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August 11, 2026
 

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PETS

Ku (7), a Chihuahua, and Sheri (8), a Chihuahua-poodle mix, peek out from inside of Tomoko Takaoka's tent at the Kyushu Animal Academy, a shelter for evacuees with pets in Kumamoto on Friday.
JAPAN
Aug 1, 2026
Dogs allowed: Animal hospital opens doors to Japan quake survivors and pets
Shelters often do not allow pets and their owners to stay together, being mindful of other evacuees who may view the animals negatively.
Go, a 2-year-old Shiba Inu, remains missing following the earthquake in Kumamoto.
JAPAN
Jul 30, 2026
Kumamoto rallies to reunite lost pets and provide refuge for animals
When natural disasters strike, pets are often among the most vulnerable and overlooked victims.
Tujiko Noriko¡¯s album ¡°PON¡± is dedicated to Ponpon, her late cat, and includes field recordings of her family life in France.
CULTURE / Music
Jul 3, 2026
Tujiko Noriko¡¯s new album is a feline tour de force
On tour in Japan this month, the France-based artist talks about channeling her ¡°crazy cat woman¡± energy into musical creation and finding harmony in dissonance.
Sony is halting sales of its Aibo robotic dog in Japan, ending an era for the interactive pet that became an instant hit and developed its own personality.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 26, 2026
Sony discontinues Japan sales of Aibo robot puppy
The first iteration of Aibo came out in 1999, followed by numerous models over the years.
Jann Zhang, founder and principal of Paw3, a kindergarten for dogs, interacts with a dog in Shanghai on June 2.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jun 17, 2026
China¡¯s pet owners splurge on preschools to pamper puppies
As declining birth rates alter ?lifestyles, pets are increasingly treated as members of the family.
A cat rubs its body against silver vine. Researchers have found that cats typically prefer silver vine over catnip.
JAPAN
Jun 9, 2026
Japanese researchers find cats prefer silvervine over catnip
The team observed how cats would react to both silvervine and catnip when they were left to roam around freely.
Students at Sakashita Elementary School in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture, bid farewell to Shiro, a guinea pig lent out to the school by a veterinary association, on March 12.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Chubu
May 4, 2026
Aichi veterinarians loan guinea pigs to schools for hands-on life lessons
With more schools opting not to keep classroom pets, vets are reducing the burden on schools by lending out guinea pigs for short-term stays.
The Institute for AIM Medicine filed for approval a treatment for chronic kidney disease in cats with the agriculture ministry.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 27, 2026
Japan startup seeks approval of cat kidney disease treatment
A trial showed the drug significantly extended the life of afflicted cats.
An Iwate University team said it has confirmed that cats' appetites wane once they get used to the smell of their food.
JAPAN
Apr 8, 2026
Japan team discovers why cats leave meals unfinished
The introduction of the scent of a different type of food brought back cats¡¯ appetites, even though the cats were eating the same food throughout the experiment.
The value of China's growing urban pet market is estimated to reach 405 billion yuan ($59 billion) in 2028, according to a recent report by PetData.
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 3, 2026
Streaming channel meant for pets launched in China
The new channel on Tencent Video ¡ª China¡¯s most popular online streaming platform ¡ª is meant to keep pets company while alone or can be watched by animals and humans together.
Toru Akama pets a cat at his animal shelter in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, on March 5.
JAPAN
Mar 18, 2026
Former Fukushima worker devotes life to abandoned pets
Toru Akama tends to dozens of pets abandoned after the catastrophe 15 years ago, work he sees as part of his quest for redemption.
Passersby walk past a billboard atop a building featuring a giant 3D cat in 4K resolution in Tokyo's Shinjuku district.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Feb 25, 2026
Hello, little kitty ¡ª Â鶹´«Ã½ $20 billion cat boom
In recent years, Cat Day has exploded, as companies embrace a growing market for felines.
Morinaga Chairman Eijiro Ota holds his pet dog Nono during a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 20, 2026
Morinaga launches treats that dogs and people can share
The company adapted its classic favorites, such as Moonlight cookies, to make them suitable for dogs.
A litter prevention warden draws circles around feces using yellow chalk at Kaiseizan Park in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, on Dec. 5.
JAPAN / Society / Regional Voices: Tohoku
Jan 19, 2026
A Fukushima city launches Operation Yellow Chalk to battle dog fouling
The Koriyama Municipal Government hopes to prompt dog owners to voluntarily pick up dog feces and raise awareness of manners.
Having a dog at home likely helps alter adolescent children's microbiome to make them happier and have better social skills, according to a study.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Dec 25, 2025
Study shows having dogs likely boosts teens¡¯ social skills
Children¡¯s social skills are believed to be boosted by the vagus nerve, which runs through the intestine, stimulating the release of oxytocin.
In pet-loving Japan, the ways owners say goodbye to their dearly departed animals can mirror the ways they bid farewell to other humans.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Nov 29, 2025
In Japan, beloved pets receive human-style farewells
Japan has the highest rate of cremation in the world, and increasingly, that applies to departed pets as well.
Naoyuki Kayamoto (left) and Makoto Murakami of venture firm Hundred aim to launch a subsidiary in the United States.
JAPAN / Regional Voices: Fukushima
Nov 24, 2025
The Fukushima startup bringing a welfare perspective to animal testing
Naoyuki Kayamoto¡¯s venture firm Hundred develops laboratory instruments that cause less stress to animals during experiments.
Emergency kit product for pets developed by Irish Ohyama
JAPAN
Aug 31, 2025
Japan boosting disaster preparedness for pets
A ministry official said there is no law making it mandatory to accept pets into shelters.
A dog looks through the bars of a cage at the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control as the shelter struggles with overcrowding caused by pets abandoned during recent immigration raids, in Downey, California, on July 29.
WORLD / Society
Aug 6, 2025
Trump¡¯s immigration raids in LA affecting pets too
Dogs and cats are finding themselves in Los Angeles County¡¯s care centers after their owners get detained or deported.
A month-old lion cub (center) is seen in front of two 8-day-olds at a breeding facility in Chachoengsao province, Thailand, on July 7.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jul 29, 2025
¡®Absolute madness¡¯: Thailand¡¯s pet lion problem
Thailand¡¯s captive lion population has exploded in recent years, with nearly 500 registered in zoos, breeding farms, petting cafes and homes.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
What Kumamoto revealed about Â鶹´«Ã½ earthquake readiness
By Alex K.T. Martin

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