Former volleyball star Kana Oyama gives lecture on athletes' menstruation
Kana Oyama, a former member of the Japanese women's national volleyball team, called on high school students and teachers to gain a better understanding of how female athletes should deal with menstruation, in a lecture late last month.
Oyama was visiting her alma mater, Shimokitazawa Seitoku Senior High School in Tokyo, as part of the '1252 Project' educational program regarding menstrual issues faced by female athletes. The school placed second in a national high school volleyball tournament last month.
In her first-ever stint as a lecturer for the project, Oyama used quizzes and question-and-answer sessions to explain premenstrual syndrome, which can cause symptoms such as stomach pain, lower back pain and mood changes, as well as about amenorrhea and osteoporosis caused by inadequate nutrition.
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Japan Today
5 hours ago
- Japan Today
Ask the Tokyo Dietitian: No-cook tips for healthy eating in Japan (Part 2)
One of the most common barriers to healthy eating is not having enough time to buy, prepare and cook food at home. By Victoria Lindsay Welcome to another installment of "Ask the Tokyo Dietitian,' where you can get expert insights on food and nutrition, tailored specifically for life in Japan. Whether you're balancing traditional Japanese foods with modern dietary needs, decoding local food labels or keeping up with the latest in nutrition, our registered dietitian has got you covered. Each month, we'll tackle common questions, dispel myths and provide practical advice to support your health and wellness journey. Have a question? Email us at tokyodietitian@ and your question may be featured in an upcoming article. Question: I'm an English teacher in Tokyo and due to my busy schedule, I rarely have time to cook meals for myself. Do you have any tips for how I can eat a balanced diet in Japan if I don't cook very often? Tokyo Dietitian: In part one of my answer to this question, we discussed how eating at restaurants for most of your meals can wreak havoc on your health and nutrition goals. In addition, we talked about simple yet nutritious meals that can be made quickly and easily by using healthy pre-prepared or convenience foods. This month, I'd like to focus on how to save time in the kitchen. There's a lot to cover here, so let's get started. Kitchen time-savers for non-cooks in Japan By using healthy convenience foods or time-saving kitchen appliances, you can make your meals more quickly and easily. Image: zon/Pixta When you think about the parts of meal preparation that take up a lot of time and energy, they can usually be summed up as follows: Buying food from the grocery store Preparing the ingredients, such as washing, chopping, or cutting The process of cooking the food, such as baking, stewing and frying. For those who are short on time, you can use the following tips and tricks to make each part of meal preparation a little easier. Online grocery and meal kits in Japan Online grocery delivery . If you live in a larger metropolitan city like Tokyo, chances are you'll have access to online grocery delivery through Amazon Fresh or Green Beans. Simply choose your food online and schedule a delivery to have healthy food delivered to your doorstep. . If you live in a larger metropolitan city like Tokyo, chances are you'll have access to online grocery delivery through Amazon Fresh or Green Beans. Simply choose your food online and schedule a delivery to have healthy food delivered to your doorstep. Try out a meal kit. If you're lacking inspiration for meal planning as well as time, consider ordering a meal kit online for delivery to your home. My favorite online meal kit delivery service is Yoshikei, which even includes meals designed by Japanese registered dietitians. Save time with frozen, pre-cut and low prep ingredients Incorporate more frozen foods into your meals . Worried that the chicken or leafy greens you bought will spoil in the fridge before you can cook them? If this is you, then buying and using more frozen foods in your meals is the perfect solution. While frozen food has had a poor reputation in the past, the truth is that many frozen food options are just as nutritious as fresh. Research has shown that due to the unique freezing process used in frozen fruit and vegetable preparations, these frozen fruits and veggies have just as many nutrients as fresh — and in some cases, even more. I stock up on frozen broccoli, asparagus, and green beans for an easy side for dinner, as well as frozen berries to toss into oats or smoothies. You can also opt to freeze leftovers – just reheat and eat. . Worried that the chicken or leafy greens you bought will spoil in the fridge before you can cook them? If this is you, then buying and using more frozen foods in your meals is the perfect solution. While frozen food has had a poor reputation in the past, the truth is that many frozen food options are just as nutritious as fresh. Research has shown that due to the unique freezing process used in frozen fruit and vegetable preparations, these frozen fruits and veggies have just as many nutrients as fresh — and in some cases, even more. I stock up on frozen broccoli, asparagus, and green beans for an easy side for dinner, as well as frozen berries to toss into oats or smoothies. You can also opt to freeze leftovers – just reheat and eat. Save time on chopping. When I talk to patients about cooking, one of the most common complaints is the amount of chopping involved. To get around this, try to opt for pre-chopped ingredients (like pre-shredded carrots or pre-cut vegetable blends for stir-fry) or choose foods that need no chopping at all. Ground or minced meat doesn't need further dicing, and vegetables like cherry tomatoes can be made into a side or added to salads once they've been rinsed clean. Many fruits also need little prep once they are washed, like grapes, berries, bananas, or apples (a note on apples: although it is popular in Japan to peel off the skin, I always recommend eating it as it is full of fiber and vitamins). Time-saving cooking tools and tips Invest in time-saving kitchen appliances . While I try to keep my kitchen appliances to a minimum due to limited kitchen storage in my Japanese apartment, sometimes another time-saving kitchen appliance makes sense. Examples include a rice cooker, Instant Pot (which doubles as both a pressure cooker and a slow cooker) or an air fryer — whatever fits your space and needs. The common thread between all these appliances is the ability to add your ingredients, set a timer/setting and then walk away until it's done, saving effort and energy. . While I try to keep my kitchen appliances to a minimum due to limited kitchen storage in my Japanese apartment, sometimes another time-saving kitchen appliance makes sense. Examples include a rice cooker, Instant Pot (which doubles as both a pressure cooker and a slow cooker) or an air fryer — whatever fits your space and needs. The common thread between all these appliances is the ability to add your ingredients, set a timer/setting and then walk away until it's done, saving effort and energy. Cook once, eat two or three times. A former patient of mine who was a chef said something to me years ago that has stuck with me. When we were talking about cooking, he observed that if you find the time to make a meal, it doesn't take that much more time – if any – to double or triple the recipe. Even if it does add a bit more time, the extra time added is still less than if you were to make that recipe all over again on another day. Therefore, he always tried to 'cook once, eat twice' by ensuring that if he cooked, there was always enough food for at least one more meal. As mentioned above, any leftovers you can't consume shortly after cooking can always be frozen. For the final part of this series, come back next month for tips on how to eat well when dining out in Japan. With a little planning and a few insider tricks, you can make eating out a healthier experience. Victoria Lindsay, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant working at Tokyo Medical & Surgical Clinic and her Tokyo-based private practice. To get in touch, please visit or follow her on Instagram at @dietitianintokyo. © Japan Today
The Mainichi
a day ago
- The Mainichi
Veterinarian dies from tick-borne disease after treating infected cats in west Japan
TSU -- A veterinarian in Mie Prefecture who treated cats infected with an ixodid tick-borne disease has died from the same illness, the local veterinarians' association told the Mainichi Shimbun on June 13. The veterinarian is believed to have contracted "severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS)" from one of the cats, prompting the Japan Veterinary Medical Association, which was notified by the Mie prefectural veterinarians' association, to call for caution during treatment. According to a report by the prefectural association, the veterinarian hospitalized two cats, a 9-month-old male and female, each showing symptoms of SFTS for one week to 10 days in late April, sending samples to a private testing facility while providing treatment. On May 6, the veterinarian began experiencing lethargy and loss of appetite, and was taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties on the night of May 8. Tests confirmed that the vet had SFTS, and the attending physician reported the case to the public health center in accordance with the infectious diseases control law. The veterinarian died on May 12. No tick bite marks were reportedly found. Meanwhile, the public health center investigated the animal hospital run by the veterinarian and the cats' owners, confirming that neither hospital staff nor owners showed any symptoms. Both cats were confirmed to have SFTS but apparently recovered after hospitalization and have since shown no symptoms. SFTS has an incubation period of about six to 14 days before causing symptoms such as fever and diarrhea. The disease is notable for its high fatality rate, reaching up to 30%. According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1,071 human cases and 117 deaths were reported in Japan between March 2013 and the end of April 2025. In March 2024, a case was reported in which a physician contracted SFTS from a patient, marking the first confirmed human-to-human transmission in Japan. Cases of transmission from pets have also been reported. (Japanese original by Emi Shimomura, Tsu Bureau)
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- The Mainichi
Hormone behind women having greater preference for sweets than men: Japan researchers
NARA -- A group of researchers at Nara Women's University in this west Japan city has discovered that estrogen, a female hormone, is responsible for boosting women's preference for sweet tastes through a rat experiment. The group, led by professor Akira Takamata, points out that, "It is essential to consider gender differences in preventing lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity. For women, responses in accordance with changes in their hormonal environment due to menopause and estrous cycle are required." It has been reported that female animals, including humans, tend to have a greater preference for the taste of sweet things than males, but it was previously unknown whether a sex hormone was the cause of this. In the experiment, a group of rats that lacked endogenous estrogen after ovary removal and another group of the animal supplemented with estrogen were compared. Researchers allowed both groups to freely ingest water, fodder, calorie-free artificial sweetener and a calorie-rich sugar solution, and measured their intake. It turned out that the second group ingested large quantities of artificial sweetener and sugar water while not eating much fodder. Estrogen is mainly secreted by the ovary and plays a significant role in the growth and maintenance of reproductive organs. Estrogen secretion increases from puberty and varies with a woman's sexual cycle. It reaches a peak in one's 20s and 30s and plunges during menopause. The next challenge is to elucidate the mechanism of how estrogen increases the preference for sweetness. The latest research also revealed the possibility that endogenous opioid, a morphine-like substance in the brain, may have to do with the preference for sweetness. Specifically, when the workings of opioid were halted by administering drugs, the subjects' preference for sweetness also disappeared. It is likely that the mechanism of a brain reward system is working here, according to researchers. The findings were published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, with Natsumi Kosugi, a graduate student at the university, credited as lead author. (Japanese original by Yasuhiro Okawa, Nara Bureau)
