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July 12, 2026
 

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AGRICULTURE

A mixture of urea and ammonium sulfate fertilizer on a corn field in Glendora, Mississippi.
BUSINESS
May 22, 2026
Human urine becomes option for farmers in fertilizer supply crunch
From Yorkshire chicken muck to human urine-based products, a fertilizer crunch tied to the Iran war is accelerating demand for alternatives to conventional nitrogen inputs.
Mice can attack emerging crops, devour and soil stored grain, and damage machinery by chewing through cables.
ASIA PACIFIC
May 19, 2026
Mouse plague drives Australia to allow potent bait to save crops
The economic impact from mice can be widespread as they can attack emerging crops, devour and soil stored grain, and damage machinery and infrastructure by chewing through cables.
A farm in Ruleville, Mississippi, on March 31. While the fresh disclosure of China agreeing to purchase agricultural products from the U.S. will likely be welcomed by farmers, the amount may not be large enough to satisfy growers looking to turn around tough economic conditions.
WORLD / Politics
May 18, 2026
U.S. says China agrees to spend billions on agricultural goods
Previous efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to get China to purchase more U.S. goods have fallen short, raising questions about whether the latest pledges will be fulfilled.
Toshimasa Murata (second from right) at his carrot field in Minamiaso, Kumamoto Prefecture, with his wife, Hiroko; daughter, Sumi; and son, Kanta
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Fukushima
May 18, 2026
Farmer from Fukushima works to promote Kumamoto — his new home
Seeing residents of Kumamoto Prefecture supporting one another after a quake there, the Fukushima Prefecture native began thinking he should contribute to revitalizing the area.
Monster Wolf, a wolf-like robot, next to a rice field in Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture, in August 2017.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife
May 13, 2026
‘Robot wolves’ in high demand to scare off bears in Japan
Monster Wolf is an animatronic scarecrow with flashing red eyes that howls and growls menacingly to scare away wild animals.
An aerial view shows cattle walking on a tract of the Amazon rainforest that has been cleared by loggers and farmers near the Virola-Jatoba Sustainable Development Project in Anapu, Para state, Brazil, in 2019.
BUSINESS
May 12, 2026
How China’s evolving consumer habits may protect the Amazon rainforest
A pledge from a meat association in Tianjin to buy deforestation-free beef is challenging a long-held assumption among Brazilian farmers that China cares only about price.
Japan is promoting fertilizer production from sewage sludge to reduce reliance on imports.
JAPAN
May 10, 2026
Local governments recover phosphorus from sewage sludge
Phosphorus is almost entirely imported. Supply disruptions triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 prompted the central government to promote fertilizer production.
About 2,900 pigs at a farm in the city of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, will be culled after an examination conducted by the central government confirmed the presence of classical swine fever, the Shizuoka Prefectural Government said Tuesday.
JAPAN
May 6, 2026
Japan confirms fourth swine fever outbreak of the year
About 2,900 pigs at a farm in Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, will be culled after an examination by the central government confirmed the presence of classical swine fever.
An agrivoltaic crop, in which solar panels are raised about 3 meters off the ground so that agricultural machinery can freely operate on the crops underneath, in Sosa, Chiba Prefecture.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy / OUR PLANET
May 3, 2026
As Iran war sends oil prices soaring, some see fresh potential for solar in Japan
While megasolar projects are facing headwinds at the government level, some see renewed potential for solar sharing and smaller-scale, off-grid systems.
Shingo Takatsu (left) and Soichi Tojima check a crop surrounded by a fence in Oda, Shimane Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Hiroshima
Apr 27, 2026
Shimane farming districts face onslaught from rising monkey population
Japanese macaques have become used to humans, stealing persimmons and daikons even with people standing nearby.
After working at his family's restaurant in Kyoto, chef Koki Watanabe moved to the countryside far north of the city, opening Inaka no Taiho in 2021.
LIFE / Food & Drink / Destination Restaurants
Apr 17, 2026
Chickens go from coop to table at Inaka no Taiho
The talented Koki Watanabe offers a farmhouse-style dining experience in the woods of northern Kyoto.
Farmers separate wheat grains from husks at a farm on the outskirts of Varanasi, India, on Tuesday.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Apr 15, 2026
India’s green fuel plans collide with farmers’ water fears
India, which imports 80% of its oil and gas, has made ethanol central to its clean energy plans and, as war in the Mideast impacts the price and supply of oil, its energy security.
A worker harvests rice in Vietnam's Dong Thap province on March 25.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 11, 2026
Fuel shortages from Iran war threaten Asia’s biggest food staple
Across Southeast Asia, tens of millions are struggling to find affordable crop nutrients as well as the diesel needed for operating machinery.
Agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki (far right) exchanges views on overseas expansion while holding a matcha latte, on Thursday in Tokyo's Taito Ward.
JAPAN
Apr 10, 2026
Agriculture minister visits Tokyo matcha cafe as Iran war affects tea production
Tea producers are increasingly concerned about procuring the fuel needed in April-June for work such as drying harvested tea leaves amid Middle East tensions.
The governments latest revisions to the staple food law reflects lessons from severe rice shortages that began in summer 2024.
JAPAN
Apr 3, 2026
Japanese government approves bill to boost demand-based rice production
The revised law will explicitly stipulate the long-standing policy of promoting rice production that matches demand, with the aim of preventing price declines due to oversupply.
Sayaka Eguchi, head of Eguchi Rice Farm, poses with her husband Hiroyuki at their farm in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture.
JAPAN / Society / FOCUS
Apr 2, 2026
An ‘untapped field’: The Japanese women who are seeing growth in agriculture
The traditional gender roles in Japanese agriculture are beginning to shift, giving way to a more flexible division of labor.
Organic food is less common in Japan than in the U.K., with about 70% of what is available in the country being imported.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 1, 2026
In Japan, strong state-led certification key to boosting organic food uptake
Japanese and U.K. researchers have found that having a transparent government-certified system may help encourage more people to buy organic food products.
Shubun Endo, president of Tomioka Winery in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture, in February
JAPAN
Apr 1, 2026
15 years since disaster, Fukushima winery becomes community hub
This spring, Tomioka Winery will sell the first wine made in the town.
The Shizuoka Crown Melon brand of melons that have been exported to Australia
BUSINESS
Mar 30, 2026
Shizuoka’s premium melons hit Aussie market
The Shizuoka Crown Melon, grown chiefly in the cities of Fukuroi and Hamamatsu, boasts a high sugar content and rich aroma compared with other varieties
Former Government Pension Investment Fund President Masataka Miyazono joined Hulic last year as an adviser to focus on agricultural investments as the sector faces a rapidly aging and shrinking workforce.
BUSINESS
Mar 6, 2026
Former chief of $2 trillion pension fund joins developer growing tomatoes
Masataka Miyazono aims to help make Japan’s agricultural sector more productive in order to boost sustainability in the country.
China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

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Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

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