• In highly urbanized Japan, city farmers are key to achieving organic goal
• Rewilding Japan with clearings and crowdfunding campaigns
• Japanese butterfly conservation takes flight when integrated with human communities

• Japan: Applying a Maharishi University of Management education in the political sphere
• Japan: National Transcendental Meditation facility features Maharishi Vastu design
• Japan: Maharishi Vastu homes designed to connect individual and cosmic life

• Events at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster
• Japan swelters in its worst heatwave ever recorded
• Kyoto's earliest cherry blooms in 1,200 years point to climate change, says scientist

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Positive Trends
Short Summaries of Top Stories

In highly urbanized Japan, city farmers are key to achieving organic goal
12 April 2024 - The Japanese government aims to convert at least 25% of all its farmland to organic by 2050, a significant jump from just 0.5% in 2020. The pockets of agriculture in Tokyo are key examples of how Japan could achieve its goal. In recent years, Tokyo farmers, community members and administrators have been working to make such farmland a valuable part of the urban environment through promoting agroecology, such as low-carbon, circular food economies and biodiversity. (more)

Rewilding Japan with clearings and crowdfunding campaigns
9 April 2024 - Rewilding is an increasingly mainstream environmental movement to allow nature to heal itself, sometimes with the aid of humans, to sustainably restore biodiversity, so wildlife can, once again, prosper in regenerated and protected wild ecosystems. Conservationists are making headway in Japan, but progress depends on reconnecting youth with nature. (more)

Japanese butterfly conservation takes flight when integrated with human communities
7 January 2024 - Since the last ice age, a butterfly species called the Reverdin's blue has survived in the nation's grasslands maintained by human agricultural activities. But as the country's population ages and leaves the countryside, letting the seminatural grasslands change to forests, the butterfly is now endangered. For the past five years, a small agrarian town called Iijima in Nagano prefecture has partnered with researchers from the University of Tokyo to bring the butterfly back from the brink. (more)

Less lost in translation: Foreigners get high-tech help in Tokyo's baffling Shinjuku Rail hub
15 August 2023 - As Japan enjoys a post-pandemic resurgence in tourism from around the globe, Seibu Railway is testing out an automated translation window to help confused foreigners navigate one of Tokyo's most complex transportation hubs. The device, developed by printing company Toppan and called VoiceBiz, lets customers speak to a station attendant over microphones while the semi-transparent screen between them spells out their words in Japanese and one of 11 other languages. (more)

Simultaneous face-to-face language translation will be offered at Tokyo train station this fall
15 August 2023 - Japan is known for its state-of-the-art technology, and its latest creation is a significant step toward breaking language barriers. A new device named Voice Biz UCDisplay offers live face-to-face translation between Japanese and 11 other languages. ...With this handy creation, not only will it be easier for tourists to get around and for travel staff to assist them, but it could also be a major breakthrough in international communication. (more)

Alignment of galaxies millions of light years away supports general relativity
19 April 2023 - Scientists from research institutions including Kyoto University have confirmed that the intrinsic alignments of galaxies have characteristics that allow it to be a powerful probe of dark matter and dark energy on a cosmological scale. ...The work is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. (more)

Tokyo makes solar panels mandatory for new homes built after 2025
15 December 2022 - All new houses in Tokyo built by large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions, according to a new regulation passed by the Japanese capital's local assembly on Thursday [15 December]. (more)

Japan's female bosses mapping a course for other women
5 September 2022 - Believed to have started in 869AD, the Gion Matsuri is one of the most famous annual festivals in Japan. This year it embraced the digital world. For the 2022 event back in July, an interactive, online map was made available to show where and when to see the 34 huge, ornate floats that paraded across the city of Kyoto over two separate days. Using GPS, it showed the location of each float. And you could also use the map to find your friends and chat with them. In addition, if you clicked on a building or street, you could read about its history in Japanese or English. The person behind the technology is Machi Takahashi, the president and co-chief executive of Kyoto-based, digital map firm Stroly. (more)

See how wisteria trees make spring the most magical time to be in Japan
22 April 2022 - The time between the middle of April and the middle of May is a magical time to be in Japan. It's when the wisteria trees are in full bloom, and their beautiful vine flowers -- some more than 30 feet long -- transform otherwise ordinary places into fairytale locales. It's impossible to mention wisteria trees without celebrating the country's most famous -- and breathtaking -- of the bunch. Located in the Tochigi prefecture's Ashikaga Flower Park, there is a massive wisteria tree that is over 150 years old. (more)

Japanese farm rents out their goats to help eat up weeds and bushes at hard-to-reach places
26 October 2021 - A farm in Japan is renting out their goats to help clean up weeds and bushes at places that conventional mowers cannot reach. The services have become so popular that there is now a waiting list, Sora News 24 reported. (more)

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Success of Maharishi's Programmes
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Japan: Applying a Maharishi University of Management education in the political sphere
19 December 2018 - Kenichi Suzuki serves as the assistant general manager of the Communication Department of the Democratic Party for the People in Japan. He recently published an article in The Diplomat, an international current affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific region, highlighting how South Korea's National Security Advisor played a key role in the recent North Korea summits. An alumnus of Maharishi University of Management in the USA, Kenichi appreciates how practising the Transcendental Meditation technique supports his everyday life. 'TM helps to bring me confidence in my mind,' he says. 'This, in turn, enables me to keep trying new things and yet keeps me calm in the midst of such activity.' (more)

Japan: National Transcendental Meditation facility features Maharishi Vastu design
28 March 2015 - The national headquarters of the Transcendental Meditation organization in Japan, the Maharishi Institute of Total Education, is located in Nasu, approximately one and a half hours north of Tokyo. It is not only an organizational headquarters but offers many residential courses to those already practising Transcendental Meditation, as well as the opportunity to learn TM in this serene setting. The largest wood structure in all of Japan, 4,800 sm (51,500 sf), with a striking copper roof, it is a wonderful example of the use of natural materials--a key element in Maharishi Vastu construction, according to a recent newsletter featuring Maharishi Vastu architecture and design in Japan. (more)

Japan: Maharishi Vastu homes designed to connect individual and cosmic life
24 March 2015 - The second of three Vastu buildings in Japan featured in the current Maharishi Vastu newsletter was completed in the autumn of 2014. It is the most recent of several private homes in Ryugasaki, northeast of Tokyo, that have been designed and built according to Maharishi Vastu architecture. Like another Vastu home in the area, it features lovely wood interiors, traditional Japanese features, and an abundance of natural light on both levels. (more)

Japan: Homes combine traditional Japanese elements with benefits of Maharishi Vastu architecture
1 March 2015 - The first of three Vastu buildings in Japan featured in the current Maharishi Vastu newsletter was built in 2008. It is one of several private homes in Ryugasaki, northeast of Tokyo, that have been designed and built according to Maharishi Vastu architecture. (more)

Three examples of Maharishi Vastu architecture in Japan
15 February 2015 - This month's Maharishi Vastu newsletter reports on three 'especially striking buildings' in Japan that have been designed according to Maharishi Vastu architecture. Two are private homes built in Ryugasaki, northeast of Tokyo and the other is the national headquarters for the Transcendental Meditation organization. All are 'excellent examples of how Maharishi Vastu architecture can incorporate any local traditions of design' while creating beneficial effects for their owners. (more)

Japan: Maharishi University of Management hosts large delegation from Tokyo
2 June 2014 - Maharishi University of Management graduates Naoki Mizutani and his wife Yoko, who are directors of the Akasaka Transcendental Meditation Centre near Tokyo, recently brought a delegation of 29 Japanese practitioners of Transcendental Meditation to Fairfield, Iowa, USA for a weeklong tour of the MUM campus. The group visited many departments and heard presentations from faculty members. By the end of the week, the group was transformed. 'Everyone is still talking about what a great time they had in Fairfield and how inspired they all felt to see so many bright and blissful children, students, staff, and faculty, and the whole creative community,' said Mr Mizutani. (more)

Be-Japan: Corporate development with a helping hand
18 July 2013 - Be-Japan is a corporate development company established three years ago in Japan, to bring the Transcendental Meditation programme to business leaders and people in organizations throughout the country. After the devasting earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, Mr Kawai Yuji, CEO of Be-Japan, traveled to the damaged area and, together with his wife, taught Transcendental Meditation to 250 people. At a recent conference in the Netherlands, Mr Kawai reported that research conducted on a large group of refugees who learned the technique showed a dramatic reduction of all stress factors. (more)

Japan: Maharishi Ayur-Veda health expert gives hundreds of consultations
18 July 2013 - Dr Manohar Palakurthi, a leading Ayurvedic physician from India and now the permanent Maharishi Ayur-Veda expert for Japan, toured the country this year giving courses, seminars, and consultations. About 350 people had Maharishi Ayur-Veda consultations, and 90 attended a one-day seminar in this field of natural health care in Tokyo. (more)

In post-disaster Japan, citizens look for charitable ways to help and heal
14 July 2012 - One of the charitable programmes undertaken by teachers of Transcendental Meditation (TM) in Japan is a relief programme that teaches refugees from last year's nuclear disaster the stress-reducing meditation technique. The programme has been seeing significant results. 'Two hundred and fifty refugees have learned Transcendental Meditation recently with significant results,' said a TM teacher involved in the project. 'A local scientist measuring psychological and physiological response to TM measured a 45% reduction in anxiety after only one week of the refugees practising.' (more)

Japan well underway on the path to recovery: Transcendental Meditation contributes to rising coherence
14 July 2012 - Japan is the safest nation in the world, with fewer crimes than any other nation. It's the healthiest nation in the world, with the longest lifespan, and the third most significant nation in innovation and technology. Japan is also the world's third largest economy behind the United States and China, and the fifth most peaceful nation in the world. Although recovery from last year's earthquake is still in progress, these statistics bode well for Japan's future, commented a Transcendental Meditation teacher recently, going on to describe how Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's technologies of consciousness can bring invincible peace, progress, and prosperity to the country, ensuring a strong, disaster-free future. (more)

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Flops
Short Summaries of Top Stories

Events at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant since the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster
27 August 2023 - Treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is being released into the Pacific Ocean in a process that began Thursday [24 August] -- more than 12 years after a massive earthquake and tsunami caused the meltdowns of three of its reactors and the continuing leakage of cooling water. Here is a timeline of events (more)

Japan swelters in its worst heatwave ever recorded
29 June 2022 - Japan is sweltering under the hottest day yet of its worst heatwave since records began in 1875. The blistering heat has drawn official warnings of a looming power shortage, and led to calls for people to conserve energy where possible. ... Weather officials warn the heat is likely to continue in the coming days. Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change. (more)

Kyoto's earliest cherry blooms in 1,200 years point to climate change, says scientist
31 March 2021 - The famous pink cherry blossoms of Kyoto reached full bloom this year on March 26, the earliest date in the 12 centuries since records began, according to a Japanese university. The earlier flowering indicates climate change, said Yasuyuki Aono, a professor of environmental science at Osaka Prefectural University, who has compiled a database of records of the full blooms over the centuries. (more)

Japan's famous cherry blossoms see early bloom amid warming
30 March 2021 - Japan's famous cherry blossoms have reached their flowery peak in many places earlier this year than at any time since formal records started being kept nearly 70 years ago, with experts saying climate change is the likely cause. ... Some say it is the earliest peak bloom ever based on records from historic documents, diaries and poetry books from Kyoto. (more)

Japan supercomputer shows humidity affects aerosol spread of coronavirus
14 October 2020 - A Japanese supercomputer showed that humidity can have a large effect on the dispersion of virus particles, pointing to heightened coronavirus contagion risks in dry, indoor conditions during the winter months. The finding suggests that the use of humidifiers may help limit infections during times when window ventilation is not possible, according to a study released on Tuesday [13 October] by research giant Riken and Kobe University. (more)

Japan cruise ship coronavirus cases climb to 175, including quarantine officer
12 February 2020 - Another 39 people have tested positive for the coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined in Japan, with one quarantine officer also infected, bringing the total to 175, the health ministry said on Wednesday [12 February]. ... About 3,700 people are on board the cruise ship, which usually has a crew of 1,100 and a passenger capacity of 2,670. ... The quarantine officer who was infected had been handing out questionnaires checking the health of passengers and crew and had been following rules that require the wearing of a mask and gloves but not a full protective suit, according to the Nikkei business daily, quoting the health ministry. (more)

Mutant rat-human births approved in Japan
31 July 2019 - Japan has become the first country to allow the birthing of human-animal embryos to create human organs. Experts at the Science Ministry approved a proposal by University of Tokyo researcher Hiromitsu Nakauchi to grow human stem cells in mouse, rat, and pig embryos and then transplant those cells into another animal, according to Nature magazine. Nakauchi hopes to eventually create animals with complete human organs that could be transferred into a human body. (more)

Japan to withdraw from International Whaling Commission: Kyodo News
20 December 2018 - Japan will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in a bid to resume commercial whaling, Kyodo News reported on Thursday (20 December), citing government sources. ... Japan halted commercial whaling in 1982 in line with a moratorium adopted by the IWC. Japan has hunted whales in the Southern Ocean since 1987 for what it calls 'scientific research' purposes, but this has been criticized internationally as a cover for commercial purposes. (more)

Japan hit by deadly earthquake and mudslides
6 September 2018 - Japan's northern island of Hokkaido has been hit by a powerful earthquake, triggering landslides that engulfed houses. The magnitude 6.7 quake cut power to around three million homes after a thermal power plant was damaged. The earthquake comes on the heels of a deadly typhoon lashing the west of Japan over the past few days. (more)

Heatwave blankets Japan, kills 14 people over long weekend
17 July 2018 - An intense heatwave killed at least 14 people over a three-day long weekend in Japan, media reported on Tuesday (17 July), and high temperatures hampered the recovery in flood-hit areas where more than 200 people died last week. Thousands more were treated in hospitals for heat-related conditions. (more)