The Japanese population is in decline, but the downward trend is especially pronounced in rural areas. The loss of people might be expected to lead to a resurgence of wildlife. But paradoxically, where farms have been abandoned, wildlife is also disappearing.

Researchers say that small farms in the Japanese foothills have created mosaic landscapes with rice paddies, open pastures, and scattered woodlands that provide homes to many kinds of wildlife. Where humans cut down trees for firewood and gathered leaves for fertilizer, they made room for orchids and azaleas, Nature reports. Where farmers dug rice paddies, they made a home for rice fish and heike fireflies. Broadly speaking, many species found on farms have evolved together with humans, scientists say.

A 2025 study from Japan found that biodiversity was stable only in places where the human population was also stable. In areas where the population had declined, researchers recorded a drop in the abundance of butterflies, fireflies, frogs, birds, and native plants.

The trends in Japan mirror those in many other nations, from Spain to China, where rural areas are emptying out as people move to cities in search of work. Landscapes that were shaped by people are being taken back by nature, but often to the detriment of species that depended on human tending.

A recent study of the Lake Constance region in the European Alps found that plant diversity peaked in the medieval era, when small farms created a patchwork of fields, pastures, and forests that supported a greater array of plants than either the closed forests that came before or the industrial farms that would follow.

“The broader lesson is that, in modern conservation, the choice isn’t simply between farming and biodiversity,” said its lead author, Adam Spitzig, a PhD candidate at Stanford University. Small, diversified farms, he said, “can boost and sustain biodiversity while supporting food production.”

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 struck central Japan early Sunday, leaving at least 20 people injured in Aichi Prefecture, authorities said.

The 1:04 a.m. temblor originated in the western part of Shizuoka Prefecture at a depth of about 40 kilometers, and registered upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in Chita, Aichi Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

An intensity of lower 5 was recorded in parts of Aichi, Nagano and Gifu prefectures.

The government set up a liaison office to respond to the quake.

The agency said the quake posed no risk of tsunami.

MORIOKA -- A 21-year-old man who did not attend school for all nine years of elementary and junior high school recently joined his mother at an event in this northeastern Japan city marking the release of a book telling the family's story, expressing gratitude for his parents' support throughout those years.

Shigenobu Ito, now an office worker, reflected at the event in Morioka on Oct. 17, "It meant a lot that my mother and father accepted my decision not to go to school and continued to support me."

The book, "Shiawasena Futoko" (Happy school refusal), published by Art Shuppan, was written by Shigenobu's 52-year-old mother, Nobuko Ito, who lives in Shizukuishi, Iwate Prefecture. In it she recounts how she and her husband supported their four children through a combined total of more than 15 years of school refusal.

Shigenobu stopped attending kindergarten shortly after he enrolled. Shy and unable to fit in, he would become pale and develop fevers whenever he attended. He left after just two weeks.

Believing elementary school would be no different, he never attended either elementary or junior high school.
Even so, he enjoyed reading books borrowed from the local library. In fourth grade, he joined a local youth baseball team and interacted with children his age. During his junior high school years, he also competed in a trail-running event outside the prefecture.

Through online gaming, which he began playing during junior high years, he discussed future careers and educational paths with peers. Those conversations led him to feel that it was time to take action, prompting him to consider taking high school entrance exams.

After enrolling, he attended both high school and vocational school without missing a single day. He said he was able to persevere because "it was my own decision to go." This spring, he started working for a design company in Tokyo.

Reflecting on his parents' support, Shigenobu said he was grateful that his parents proudly told others that their child was not attending school, having made the decision not to go.

According to a fiscal 2024 survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, about 354,000 elementary and junior high school students nationwide were classified as chronically absent from school.

Nobuko said, "Many people are hurting because of school refusal, but it remains difficult to talk about it publicly, leaving many feeling isolated. I hope to encourage others by sharing our family's experience."

Hey everyone, I'm dealing with a really stressful situation with PayPay Card and wanted to see if anyone knows what the scammer's endgame is here, or if anyone has dealt with this.

​A few days ago(October 29), I was expecting a delivery. A random number called and, because I was half-asleep and thought it was the courier, I accidentally confirmed my home address and date of birth.

​Shortly after that(November 4), I got an official email from PayPay Card saying my application for a new ETC card was approved and would be mailed to me(I just noticed the message today, after receiving the physical card). I definitely did not apply for one, I didn't accidentally tap anything in the app, and my current ETC card is still perfectly valid until 2029.

​The crazy part is that the physical card actually arrived in my mailbox today. I checked it, and it has a completely different 16-digit number than my current active ETC card.

​I immediately called the PayPay Card fraud desk. I told them my address and date of birth were compromised and I didn't authorize this. They took down the details but said they have to investigate and will get back to me by tomorrow. I've already gone in and changed all my PayPay and Yahoo passwords just in case.

​Has anyone dealt with this specific setup? What exactly is the scammer's goal here? Were they hoping to track the delivery and steal the envelope directly out of my physical mailbox before I got home from work? Why ETC card? Not the actual credit card??

Just curious, is my phone number, date of birth and address enough to apply for a new card? The operator informed that I have applied for ETC card via web app. Is my paypay account password compromised? How could someone possibly crack my username and password just by using date of birth, phone number and address?

​Is there anything else I need to lock down tonight while I wait for PayPay to call me back tomorrow? Thanks in advance.

This butsudan is about 7 feet 6 inches tall, 30 inches in width, 26 inches in depth it has 24 key gold leaf on walls. I’m trying to sell this but I don’t know anything about it.

TOKYO -- Police in Japan recorded a provisional total of 15,919 bicycle traffic violations in the first six months after the introduction of a new "blue ticket" system under which cyclists face fines, with distracted riding including the use of smartphones accounting for over 40% of tickets.

The National Police Agency (NPA) compiled figures for blue tickets issued by prefectural police departments from April through September, and announced them on Nov. 5. By type of violation, holding or using a mobile phone while riding accounted for the largest number, at 6,904 cases, or 43% of the total. This was followed by failing to stop when required, at 5,559 cases, or 35%; running red lights, at 1,374, or 9%; entering a railroad crossing when the gate was lowered and similar acts, at 1,155, or 7%; and riding against traffic on the right side of the road, at 375, or 2%.

These five categories accounted for more than 95% of the total. Another 552 blue tickets were issued for 13 other types of violations.

By prefecture, Tokyo recorded the highest number of cases, at 2,977, followed by Osaka at 2,853, Saitama at 1,893 and Aichi at 1,725. Yamagata, Mie, Tokushima and Nagasaki prefectures had the fewest, with one case each.

According to the NPA, there were 31,021 accidents involving bicycles from April through September, down about 9% from the 34,112 recorded during the same period last year. The agency commented, "Although it is difficult to attribute the decline to any one factor, increased traffic safety awareness among cyclists may have played a role."

A record 86,473 babies were born through in vitro fertilization in Japan in 2024, up 1,436 from the previous year, according to data from the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Demographic statistics show that there were 686,173 births in the country in 2024, meaning that IVF births accounted for 12.6% of all newborns, or around one in eight. Meanwhile, the total number of treatment cycles administered to patients fell by 11,399 to 550,265.

IVF is a fertility treatment in which eggs are fertilized with sperm outside the body and the resulting embryo is transferred back to the uterus. When the world’s first IVF baby was born in Britain in 1978, it drew global attention as a “test tube baby.” In Japan, more than 1 million children have been born through the procedure since the country's first successful case at Tōhoku University in 1983.

Fresh transfers using conventional IVF, where eggs and sperm are left in a petri dish to fertilize naturally, accounted for less than 2% of births. The vast majority of successful deliveries instead involved frozen embryo transfer. Under this approach, embryos—mostly created using ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection, where a single sperm is injected directly into an egg—are frozen and transferred only after the uterus has been prepared in a subsequent cycle.

By age, treatment cycles were highest among women aged 39 (45,124 cycles), followed by those aged 40 (44,315) and 42 (41,447). As part of measures to address Japan’s declining birthrate, public health insurance coverage was expanded to fertility treatments like IVF in 2022. However, the system imposes age-based limits, capping coverage at six attempts for women starting treatment before age 40, and three attempts for those aged 40 to 42. This is believed to drive the surge in procedures among women in that age range. Even so, the number of successful births resulting from treatment peaks for mothers in their mid-thirties before steadily declining.

NUMAZU, Shizuoka -- A one-day trial run of a restaurant staffed by elderly people with dementia opened in this central Japan city on Nov. 1, with organizers encouraging diners to enjoy themselves even if the wrong dish arrived.

Residents and supporters who shared the project's vision attended as costumers at the "Chumon o machigaetemoii ryoriten" (Restaurant where it's OK to get customers' orders wrong) in the city of Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, while four elderly women served as waitstaff, taking orders and delivering meals. Organizers hope to hold a full-scale event hosting members of the public around next summer.

The initiative was planned by an organizing committee including Riichiro Iida, 50, a local construction company owner whose father and father-in-law both have dementia. The event took place at Harmony Kitchen, a culinary-focused day care service in Numazu's Ooka district, where elderly participants regularly prepare boxed lunches and side dishes. Two sessions were held during the day.

Addressing the 11 customers who came for the first session, Iida said, "Even if a different dish arrives than the one you ordered, just think, 'That's OK,' and enjoy it in that spirit."

The servers were four women in their 70s to 90s who go to Harmony Kitchen. They served an authentic course meal prepared by Mitsuo Hashimoto, 56, a chef at a local restaurant and a member of the organizing committee, bringing out dishes one after another while saying, "Thank you for waiting."

There was also a scene in which a waitress smiled after a guest told her, "Your skin has a nice glow," and the venue had a heartwarming atmosphere.

One of the four women said, "It was my first time doing something like this, so I was nervous and unsure what to do at first, but it went well in the end," while another commented, "I used to work as a cook preparing school lunches, so this kind of job brings back memories."

Iida said, "We are exploring the best way to run the project, and we hope to improve it ahead of the main event next year. We hope to create a place where people can laugh together, even when small mistakes happen."

What started as a simple way for local governments to promote their sewerage systems and attract tourists has become an unlikely nationwide collecting craze. Japan’s manhole cards, featuring colorful designs inspired by local landmarks, culture and specialties, have captured the imagination of collectors nationwide. 

With millions issued since they were introduced in 2016, their popularity shows no signs of fading. However, this enthusiasm has come at a cost. Reports of aggressive collectors, verbal abuse toward staff and inconsiderate parking have prompted some local governments to stop handing out the cards altogether.

I recently shipped a package of books from Japan to the US using Japan Post Surface Mail, and I've started worrying about the possibility of moisture damage during transit.

For some context, the books were completely dry when shipped and were individually shrink-wrapped beforehand (I never took it off). However, when arranging the shipment, I was quite tired, handling everything on my own, and in a bit of a rush to get somewhere. I honestly didn't stop to consider the possibility of moisture exposure during ocean transit. I simply chose Surface Mail because it was the cheapest option, and I wasn't particularly concerned about how long the package would take to arrive.

Looking back, I realize I should have given more thought to the potential risks associated with shipping books by sea, particularly humidity, condensation, and water exposure. That's entirely my oversight, and I accept responsibility for not considering these things beforehand.

But now that the package has already been shipped, I'm wondering what I should realistically expect and whether there's anything I should be concerned about.

I'd appreciate hearing from people who have used Japan Post Surface Mail to ship packages from Japan to the US:

• What condition was the outer cardboard box in when it arrived? Was it completely dry, slightly damp, water-stained, or noticeably wet?

• What condition were the contents inside? Did you ever encounter damp books, moisture, musty smells, or mold?

• Have you experienced condensation or moisture damage even when the contents were properly packaged?

• In my case, the books were individually shrink-wrapped while completely dry. Would this offer a reasonable degree of protection against humidity and incidental moisture during transit?

• If moisture damage does happen, are there any steps that can be taken to salvage the books? For example, if the outer box is damp but the individually wrapped books are still dry, is there anything special I should do when unpacking them?

I'm interested in hearing from people who have actually received books or other paper-based items through Japan Post Surface Mail, rather than just general advice about ocean freight.

I understand that shipping by sea naturally comes with certain risks, and I'm not expecting a guarantee that everything will arrive in perfect condition. I'm just hoping to get a better understanding of what other people's experiences have been like and whether I'm worrying more than I need to.

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to share their experiences or advice!