Divers Remove Ghost Gear to Protect Marine Ecosystem Off Nagasaki Prefecture's Goto Islands
Known as ghost gear, fishing gear that has drifted away from human control is known to kill marine life and cause damage to ships, but the exact impact remains unclear.
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation, began comprehensive surveys in Japanese coastal waters two years ago and found fishing nets on the seabed near Tatara Island in Goto in the prefecture.
As one of the world's largest colonies of Osuribachisango coral is located about 200 meters north of the spot, WWF Japan decided to remove the gear before typhoon season began.
Relevant surveys and removal operations are planned in seven marine areas nationwide through September next year.
Four divers pulled ashore a tangle of fishing nets measuring about 3 meters in length and a meter in width from a depth of four meters below the sea surface.
'I'm worried because once these nets get tangled in my fixed nets, it could affect my catch,' said a 41-year-old fisherman who participated in the removal.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
5 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Toilet survey finds gender gap in Japan's restrooms
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Women lining up for restrooms at train stations and other crowded public facilities is a common sight in Japan, while men rarely queue. Some suggest it's because women need more time, but one user of ladies' rooms has found that men actually have access to nearly twice as many toilets. Manami Momose works as an administrative scrivener in Tokyo. Frustrated by the lineups, she looked into the situation and found that the majority of facilities around Japan allocate equal space to men's and women's toilets even though the former include urinals, compact toilets that allow more loos to be packed into a given area. Momose started a survey after an experience she had in the summer of 2022 at JR Kurashiki Station in Okayama Prefecture in western Japan, which she used when traveling as a fan of the Japanese male pop quartet Junretsu. At the station, there was a queue of about five or six women standing outside the ladies' restroom. After waiting her turn, she decided to count the number of toilets posted on an information board. She was surprised to learn that there were seven toilets including urinals for men, but only four for women. For the next three years, Momose continued to investigate the "gender gap" in restrooms at public transportation and commercial facilities she visited. If there were no information boards, she enlisted the help of her husband and male friends, or asked men who were there. According to Momose, the average male-to-female ratio of toilets of the 907 locations she surveyed by late June was 1.73 times higher for men than for women. Only 5 percent of all the facilities had more toilets in ladies' rooms. When she sent out messages on X (formerly Twitter) with hashtags such as #OnlyLongLinesForWomen'sRestrooms, she received many sympathetic responses such as "Women are being forced to wait." Another commentator said, "This is not right considering the ratio of the population," referring to a recent government estimate showing females outnumbering males in Japan by 3.3 million. "Women definitely are being made to wait because of fewer toilets. There should at least be an equal number for men and women," said Momose, 60. "Women might take longer than men as they must lower and lift garments or change sanitary napkins," she continued. "But this is a human rights issue that also affects health, and it isn't natural for women to have to put up with this." When asked why there is a restroom disparity at Kurashiki Station, a JR West official said, "The number of restrooms is designed based on a comprehensive consideration of the station's size and space." A representative of a transport operator in the Tokyo metropolitan area said the company allocates the same area for men and women and installs as many toilets as possible. As a result, there are more toilets for men. "We will continue to consider the best arrangement of toilets based on passenger feedback," the representative said. Atsushi Kato, president of Japan Toilet Labo., a nonprofit which provides educational activities on toilet-related issues, commended Momose's survey for drawing attention to the issue, saying, "It is important to make the problem visible." Kato added that toilets also need easy-to-understand instructions to alleviate crowd congestion, as well as enough space for people with bulky luggage. Toilets must be improved in light of social diversity, he said, bearing in mind not only female users but the increase in visitors to Japan as well as wheelchair and stroller users. "We must incorporate diverse perspectives and improve restrooms in response to social changes," Kato said. By Akane Murakoshi
SoraNews24
12 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Japanese pop star Ado wants to know if Americans actually eat one of Japan's favorite 'Western foods'
It sure seems like Americans would like it. For several decades, beef teriyaki has been one of the most popular menu items at Japanese restaurants in the U.S. It's flavorful and hearty, and doesn't use any ingredients with tastes or textures that would startle the average American diner. What can be surprising for American beef teriyaki fans, though is when they come to Japan and find out that the dish doesn't really exist here. Sure, Japan has beef, and Japan has teriyaki, but the latter isn't used as a seasoning for the former in the sauce's country of origin. Of course, this sort of situation, where one country mistakenly thinks something is a staple food in another culture but it really isn't, isn't something that only happens in America. As a matter of fact, J-pop mega star Ado recently took to Twitter to ask her followers if something that's widely seen by Japanese people as an archetypal example of yoshoku ('Western cuisine') is something that she'd be able to find in the U.S. Do they have 'hamburg' (hamburger steaks) in America? I'd like to try them. — Ado (@ado1024imokenp) July 23, 2025 To clarify, Ado isn't asking about hamburgers, as it's common knowledge that there are burger joints all across the U.S. Instead, she's talking about a patty made of ground meat, onion, egg, and breadcrumbs that's eaten with a knife and fork. A hamburger steak, as hamburg is also sometimes called, can be accompanied by rice or bread, but the bread is always a thick slice or a dinner roll served on the side, not a bun, and hamburger steak isn't eaten as a sandwich. ▼ A Japanese hamburger steak/hamburg Hamburger steak is extremely easy to find in Japan. Pretty much every casual chain diner like Denny's or Gusto has it on the menu, and even some beef bowl chains, like Matsuya, offer hamburger steak set meals. Then there are all the restaurants that specifically specialize in hamburger steak. But as many commenters quickly explained in their replies to Ado, hamburger steaks aren't nearly as big a thing in the U.S. as they are in Japan. 'I don't think I've ever [eaten] a hamburg steak outside of Japan…America doesn't have them super often.' 'There are some in Little Tokyo, although I don't remember exactly where,' 'I don't think I've seen them at a restaurant.' 'Some Japanese restaurants in major cities have them.' 'Only in Japanese Restaurants.' The closest analogy in American cuisine, others offered, is Salisbury steak. However, many pointed out that Salisbury steak isn't an exact match, as it's often covered in a gravy unlike any sauce used for hamburger steak in Japan, and sometimes topped with sliced mushrooms as well, or may have things like diced mushroom or bell pepper within the patty itself. One commenter boiled the differences down to 'We do have Salisbury steaks, which are smaller, and worse.' Others theorized that America's version of the hamburger steak is meatloaf, but that has a different texture and flavor, as it's baked while hamburger steak is flat-grilled, often being finished on a hot iron plate at the table as it's served. Some commenters also mentioned loco moco, the patty for which bears a strong resemblance to Japanese hamburger steak, but it's more of a local Hawaiian food than something you'll regularly find across America's other 49 states (and, incidentally, is said to have been originally popularized by a Japanese-American chef). Considering that Japan loves both hamburger streaks and hamburgers, and sees both as culinary imports, Ado might be surprised to find out that America's tastes are so overwhelmingly tipped towards hamburgers that a hamburg will be hard to find. As alluded to by a couple of commenters, though, in a case of food ideas ping-ponging back and forth between cultures, hamburger steaks are starting to establish fanbases among American restaurant-goers who see them as a kind of Japanese food, so maybe they'll actually become a more common part of the American diet in years to come, and maybe even Japan's hamburger steak sushi will one day catch on over on the other side of the Pacific. Source: Twitter/@ado1024imokenp Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Follow Casey on Twitter as he continues to lament the closing of the Butchers hamburger steak restaurant in Jiyugaoka.
Tokyo Weekender
14 hours ago
- Tokyo Weekender
Honda Tadakatsu: The Indestructible Samurai
There's an interesting thing you start to notice while studying paintings depicting Japan's most famous battles from the 16th century. A lot of them seem to feature a samurai with deer antlers throwing himself into the fray with a look of fierce determination on his face. Who is this frightful figure? The personification of death? The Japanese devil perhaps? It was actually a real guy named Honda Tadakatsu. He was a veteran of nearly 60 battles during which he reportedly received no serious wounds. He may not have been the devil, but all signs point to him having made a deal with one. List of Contents: Tokugawa Ieyasu's Ride or Die A Revered Warrior and Skilled Administrator A Stylish Samurai Related Posts Portrait of Honda Tadakatsu, Chiba Prefectural Central Museum collections (c. 17th century) Tokugawa Ieyasu's Ride or Die Honda Tadakatsu was born in Mikawa Province in modern-day Aichi Prefecture to a clan that served the Matsudaira, who by then were split, surrounded by more powerful enemies and lacked military power or prestige. Tadakatsu, though, didn't concern himself with such things. He decided to stay loyal to the young head of the family, Matsudaira Motoyasu, for the rest of his life. This turned out to be an excellent decision since Motoyasu later became Tokugawa Ieyasu, the third great unifier of Japan who ended the Warring States period and created a military government that would rule the country for over 250 years. Ieyasu probably couldn't have done it without the help of Tadakatsu, who rode out into battle for him over 50 times and even changed his faith after the followers of his preferred school of Buddhism started opposing and fighting his lord. His loyalty, though, wasn't the reason why historians named him one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Tokugawa. It was because of his skills on the battlefield. Image from The Battle of Nagashino folding screen (c. 18th century) with Honda Tadakatsu highlighted on the lower left A Revered Warrior and Skilled Administrator Tadakatsu allegedly participated in his first battle at just 13 and killed his first man when he was 14. Legend goes that his uncle offered to let him decapitate a man he'd just killed, but Tadakatsu was not interested in secondhand glory, so he charged the enemy and came back with a head of his own. Ieyasu noticed his talents and continued to promote him from soldier to vanguard commander to head of a cavalry unit and, ultimately, general. Tadakatsu more than earned the role. During the Battle of Anegawa in 1570, he fought a one-on-one duel with the gigantic figure of Magara Naotaka, who wielded an equally massive odachi sword . Three years later, Tadakatsu protected Ieyasu's retreat from the army of the legendary warrior Takeda Shingen (and specifically one unit led by Naito Masatoyo) after their loss at the Battle of Mikatagahara, saving his lord's life. This was also when Ieyasu allegedly received a dressing down from an innkeeper for not paying his bills and soiled his britches during the escape. Tadakatsu would have his revenge during the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, where he commanded a unit of musketeers that helped decimate Takeda's forces and captured the first enemy general of the day: Masatoyo. Because Tadakatsu does not forgive nor forget. Of course, he was also there during the famous Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, a decisive victory for Ieyasu, which effectively secured his dominance over Japan. During the conflict, Tadakatsu distinguished himself thanks to his strategies and battlefield bravery. He was subsequently made lord of Kuwana Castle. Tadakatsu turned out to be as skilled an administrator as he was a warrior, developing the area around the castle through public works and creating a prosperous post-town. He retired in 1609 and died peacefully the following year. Discover Tokyo, Every Week Get the city's best stories, under-the-radar spots and exclusive invites delivered straight to your inbox. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy . A Stylish Samurai During the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Ieyasu's chief rival at the time) had a chance to attack and almost certainly kill Tadakatsu, but ordered his troops to leave him be because he thought it would be a waste to dispose of one of the bravest samurai in Japan. Even Oda Nobunaga, the Demon King himself , had a lot of respect for him. This was mainly due to his skills on the battlefield, though his distinctive attire also didn't hurt his reputation. Tadakatsu had a few different battle banners, including one depicting Shoki the Demon Queller, a powerful guardian deity. He also wielded the Tonbogiri (dragonfly-cutter) spear , considered one of the Three Great Spears of Japan, which was said to be sharp enough to cut a dragonfly in two if it landed on it. His other weapon was the Nakatsukasa sword by Masamune, the greatest swordsmith in Japanese history. Also rarely missing from Tadakatsu's getup was a large Buddhist rosary that he often slung over his shoulder during battles. But his most distinguishing feature was his helmet with massive deer antler crests. Deer are powerful symbols in Japanese mythology. They're said to be messengers of Amaterasu, the goddess of the Sun and arguably the most important deity in the Shinto pantheon. And because deer shed and regrow their horns, antlers are sometimes considered symbols of death and rebirth. Tadakatsu was usually associated with the former. But what an honor to be killed by a warrior of such caliber. Honestly, all of his victims on the battlefield would probably have thanked him if they hadn't had their heads cut off. Related Posts Junnosuke Date: The Wannabe Samurai Who Became a War Criminal Oda Ujiharu: Why the 'Weakest Samurai Warlord' Is Admired to This Day Who Was The Elusive Samurai? The Real Life of Hojo Tokiyuki
