Koala Crisis In Japan

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Last Updated: Friday, 19 May 2023 17:11

Written by John Holland

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Current reports from Japan suggest that the Australian Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus ) because of natural ageing may only be seen in Japanese zoos for another 20 years. Koalas are one of Japan's most popular exotic animals. However at the end of 2010 there were known to be only 49 Koalas in Japan. Apart from the problem of natural ageing Australia imposes severe requirements for the export of these animals which includes the complications of providing natural habitats that the importer must agree to.  This is an absolute necessity and not meant as a criticism of some of the world's leading Zoos.  

Bonsai or Puntsai

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 May 2020 00:22

Written by John Holland

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Well, Bonsai most likely did not originate in Japan!  No!  Today it is generally accepted that Bonsai as we now know it, most likely began in China in the Sui or Tang dynasties around  589 AD – 907 AD.
However there is more to the story. Old records show that Bonsai definitely moved to Japan from China as a result of trade between the two nations. Exactly when Bonsai became an ‘art’ form and looked like the “Little Trees” we know today is very difficult to estimate. The Japanese are credited with developing the systems for shaping the plants with wire and bamboo only sometime in the late 1700’s to early 1800’s. Before this, container-grown plants in China and Japan were most likely only pruned to control size and growth, important when transporting the plants to trading places. Strong acceptance and appreciation of the concept now known as Bonsai, along with the horticultural skills required to develop and maintain them, soon elevated them to the art form status they enjoy today.

Footnote … sort of?
China and Japan were not the only civilisations to grow plants in containers! This practice is thought to go back at least to ancient Egypt  …  and how about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?
Egyptians of that era did cultivate perennial plants in containers for decorative use in palaces and temples but not cultivated in the way of modern Bonsai.

Japanese Cuisine

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 May 2020 00:23

Written by Super User

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Japanese Cuisine ….. ‘oishi desu ne’

The eating ‘habits’ of modern day Japan developed over many hundreds of years. A major influence during this period was the introduction of rice from Korea about 300 years CE (Soy beans and wheat were Introduced from China not long after this). Rice growing methods were learned by migrating groups of people entering Japan in the Yayoi period. Rice was also used for making paper, wine and fuel.

Zen Buddhism arrived in Japan as early as 700CE but had no significant influence until somewhere around 1200 CE. From this point many temples appeared across the land and food served at the services in these temples was vegetarian (Shojin ryori).This diet was based on the Buddhist bans on the killing of living things and this quickly became the common daily meal type for many people.

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Sky Tree Tower....again?

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 13 May 2020 00:25

Written by Super User

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After the grand opening on May 22, the new Tokyo Skytree Tower has had 1million visitors in 5 days.
To date the accompanying retail and professional businesses at Skytree Town have had 1,132,000 people visit from Tokyo, major Japanese cities and rural towns. This included tourists and other guests (on the first weekend of opening, 564,000 visitors arrived!).
32 million visitors are expected in the first year!

Skytree is situated in the old Asakusu precinct. At 634 meters it is now officially the tallest ‘Tower’ in the world, 34 meters taller than the previous record holder, Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China.

Read more: Sky Tree Tower....again?