Latest news with #Koro
Asahi Shimbun
07-08-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Fed by tourists, brown bears in Shiretoko lose fear of humans
A mother bear with two cubs puts its nose against a rental car in Shari, Hokkaido, on May 16, 2022. Part of the image is modified for privacy reasons. (Masafumi Kamimura) Fisherman Motoharu Kase's three children were playing in the garden of their home in Rausu, eastern Hokkaido, oblivious to the danger that lurked even though their pet dog, Koro, was tethered to a sandbag nearby. Around 3 p.m. on that August day in 2019, the animal suddenly let out a hideous scream. Realizing that something awful had happened, the family members mounted a search. They soon found tracks left by a brown bear leading into a patch of grass adjacent to the house. A sandbag weighing more than 100 kilograms to which Koro's leash was attached earlier had been moved. They found the leash wrapped around a nearby tree at a height impossible for the dog to reach. When Kenji Sakurai, 62, and other members of a local hunting association searched the area, they came across a brown bear feasting on Koro's carcass. It was the same bear blamed for killing or mauling eight pet dogs kept outdoors in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula between 2018 and 2021. Locals had nicknamed the bear 'Rusha Taro,' RT for short, after the Rusha district of nearby Shari, where the animal was first spotted. It ate the dogs in most cases. Because it marked the first time for 'RT' to attack a dog in daylight hours, the incident sent shockwaves through the community. Three years later, in July 2022, a male brown bear was captured in a box trap. It was later killed. DNA samples taken from the animal were a match for RT. UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL The cases involving RT were just the tip of an iceberg of unconventional behavior displayed by brown bears in the scenic Shiretoko Peninsula over the past decade. In July, the region marked the 20th anniversary of its listing as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, making the area a popular tourist destination. Typical sightings include a brown bear gnawing on a car that had stopped on the Shiretoko Crossing Road one afternoon in May 2022. The rental car was parked near the center line on a downhill section of the road in Shari which lies in the western part of the peninsula. A mother and her two cubs were within 10 meters of the vehicle when they approached. The mother put her nose against the door on the driver's side while one of the cubs reared up and shook its head repeatedly as it bit into a side mirror. Between 400 and 500 brown bears inhabit the Shiretoko Peninsula, giving it one of the world's highest concentrations of the animal. There were at least 2,500 brown bear sightings in the region in 2023. Traffic snarls known as 'bear jams' that are caused by sightseers stopping their cars to look at brown bears are a common sight in Shiretoko from spring to autumn. Some tourists and amateur photographers throw caution to the wind and approach the bears up close. A revision to the Natural Parks Law that took effect in April 2022 makes it illegal to give brown bears food or venture too near. Still, in fiscal 2024, there were a record 70 cases of dangerous and problematic behavior exhibited by people when brown bears were around. Those on the front line working to prevent incidents involving bears and tourists tear their hair out over the fact patrol staff have no authority to deal with such problems. All they can do is warn that brown bears are in the vicinity. 'We face a situation where we have to be prepared in case residents and visitors in Shiretoko are attacked by brown bears,' said Tsuyoshi Ishinazaka, head of the Hokkaido Human-Wildlife Conflict Consultancy and Veterinary Clinic in Sapporo. Ishinazaka worked for many years in Shiretoko devising ways to deal with brown bears and once served as head of the protection and management department at the Shiretoko Nature Foundation. He speculated that dangerous bears share a trait: They have learned they can obtain food when humans are nearby. Motorists who give food to bears that approach their vehicles are simply reinforcing that behavior, he said. Hokkaido began an annual spring cull of brown bears in 1966. They are shot in Shiretoko and elsewhere across the northernmost main island by licensed hunters. After the spring cull was abandoned in 1990, brown bears started showing up in complete disregard of any human nearby, having learned that people no longer pose a threat. Miraculously, no resident or sightseer in Shiretoko has been attacked by a brown bear in nearly 40 years. Bears that are judged to be problematic, like RT, are culled before they attack people, officials explained. But there are limitations. Ishinazaka pointed out that visitors often approach brown bears in Shiretoko even though they know it is illegal, knowing full well that no one has faced penalties because the law cannot be enforced. 'If this continues, there will be accidents involving tourists and residents,' he said. 'We need a serious approach to implementing realistic laws and ordinances related to wildlife.'
Local Norway
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Norway
Oslo to get memorial for 2022 Pride terror attack
In a press release issued on June 25th, the anniversary attack, Norway's culture minister Lubna Jaffery said that the government would allocate 5 million kroner and instruct Koro, Norway's public art body, to commission the memorial. "The memorial site to June 25th should be a place of collective grief, reflection and resistance," Jaffery said. "Through a living memorial, we will ensure that the conversations about June 25th continue into the future." The announcement, made in the middle of Oslo Pride week, was welcomed by the leader of Oslo Pride, Dan Bjørke. "I hope it can be a place that reminds us of the struggle and the debate we must have about the living conditions of queer people," he said. "The fact that we can then have a memorial that can show and remind us of the terrible attack is very important." In an interview with NRK, Jaffery said that though a site for the memorial had yet to be decided it would be natural for it to be placed on Rosenkrantz gate, the pub-packed street where much of the shooting took place. Advertisement Matapour mounted his attack on June 25th, the eve of the Oslo Pride march, targeting the London Pub, a popular gay hangout. Matapour was found guilty of serious terror offences in July 2024, and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, the harshest sentence possible under Norwegian law.
Japan Forward
18-06-2025
- Business
- Japan Forward
SAKE HUNDRED: Luxury Brand Seeks to Boost Entire Supply Chain
このページを 日本語 で読む Clear, a sake company based in Shibuya, Tokyo, is gaining attention for its luxury sake brand SAKE HUNDRED, crafted with international enthusiasts in mind. As consumer interest in sake continues to decline in Japan, the company is working to reignite its appeal, focusing on digital storytelling and global outreach. SAKE HUNDRED offers premium sake ranging from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand yen per bottle. The brand places a strong emphasis on craftsmanship and visual presentation. Some bottles, such as a 720ml edition priced over ¥30,000 JPY (around $210 USD), are sold by lottery due to high demand. The brand's popularity is growing rapidly. Select bottles are even being served to VIPs at the international pavilions of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. With its departure from traditional sake branding, SAKE HUNDRED has attracted strong investor interest, securing a total of ¥2.44 billion (around $16.9 million) in funding. Founder and CEO Ryuji Ikoma, who launched Clear in 2013, defines the brand's mission as "filling hearts and coloring lives." As global interest in health-conscious dining increases, Japanese cuisine — and the sake that complements it — is gaining traction overseas. Ikoma says, "We want our brand to become the go-to luxury sake on restaurant menus around the world." Ryuji Ikoma, who has visited breweries nationwide, interviewed the honorary master brewer at Kiku-Masamune. Ikoma entered the sake industry in 2011, at around 25 years old. He was captivated by the flavor of Koro, a sake produced by the Kumamoto Prefecture Sake Institute. Curious, he researched its background and discovered that the institute's first director, active from the Meiji era through the mid-Showa period, had been a pioneer in scientific, data-driven brewing. This modern approach helped transform sake production and advance brewing technology in Japan. Koro's ginjo sake, in particular, stood out for its refined rice-polishing method that reduced impurities and enhanced aroma. It is often regarded as a benchmark for ginjo sake. Inspired by the innovation behind it, Ikoma set out to pursue change in the sake industry himself. He went on to launch SAKETIMES, a dedicated web media platform focused on sake and breweries. Committed to first-hand reporting, he personally visited breweries across the country. "There was a time when I spent half of each month in rural areas," he recalls. At the time, curated media that aggregated online information was trending. However, Ikoma believed in the value of uncovering insights that couldn't be found through search alone. "That kind of original reporting becomes our unique asset," he says. With this belief, he continued building a foundation of trusted, in-depth content. Ikoma says he was greatly influenced by Jiro Nagumo (left), president of Hakkaisan. (Courtesy of Clear) During a reporting trip to Hong Kong, Ikoma was shocked to see bottles of sake selling for around ¥400,000 ($2,800). "It was a major revelation to learn that people around the world are willing to spend tens of thousands of yen on great sake," he recalls. It made him realize how deeply sake is appreciated by affluent consumers abroad. At the same time, domestic sake shipments had fallen to less than a quarter of their 1973 peak of 1.77 million kiloliters. This contrast sparked a new ambition. "We wanted to create a globally oriented brand and explore a sustainable future for sake," Ikoma explains. That vision led to the creation of SAKE HUNDRED. Today, SAKE HUNDRED partners with eight sake breweries to produce its lineup. Ikoma draws on his experience running a sake-focused media platform and the strong relationships he has built with brewery owners nationwide. Their flagship product, Byakko, priced at ¥38,500 (around $270), is currently accepting entries for its summer lottery sale. In 2024, it became a major hit, receiving 70,000 applications for just 10,000 bottles. Ikoma is determined to revitalize Japan's stagnant sake market through SAKE HUNDRED. "We want the benefits to extend across the entire supply chain, from breweries to sake rice farmers," he says with passion. "There's clear demand overseas. If we can follow in the footsteps of wine and champagne, the potential for growth is enormous." Author: Naomi Yasuda, The Sankei Shimbun このページを 日本語 で読む
NZ Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Whanganui rugby: Marist eye playoff comeback with seasoned players and new talent
Marist must solve the puzzle of how to regularly defeat one or more of the Top 4 sides, and it appeared they nearly had the answer in their 22-15 loss to Whanganui Rugby Challenge Shield holders Byfords Readi-Mix Taihape on opening day. 'We forced our hand a bit too much, and the bounce of the ball didn't go our way,' said Koro. 'But we put our best foot forward, and just a bit of patience brought us back into it, and a bit more accuracy in a few areas.' Much of the improvement could come down to their well-rounded loose forwards, as standout veteran Bradley Graham steps back to a reserve role for the likes of talented Whanganui Under 20's rep Jayden Garland-Lower, 63-game Steelform Whanganui player Samu Kubunavanua and multi-club veteran Brett Joyes. 'They're our senior veteran players now, and they've never shied away from physical work,' said Koro of Joyes and Kubunavanua. 'Having [Samu] around the team has been a boost, the boys see him around and it gives them that confidence that we've got some big bodies here that can help. '[Brett's] your typical, old-school style of play - 'I'm here, I know my role and that's what I'll do'. 'Jayden done his [injury] rehab on the offseason well enough, now it's just trying to get him to stay on the field this year, and that's just about us managing his minutes, because he's a handy No7 coming through.' Another addition is Tim Goodwin, adding great utility value to a backline with talent like Akiwa Koro, Daniel Kauika, Jamie Robertson, and CJ Stowers. Marist will observe with interest Taihape's next Shield defence against Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau at Memorial Park, while Rātana host Waverley Harvesting Border in the Pa. Draw April 26, 2.35pm kickoffs
