Nature & Environment
Pick Up Stories
Yohena’s Ajisai-en, The Hydrangea Garden… [Nature & Environment]
As spring moves toward summer, the floral landscape of northern Okinawa is taking on new colors as hydrangea flowers, or ajisai’s in Japanes...Read More
Okinawa Beach Opening Information 2025 [Nature & Environment News]
Okinawa Beach Opening Information 2025 Ginowan Tropical Beach (Apr. 26) Chatan Sunset Beach (Apr. 11) Chatan Araha Beach (Mid. Apr.) Nish...Read More
International Orchid Show opens Nov. 12 … [Nature & Environment]
Orchids are one of the largest families of flowering plants with some 28,000 different species. They are also widely admired for their beaut...Read More
2014 worst accident year on record for yanbarukuina [Nature & Environment]
According to the Naha Regional Environmental Office of the Ministry of Environment, there were 47 reported cases of traffic accidents involving yanbarukuina, or Okinawan rail, in 2...
2015.02.09
Sunflowers compete with sakura for visitor attention [Nature & Environment]
Bursts of golden yellow are cropping up in the fields of Kitanakagusuku, where sunflowers are expected to be in full bloom in about three weeks, like the colorful cherry blossoms a...
2015.02.09
Tankan, strawberries are taste of Okinawan winter [Nature & Environment]
Tony Nakamoto The picking season for Tankan, a citrus fruit grown especially in the northern regions of Okinawa, is in full swing. And so is the season on the only strawberry farm ...
2015.01.12
Looking forward to new challenges of 2015 [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Happy New Year! As we are busy with shinnenkai’s (New Year parties) and amidst the stories of humanity’s failing efforts to get our planet back t...
2015.01.09
Whales ready for annual spectacular [Nature & Environment]
By Bill Charles They are big and slow, but they love to play and have fun. Humpback whales are making their annual migration to Okinawa waters, and now it’s easy for people to watc...
2014.12.06
Petition for international rules for ocean environment [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Dear Japan Update readers. We are blessed to be living in Okinawa, rated as one of the top ten diving spots in the world. As a fleet of Chinese “Red C...
2014.11.24
Visitors migrate to 10th Open Gardens in Nanjo [Nature & Environment]
It only happens twice a year, when Okinawa’s citizens can walk through and tour the private gardens in Nanjo City, and one of those times began on Saturday. The 10th Open Garden in...
2014.10.20
Anguish of the Coral Reefs and path towards solutions [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Super Typhoon Vongfong came and went proving to be one of the strongest storms yet. I welcome the participants to the International Coral Reef Initiative (IC...
2014.10.05
World’s largest volunteer beach cleanup continues [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Okinawa International joins hundreds of thousands of people around world for the 29th annual International Coastal Cleanup. The cleanups as part of the I Lov...
2014.09.18
You and I and The Big Blue is WE [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez For anyone who uses the name of the Grand Blue, we do hope that your words, advertisements and marketing are backed up by actions that will help keep “...
2014.09.14
Green washing rules new Cape Maeda resort project [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Yes, it will be the end of paradise as we know it if we continue on the warpath against our blue environment. From Cape Maeda (Maeda Misaki) to Oura Bay and ...
2014.09.11
Workshop tours at heart of Aha Dam ‘Kuina’ Festival [Nature & Environment]
Northern Okinawa’s Kuni-gami Village is fired up about its Saturday Aha Dam ‘Kuina’ Festival, and can hardly wait to showcase the unique nature opportunities to visitors. Yanbaru D...
2014.09.01
Island’s best river trekking is northern Okinawa challenge [LIFE Nature & Environment]
By Jun Ikemura The Labor Day weekend is here, but there’s plenty of summer left for adventurers to venture off road for a bit of river trekking and taking in the beauty of Ta-Taki....
2014.08.27
“Shinto Abe” the “Tenno Message” and the Third Alternative for “Our Okinawa Ocean” [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Protests rage on in the Henoko District of Nago City where the “soil boring sample” tests have begun. Japan Coast Guard cutters are off shore, as...
2014.08.18
U.S. Lawsuit seeks to halt construction of Henoko airstrip [Nature & Environment]
By Biologicaldversity.org American and Japanese conservation groups Jul. 31 asked a U.S. federal court to halt construction of a U.S. military airstrip in Okinawa, that would pave ...
2014.08.12
Poisonous brown widow spider found in Nago [Nature & Environment]
Okinawa Prefectural Government has called people’s attention to a poisonous spider ’Latrodectus geometricus’, commonly known as brown widow, which was found at Forest Resourc...
2014.08.11
Get ready for 29th Annual International Coastal Cleanup [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Everyone is invited to join the world’s largest volunteer effort for “OUR OCEANS” and waterways by participating in the 21st Annual Ryukyu ...
2014.08.07
Insect Festival at Nago NeoPark is ready to bug you [Nature & Environment]
A special exhibition at Nago NeoPark aims at encouraging people to get familiar with insects, especially those bugs that every pre-teen kid loves and their mothers abhor. The NeoPa...
2014.07.28
The legend of the Tree of Water: El Garoe [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich -Sanchez Last week, I introduced the small island of El Hierro, which forms one of the two provinces that make up the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. On...
2014.07.26
School children to learn about ocean and English language [Nature & Environment]
Coco Juku and diving shop Natural Blue are collaborating in creating an event aimed at elementary school age children, currently on their summer holiday, to teach them about the oc...
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