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The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Japan hunter missing after possible bear attack as officials issue animal sighting warning
Authorities in Japan are searching for a hunter who went missing following a possible bear attack in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, just days after officials issued a brown bear warning. The deer hunter in his 50s went missing on Mount Esan on Tuesday, the Hokkaido prefectural police and local fire department said. Police said they were informed through an emergency call that the hunter had not returned after venturing into the forest. Bloodstains and a hunting rifle believed to belong to the missing man were found on a road at the foot of the mountain, the Japan News reported. The local police and firefighters have deployed a helicopter to search for the missing person. The hunter went missing just two days after Hokkaido authorities, for the first time, issued a top-level alert about brown bears in one of its towns following repeated bear sightings and fatal attacks. The police said a bear was sighted in the area where the hunter went missing. Bear sightings in towns and villages of Japan have surged in recent years due to fluctuating harvests of staple foods for bears, combined with rural depopulation. Experts have also pointed to the declining number of children in country towns and villages, whose naturally noisy presence once helped deter bears, as another contributing factor. The bear warning was issued after a 52-year-old newspaper deliveryman was found dead in the bushes in the early hours of Saturday with wounds that resembled a bear attack. The man's body was found with claw marks and bites on his abdomen, The Mainichi reported. He was attacked and then dragged into the bushes by the bear. The bear that attacked the man was about 1-1.5m in body length and did not run away even when a witness shouted, according to reports. The brown bear warning is expected to be effective through 11 August and locals have been instructed to be careful, especially during nighttime outings and not to leave food waste outside homes. An 81-year-old woman was found dead after an apparent bear attack at her home in Iwate prefecture in northeast Japan. In April, authorities in the Nagano prefecture are on high alert after a bear attacked three people in Iyama, leaving two seriously injured. The animal entered residential properties, broke through glass and attacked two men and a woman, local media reported. Following the spate of attacks, Japan's parliament enacted a revised law to allow municipalities to authorize "emergency shootings" by hunters when dangerous animals, such as bears, enter populated areas. In early 2024, the environment ministry reported to an expert panel that there were 19,192 sightings of Asian black bears between April and October 2023, the highest figure ever, exceeding the 18,000 sightings logged in 2020. Typically, bear sightings peak in June and decline through October, before rising again in subsequent months. However, in 2023, the numbers began climbing earlier, with some 6,000 sightings reported in October of that year alone.
Korea Herald
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
In Japan, calorie-busting ‘sinful gourmet foods' taking taste buds by storm
TOKYO (Japan News/ANN) -– Heavily seasoned "sinful gourmet foods" that are high in calories and fat content and can never be called healthy have recently become popular, and these delectable guilty pleasures have often been found not only on restaurant menus, but also in corporate product promotions, manga and personal social media posts. On a recent day, Naoki Nomura, 44, the general manager of Meat & Cheese Forne, an Italian restaurant in Tokyo's Nakameguro district, asked me if I would like some cheese on top of a plate of steaming hot pasta. Nomura then placed a round piece of burrata cheese on the pasta and slit it open with kitchen scissors, and melted cheese flowed out like lava. The cheese went perfectly with the spicy tomato-flavored pasta and salty prosciutto, making the dish rich, smooth, distinctive and exquisite. A limited time variation of the Volcano Pasta, one of the restaurant's signature dishes, was offered until the end of June. The restaurant introduced the pasta on social media as the "taste of sin." The dish had more than 2,000 calories, but was popular especially among women who wanted to eat without worrying about their health once in a while or on a "cheat day," a scheduled break in a diet. "The pasta may stimulate an emotional conflict as you want to eat something delicious while, at the same time, you are also worried about what happens later," Nomura said. According to Emi Yamamoto, who analyzes food trends at Gurunavi, a Tokyo-based company that lists restaurant and other related information online, "sinful gourmet foods" refers to dishes that evoke feelings of sin or guilt while providing a sense of gustatory satisfaction. Since they often feature plenty of high-calorie ingredients like meat and cheese, they also are called "high-calorie gourmet" or "guilty gourmet." Menus with names that include the word haitoku, which literally means "immorality" in Japanese, began to appear more frequently one Gurunavi's restaurant information website around the autumn of 2021, with the number of restaurants offering such dishes increasing each year. A survey of 1,000 people in their 20s to 60s found that about 60 percent of them had tried guilty gourmet fare, with 45 percent of them saying they ate such dishes as they wanted to enjoy eating meals. Thirty-five percent said they ate the food to help relieve mental stress. "It may be an indication that people became weary of self-restraint during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. It could have been a backlash to health consciousness, too," Yamamoto said. "Also, the foods' extravagant appearance that looks good in photos appeals to young people who use social media a lot. Sinful foods are no longer a passing fad. They have become established as a genre of cuisine." Spreading beyond restaurants Marudai Food jumped on board the trend in promoting its sausages. The company garnered an unexpected response when it posted a recipe on X for a late-night meal made with instant ramen, cheese, milk and its Kunseiya-brand sausages in autumn last year. The sinful Kunseiya carbonara ramen has about 1,050 calories. "Dokagui Daisuki! Mochizuki-san" ("I Love Dokagui! Mochizuki-san") is a manga series created by Kamome Maruyono and published by Hakusensha. In the manga, Mochizuki-san, the protagonist, relentlessly eats a lot of rich, sinful foods. The ways Mochizuki-san experiences euphoria from the rapid rise in blood sugar as the result of eating are depicted with black humor. Dokagui means "binge eating." The manga quickly gained popularity as soon as the serialization started in May last year, leading to Hakusensha's collaborations with other companies, including Seven-Eleven Japan Co., which released bento box meals themed around the manga. "The protagonist's pursuit of her own happiness through relentless eating in a stressful society may have resonated with readers," said Yuta Yoshinaga, an editor in charge of the manga. Photos and videos of individuals cooking sinful gourmet dishes or eating them at restaurants are popular on social media, too. Cooking expert Ryuji, author of "Bazu Reshipi: Mayonaka-no Haitoku Meshi" (Buzz-recipe: Midnight sinful meals), published by Fusosha Publishing, also shares many recipes for sinful gourmet dishes on his YouTube channel, which has more than 5.25 million subscribers. "In today's society, where people pursue safety and comfort, there are few opportunities in which they face danger, fear or something unfamiliar in their daily lives. They may be creating 'pseudo danger' by eating excessively high-calorie and unhealthy foods and enjoying the thrill of tasting them," said Hideki Kiyoshima, a professor emeritus at Kindai University. "Eating the dishes brings them not only satisfaction but also a sense of accomplishment," the expert on modern culture said. OK once in a while According to Terue Kawabata, vice president of Kagawa Nutrition University and an expert in lipid nutrition, the recommended calorie intake per meal for women is about 600 calories, meaning having a meal of more than 1,500 calories obliges them to reduce their recommended intake by 900 calories in other meals. There is no need to completely abstain from rice to do so, for instance. You can offset the excess calorie intake without difficulty by having less sweets, soft drinks or alcohol compared to usual for about one to two weeks. Since high-fat dishes can take three to four hours to digest, it is best to avoid them before bedtime. Consuming fiber-rich vegetables with the dishes can help prevent overeating and slow down fat absorption. You can eat vegetables in another meal on the same day when it is difficult to eat them with high-fat dishes.
Korea Herald
08-07-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Japanese retirees invigorate their post-work lives by making their community debuts
TOKYO (Japan News/ANN) -- This is said to be the era of the 100-year lifespan, when people live for a long time after they retire from work. And if you have a lot of years to live, won't you want to make them fulfilling? Once your office no longer provides you with a place to belong, why not find a new one in your local community? I explored ways to make your "community debut" by participating in community activities like volunteer work and hobby circles. Volunteering with peers One afternoon in mid-January, Susumu Takahashi, 73, wearing a blue apron, loaded bento boxed meals containing satsumaage deep-fried fish paste and other ingredients into his car. He got behind the wheel, raised his right hand to wave goodbye and set off. He spent the next hour and a half delivering the bento boxes to about 10 homes where elderly people live. Since 2021, Takahashi has done paid volunteer work about 10 times a month for a public interest incorporated foundation that provides home welfare services in Chofu, Tokyo. "When I worked for a company, I was rarely told thank you to my face. Now, I receive thanks from users and staff members, and it feels great," he said. "That gives me a motivation to work hard for them," he added. Before he resigned from his job as an advertising company executive in 2021, he had not paid much attention to his local community. But he learned that mutual support and connections between local residents are crucial when natural disasters occur, and so he decided to learn more about his own community. Then, when he was reading a city newsletter, he noticed an ad soliciting volunteers for the foundation he now works with. Thinking, "I might be able to help them," he applied, and this led to him making his community debut. At first, with no particular interest in welfare or volunteering, he was nervous. He wondered if he would be able to keep up the work. But seeing other volunteers of various ages working vigorously and enthusiastically has given him the inspiration to continue. Even when he is admonished by young staff members, he says, "I try to readily accept their warnings and advice." As he is delivering meals in the evening, he encounters elderly people out for a stroll and parents coming and going, carrying their children on electric bicycles. Scenes like this are new to him; he never saw them when he was working for the company. In addition to meal delivery, his volunteer activities also include cleaning up the homes of elderly people. When he is at home, his wife gives him advice on cleaning methods, which gives them an opportunity to have lively conversations. "Life after retirement is long. When I talk to people, I don't just want to talk about my professional experiences but also about my volunteer work since I retired," he said, with an expression of total fulfillment. Supporting community debut In July 2023, the city of Sano, Tochigi prefecture, implemented a law of a kind that few other Japanese municipalities have tried: an ordinance to help senior citizens make their community debut. The ordinance says it is important for retired people to stay connected to society through work, hobbies, volunteering and other activities. The ordinance is aimed at building a society where senior citizens can live happily in their local communities, according to Sano Mayor Yutaka Kaneko. The municipal government created a manual for making community debut, which recommends "Imakatsu," a word coined by the government that means "activities that allow you to enjoy your life by rediscovering things that you like or are interested in at this moment." Writing down things that you used to like when you were young or those you want to try now can help you find activities that you may want to start. As for things that you are good at, you can choose an answer from options such as "I can teach it to others" and "I want to learn from someone else so I can master it," to help you decide how to pursue your activities. An easy way to make your community debut is to participate in preventive care classes or hobby courses. Also, if you find a hobby, such as collecting Goshuin stamps, assembling models, singing in a chorus or visiting historical places, you can make friends and learn about the attractions of your community. "We hope retired people will not hesitate to start something new and enrich their lives," said one municipal government official. Finding favorite activities Tokyo's Setagaya Ward is home to a citizens' group that helps people make their community debut. Tatsuro Usui, 74, the representative of the group, explained some important points for enjoying community activities after retirement. Flyers and leaflets introducing community activities are available at community centers and other facilities; information can also be found on the internet. If you find an activity you want to join, don't overthink it — just give it a try. Some groups allow new people to participate in their activities on a trial basis for a certain period of time. Participating in multiple activities will help you find activities you enjoy or people you like. If you don't like an activity, you can quit. There's no need to force yourself to continue. Some people who were in management positions or experienced employees before retirement may find it difficult to stop treating other people as if they are subordinates. However, you should use the Japanese honorific suffix "san" when addressing other people regardless of how old they are or how long they have been participating in the activity. It's vital to show respect for every person's life experiences. People in their 60s are usually the oldest ones at a company, but among the senior generation they are still young. Their participation can breathe fresh energy to the activities they take part in. Hopefully these people will enliven their communities with new feelings and ideas.
Korea Herald
27-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
Over 260 Japanese national treasures featured at special exhibitions in Osaka, Nara, Kyoto
OSAKA (Japan News/ANN) -- With the occasion of the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, art galleries and museums throughout the Kansai region held special exhibitions, displaying Japan's finest pieces and putting new spins on them, with three museums in Osaka, Nara and Kyoto recently exhibiting national treasures. More than 260 national treasures, or about 30 percent of all the national treasures in the country excluding structures, were displayed, providing a rare opportunity to view a large number of masterpieces. 135 national treasures in Osaka The largest number of national treasures -- 135 items -- were displayed at the National Treasures of Japan exhibition at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts. The exhibition featured treasures that are representative of Japanese art history and mentioned in school textbooks, such as "Deep Vessel with Flame-Style Pottery" from the Jomon period, which was excavated in Tokamachi, Niigata prefecture, and the seated Ganjin Wajo statue, a masterpiece sculpture of the highly ranked monk owned by Toshodaiji temple in Nara. The paintings of birds and flowers on fusuma room partitions by Kano Eitoku, a painter of the Azuchi-Momoyama period (late 16th century), were ink wash paintings and part of a series of paintings at Jukoin temple in Kyoto. Eitoku used ink lines of varying sizes to depict a huge old plum tree twisting and turning, creating a spring scene full of life on the four fusuma partitions displayed at the museum. A variety of treasures, including writings and swords, were exhibited with national treasures that have been repaired with financial assistance from the Tsumugu Project, a joint undertaking by the Cultural Affairs Agency, Imperial Household Agency and The Yomiuri Shimbun. They included "Bound Fan Papers with the 'Lotus Sutra'" from Shitennoji temple in Osaka, which depicts the lives of nobles and commoners and is a copy of the Lotus Sutra, and the "Fugen Bosatsu (Samantabhadra)" owned by the Tokyo National Museum, a work considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Buddhist painting. The Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts reopened in March after undergoing a major renovation, in which work was done to lower the display stands and reduce reflections on the glass cases. "We have taken great care to make the works easier to view," said museum director Sakae Naito. The exhibition didn't have a specific theme; instead, it was meant to provide visitors with an opportunity to enjoy the richness of Japanese art more freely in a better environment. Eitoku's masterpiece "Chinese Lions," which is owned by the Museum of the Imperial Collections, Sannomaru Shozokan, and the dogu figurine known as "Jomon Venus" excavated in Chino, Nagano prefecture, were displayed. Ogata Korin's masterpiece "Irises" of the Nezu Museum in Tokyo was also exhibited. Nara exhibition on Buddhist, Shinto art The Nara National Museum in Nara, which specializes in Buddhist art, held an exhibition titled "Oh! Kokuho: Resplendent Treasures of Devotion and Heritage," focusing on Buddhist and Shinto art. The exhibition, held to celebrate the museum's 130th anniversary, featured about 140 artworks, including 112 national treasures. Exhibits included "Standing Kannon Bosatsu (Sk. Avalokitesvara; also known as Kudara Kannon)" from Horyuji temple in Nara prefecture, which was created during the Asuka period (592-710) and is one of Japan's earliest wooden sculptures, and "Seated Dainichi Nyorai" by Unkei, which is owned by Enjoji temple in Nara. Buddhist statues mainly from the Kansai region and those as far as from Tokyo and Hiroshima prefecture were also displayed. The dignified expression and posture of the finely sculpted "Seated Bosatsu with One Leg Pendant" from Hobodai-in Gantokuji temple in Kyoto created a tense atmosphere. The exhibition also displayed "Seven-Pronged Sword" of Isonokami Jingu shrine in Nara prefecture, an iron sword from the Kofun period with six branch blades, as well as Buddhist paintings and sumi ink writings, allowing visitors to trace how different religions gained acceptance by people and how they have changed. "Seated Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendant" from Chuguji temple in Nara prefecture and other artworks were also exhibited. Kyoto exhibition on cultural exchange The Kyoto National Museum's special exhibition "Japan, an Artistic Melting Pot" shed light on cross-cultural exchanges and Japanese art. The exhibition traced this history with about 200 artworks, including 19 national treasures and 53 important cultural properties. Among them was "Wind God and Thunder God Screens" by Tawaraya Sotatsu, a national treasure owned by Kenninji temple in Kyoto. World expositions can be viewed as an example of cross-cultural exchange. The Meiji government compiled the first Western-style history of Japanese art, consisting of works it wanted to show to the world, to coincide with Japan's participation in the Expo 1900 Paris. This exhibition displayed some of the works listed in the book, including the dotaku bell-shaped bronze, an important cultural property that was excavated in Yasu, Shiga prefecture. Exhibits also included the ukiyo-e woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai "Under the Wave off Kanagawa" from the series "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji," which is also popular in the West, as well as Buddhist statues, landscape drawings, paintings of flowers and birds, which indicate Japan's exchanges with East Asia, and ceramics.
Japan Times
26-06-2025
- Health
- Japan Times
Almost a fifth of people in Japan may avoid news, industry survey suggests
A survey by news app operator SmartNews released Thursday showed that 18% of people in Japan consciously avoid news sometimes or often. The research was conducted between January and March by an internal think tank at SmartNews and sought responses from 4,460 people between the ages of 18 and 79. Valid responses were received from 2,117. Regarding the frequency of news avoidance, those who answered "very often" accounted for 2.9%. The share stood at 15.2% for those who chose "sometimes" and 30.8% for those who picked "occasionally." When asked why they avoid news, with multiple answers allowed, 60.8% said that news makes them feel depressed and sick. Those who do not want to consume news in which they have no interest totaled 30.3%, while 26.6% said, "There are too many stimulating and sensational headlines that shout for attention." Respondents who chose "There is too much news about crimes and other incidents" accounted for 24.6%. Respondents in their 30s who intentionally avoid news sometimes or often totaled 22.5%, the highest proportion among all age groups. Regarding news genres that respondents want to avoid, with multiple answers allowed, 46.7% of all respondents said there was no particular genre, while 21.7% chose news about celebrities, including gossip. War and other conflicts were mentioned by 18.9%. "News that is meant to be touching or news that foments anger" was cited by 18%. "The trend to avoid news is getting bigger and becoming one of the problems that potentially threaten the very existence of media organizations," said Atsuo Fujimura, a fellow at the think tank.
