disrupted schools, prompted a police investigation, and raised concerns about the growing impact of misinformation on public safety.

A social media dispute between a 17-year-old high school student from Tokyo's Itabashi Ward and a 16-year-old boy from Edogawa Ward escalated into a planned group fight involving around 30 youths, some of whom allegedly brought weapons including a rusty saw, iron pipes, a special baton and even a shovel.

Japan's population stood at 123.05 million in 2025, according to preliminary results from the national census released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, marking a decline of 3.097 million people over the past five years.

Volleyball player Shunichiro Sato, a member of Japan’s men’s national team, was arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of possessing marijuana after allegedly leaving a bag containing the drug at a pachinko parlor in Tokyo.

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