Tomoko Otake

In February, Italian researchers announced what they claimed to be a world-first discovery: microplastic particles were found in the ovarian follicular fluid of women undergoing infertility treatment. The study adds to a growing body of research from around the world […]

The city of Chiba, home to nearly 1 million people, made headlines last August when it announced that it would achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions at all of the roughly 750 facilities it owns by March 2027 — four

This year might best be remembered for the conflict in the Middle East or the return of Donald Trump in the U.S., but in climate circles, in Japan and elsewhere, 2024 will go down as the latest “hottest year on

Excessive levels of PFAS have been detected in water from 44 private suppliers across Japan, including five that supply Self-Defense Forces facilities, according to a government survey on toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water. The 44 are among some 2,000

Japanese authorities, including officials from the Defense Ministry, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and several municipalities in western Tokyo, jointly inspected the Yokota Air Base on Friday following a leak of water containing toxic “forever chemicals” outside the base in August.

Be it low-intensity Pilates workouts, sustainable cooling tools, or all-in-one nutritious onigiri (riceballs), 2024 saw Japan embrace a variety of age-friendly, climate-conscious and socially driven solutions in a year-long push toward better health. At this year’s Wellness Tokyo expo held

Global warming caused Hokkaido to receive up to 20% more snow than average in December 2021, according to a team of Japanese scientists. A study led by Tomonori Sato of Hokkaido University’s Faculty of Environmental Earth Science found that while

Japan will order all water suppliers nationwide to take steps to counter the spread of “forever chemicals” that have been found in drinking water by next spring, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are

There is a lot of confusion among the public about Japan’s plan to integrate public health insurance cards with My Number identification cards and how the changes are being implemented. While the government will stop issuing new health insurance cards

“For tonight’s story, we take a trip to Namibia in Africa, where I traveled a long time ago,” a narrator says gently, ambient organ music playing in the background, as she recalls her visit to Etosha National Park. “The brown,