This is one of the longest running blogs on the topic of Japan. The blog is about things occurring in Japan. All topics are fair game. I have been deep in the Japanese global community for 20 years, so ask questions if you have any. The blog started out focusing on the many unusual and literally ancient animals in Japan. Over time people wanted to know, see, and read more, so I expanded the blog.
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Japanese Wildlife Translations
Thursday
Monkey netted after escape from Ueno Zoo | The Japan Times Online

Animal Planet will turn 'The Cove' into a TV show
The series picks up where the movie left off and, like the film, stars animal activist Ric O'Barry. Two episodes of the series -- being executive-produced by O'Barry's son, Lincoln -- have been completed, although a premiere date has yet to be announced, Ric O'Barry said.
Animal Planet says the series may premiere in the fall, after "The Cove" premieres on the channel this summer.
"The Cove" tells the story of an annual rite in Taiji, Japan, where fisherman sell dolphins into captivity or kill them for meat. As depicted in the film, the practice is cruel and the dolphin meat contains risky levels of mercury.
O'Barry is an activist who once worked as a trainer on the popular 1960s television show "Flipper." He has dedicated his life to campaigning for animal rights, a quest that eventually took him to Taiji.
The show will address questions that fans of the film may have wondered about -- such as whether the slaughter continues and whether the Japanese still unknowingly eat mercury-laden dolphin meat.
"What has happened now is that they're not killing dolphins in the cove; they've moved offshore," O'Barry said. "They've created an artificial cove out of nets, and they drive the dolphins in there and kill them so we can't photograph it. But we have some drones and small planes and things to prove it."
Marjorie Kaplan, general manager and president of Animal Planet, said the film's message was perfect for the channel. "Ric and Lincoln O'Barry are fascinating men with an important mission and remarkable stories to share," she said. "We're delighted to be working with them on their next project."
If a news release issued by the government in Taiji is any indication, the Japanese remain unimpressed by the film's success. "There are different food traditions within Japan and around the world," read the statement. "It is important to respect and understand regional food cultures, which are based on traditions with long histories."
On the Academy Awards telecast, O'Barry held up a sign that urged interested viewers to text-message a number for more information about how to support the cause. More than 50,000 texts have come in, O'Barry said.
The activist also encountered a number of celebrities at the Oscars who said they would visit Taiji in September, when the annual dolphin slaughter begins. Daryl Hannah, Sting and Ben Stiller have already pledged their support, he said.
Until then, O'Barry, now 70, is heartened that the film will be released at a limited number of Japanese movie theaters in June.
"They can't deny this film anymore," he said. "The last couple of months have meant validation, in a word. It's been a breakthrough for me."
Japanese Knotweed problem to be 'tackled' by bug
A bug called a psyllid will be used to fight against the non-native plant, which is listed by the World Conservation Union as one of the world's 100 worst invasive species.
Currently, it costing the UK economy over £150 million a year to control and clear the weed, which grows at a rate of up to a metre a month.
It can push through tarmac, concrete and drains and destroys habitats for native species.
Wildlife minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "These tiny insects, which naturally prey on Japanese Knotweed, will help free local authorities and industry from the huge cost of treating and killing this devastating plant."
It follows the launch of another government campaign last month, which aims to highlight problems with non-native garden pond plants.
Wednesday
Oscar Winners Try to Keep Whale Off Sushi Plates - CNBC
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Oscar Winners Try to Keep Whale Off Sushi PlatesThe New York Times | March 09, 2010 | 11:49 AM ESTIt is sport among black belt sushi eaters here to see just how daring one’s palate can be. But even among the squid-chomping, roe-eating and uni-nibbling fans, whale is almost unheard of on the plate. It also happens to be illegal.
Yet with video cameras and tiny microphones, the team behind Sunday’s Oscar-winning documentary film “The Cove” orchestrated a Hollywood-meets-Greenpeace-style covert operation to ferret out what the authorities say is illegal whale meat at one of this town’s most highly regarded sushi destinations.
Their work, undertaken in large part here last week as the filmmakers gathered for the Academy Awards ceremony, was coordinated with law enforcement officials, who said Monday that they were likely to bring charges against the restaurant, the Hump, for violating federal laws against selling marine mammals.
“We’re moving forward rapidly,” said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the United States attorney for the Central District of California. Mr. Mrozek declined to say what charges could be brought against the restaurant, but said they could come as early as this week.
In the clash of two Southern California cultures — sushi aficionados and hard-core animal lovers — the animal lovers have thrown a hard punch.
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The Japanese Bobtail is a breed of cat with an unusual 'bobbed' tail more closely resembling the tail of a rabbit than that of an or...