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July 02, 2026
 

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OGASAWARA ISLANDS

A recent study by Ryota Hayashi sheds new light on brown boobies' tendencies to follow non-fishing vessels near Japan's Ogasawara Islands.
ENVIRONMENT / Wildlife / OUR PLANET
Jun 21, 2026
Citizen science in Japan’s Ogasawara Islands spotlights ties between ships and birds
A recent study has shed new light on seabirds’ tendencies to follow ships near the island chain and highlights the role wildlife enthusiasts can play in research.
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is off-limits to the general public.
JAPAN / Society
May 21, 2026
Survey begins to determine remote island’s suitability for nuclear disposal site
Japan’s waste management organization will carry out a literature review on the geology of Minamitorishima, located nearly 2,000 kilometers from Tokyo.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa (right) and Masaaki Shibuya, mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, at the industry ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2026
Government will proceed with nuclear waste site survey for Minamitorishima
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa conveyed the government’s decision to the mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, which has jurisdiction over Minamitorishima island, on Tuesday.
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is closed to the general public.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2026
Survey of Minamitorishima greenlit to check suitability for radioactive waste disposal
The central government is searching for a permanent disposal site for radioactive waste from Japan’s nuclear power plants.
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speaks to reporters on the island of Iwo Jima on March 28.
JAPAN
Apr 5, 2026
Japan to strengthen Pacific Ocean defense system
“A vast area on the Pacific side is a defense vacuum,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told reporters during his visit to the island of Iwo Jima.
Ogasawara Mayor Masaaki Shibuya will meet residents on April 13 to outline his response to a government request on surveying a potential nuclear waste site on Minamitorishima.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2026
Ogasawara chief to clarify stance on nuclear waste site survey
Some participating residents expressed concerns about the possibility of the facility damaging the environment and causing rumors harmful to the entire Ogasawara Islands.
The government hosts a meeting for residents of Chichijima island in Tokyo's Ogasawara chain to explain the possibility of conducting a first-stage survey for a final disposal site for highly radioactive waste on another island in the chain.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2026
Japan government briefs Ogasawara islanders on nuclear waste plan
This was the first such briefing session related to the possible choice of Minamitorishima island as a final disposal site.
Katsumoto Yoshimura, an official from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, and Masaaki Shibuya, mayor of Ogasawara Village, met to discuss a survey on the use of Minamitorishima island as a site for nuclear waste disposal.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
Minamitorishima island considered for initial nuclear waste disposal survey
The government is seeking cooperation from Ogasawara village, which administers the remote island.
Explosions rock the shore of Iwo Jima during a pre-landing bombardment on Feb. 19, 1945, as seen from a USS Sanborn (APA-193) landing craft.
JAPAN
Jan 23, 2025
Imperial couple considering visit to Iwo Jima
The Imperial Household Agency is considering a visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to the island of Iwo Jima in April to pay respects to soldiers killed in World War II.
The addition of an area in Pacific waters east of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands saw Japan's continental shelf expanded by 120,000 square kilometers in July.
JAPAN
Oct 27, 2024
Japan expands its continental shelf by 120,000 square kilometers
The expansion has sparked optimism for potential resource development.
Minamitorishima
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2024
Ground Self-Defense Force eyes missile training on remote Tokyo island
The GSDF is holding talks with local communities in hopes of starting missile training on Minamitorishima in 2026.
Professor Yasuhiro Kato of the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo (center right) and Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation (left), hold manganese nodules, a seafloor resource found in the waters surrounding Minamitorishima, Tokyo, on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 22, 2024
Over 200 million metric tons of rare metals found near remote Tokyo island
The sea-bottom mineral concentrations abundantly contain rare metals such as cobalt and nickel — both essential for lithium-ion batteries.
Coffee trees in the Izumi district of Motobu, Okinawa Prefecture
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Okinawa
May 20, 2024
New study finds Japan’s coffee cultivation has roots in Okinawa
Farmers in Okinawa hope the discovery will serve as a catalyst for boosting coffee production in the prefecture.
Plumes of smoke rise from a new isle after a recent volcano on Iwo Jima on Nov. 3.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Nov 7, 2023
New isle emerges after underwater volcano erupts south of Tokyo
A recent undersea volcanic eruption has led to the formation of a new isle off the coast of Iwo Jima, about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 22, 2021
Japan and U.S. coast guards hold rare joint drills near Ogasawara islets
The exercises came as the China Coast Guard continues to send ships near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
Japan Times
LIFE / Food & Drink
Feb 29, 2020
Tokyo Cacao: Japan’s first ‘soil-to-bar’ chocolate
Tokyo Cacao is pushing the boundaries of cacao production with the first ever chocolate bar of entirely Japanese origin. The chocolate lineup is produced from trees grown in the Ogasawara Islands, which fall under Tokyo’s jurisdiction despite being nearly 1,000 kilometers away from the metropolis.
JAPAN
Dec 17, 2019
‘You can’t go home’: Monthlong escape to Ogasawara Islands a hit with teleworkers
Liner service Ogasawara Kaiun Co. is looking for participants for a 28-day, 27-night tour to the Ogasawara Islands, an archipelago of over 30 subtropical islands some 1,000 kilometers south of central Tokyo, highlighting a special chance to escape into nature.
Japan Times
JAPAN / History
Jul 12, 2018
Ogasawara Islands: Remote witnesses on the front lines of Japanese history
The Ogasawara Islands, also known as the Bonin Islands, have faced a number of unique — if not bizarre — developments over the course of history.
Japan Times
LIFE / Travel
Jun 29, 2018
Ogasawara Islands: A distant archipelago, barely connected
Resplendent with pristine beaches, clear blue waters and outdoor activities aplenty, the Ogasawara Islands are a relaxing ‘Japan away from Japan.’
Japan Times
ENVIRONMENT / WILD WATCH
Dec 13, 2014
Twelve ways to spend 2015 with nature
As 2014 winds down and the promise of another year lies ahead, it’s time to come up with a few New Year’s resolutions. Instead of planning for the future or trying some new-fad diets or exercise regimes, how about a resolution to spend a little more time connecting with our wonderful natural world?
More facilities in Japan placing sanitary bins in men’s restrooms
A sanitary bin with an awareness sticker placed in a men's restroom in the Nagasaki Municipal Government building
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Reform panel calls for easing data center building standards
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized that the government will promote reforms of regulations and systems that fit the artificial intelligence era.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.

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One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
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