Marine forests filled with numerous seaweed species stretch along the Japanese coast. Known in Japan as the “cradle of the sea,” for the role they play in nurturing fish and shellfish, these beds of marine plants have now become the focus of attention as blue carbon ecosystems capable of absorbing and storing atmospheric CO₂. One project currently underway aims to tap into blue carbon ecosystems as CO₂ sinks, while also furthering the development of the fisheries industry. Hopes are growing that this measure to tackle global warming will succeed in Japan, given the nation's culinary culture of eating seaweed and abundant scientific knowledge of these marine plants.

Sea temperatures are rising. Japanese coastal waters in particular have seen a rise of 1.28°C over the last 100 years, which is around double the increase of 0.61°C in the global average. The habitats of a variety of marine organisms have changed over this period, and the conventional ecosystem balance is breaking down. Climate change is thought to be a factor in this, but the precise reasons are still unclear at this stage. However, using environmental DNA microanalysis, it has become possible to gain an accurate understanding of current ecosystems without capturing living creatures. By learning what kinds of organisms inhabit Japanese coastal waters, we will be able to make the coastal fisheries industry more efficient.

The growth of paddy rice is affected by meteorological phenomena. Both 2023 and 2024 have seen high temperatures of a kind expected to occur just once in 30 years, resulting in rice supply shortages that have been dubbed the “Reiwa no Kome-sodo (rice shortage),” likening the situation to unrest caused by similar shortages in previous centuries. High temperatures caused by the effects of global warming are forecast to lead to further decline in both yield and quality in years to come. Combined with the impact of higher CO₂ concentrations, which are also said to be a factor in global warming, it seems likely that the deterioration in yields and quality will become even more serious than conventional projections suggest. Response measures are, however, progressing, including the development of heat-tolerant rice cultivars, and efforts to shed light on climate change processes to facilitate accurate forecasting of growth and yield.

Human activities have caused global warming via the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). That is now an unequivocal fact. And humankind is suffering the consequences of its own actions in the form of climate change caused by global warming. This warming is escalating rapidly on land, with serious impacts on food production. Japan imports at least 50% of its food. In short, what this means is that the countries producing our food are emitting GHGs attributable to agriculture for Japan's sake. To take steps to combat climate change, we must start by understanding this background and learning about the environmental burdens arising from daily life.

Catechins are a type of polyphenol found in abundance in green tea and are also the principal component of its astringent taste. Green tea has been regarded as good for one's health for centuries. Recent studies have scientifically demonstrated the powerful antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral properties of catechins, and they have come to be used in a diverse array of medical treatments. Various other efficacies have also been reported, such as demonstrating anti-arteriosclerotic properties, improving lipid abnormalities, reducing visceral fat, and inhibiting rises in blood glucose levels and blood pressure. As such, they seem likely to be effective in preventing lifestyle diseases. One cannot help but say that green tea is a genuine superfood.

Less than 10% of polyphenols are absorbed in the small intestine, with the vast majority moving into the colon. The potential for polyphenols to have a direct effect on metabolism is therefore low; scientists think that gut bacterial activity changes the structure of polyphenols, turning them into potent active substances with new functions. At the same time, scientists have discovered that polyphenols also have an effect on gut bacteria. Phenols produced by gut bacteria are the root cause of diseases including uremia, diabetes, and diabetic kidney disease, but scientists say polyphenols can regulate them. Attention is now focusing on the interaction between polyphenols and gut microbes.

Polyphenols have been attracting attention in recent years due to their beneficial effects in such areas as lowering blood pressure and improving glucose tolerance. In fact, however, virtually all the polyphenols we consume are excreted without being absorbed into the body. In other words, unlike micronutrients and pharmaceutical products, the bioavailability of any polyphenols consumed is extremely low. So, why have so many health benefits from their consumption been reported? Scientists say that, activated by polyphenols, the nervous system reduces the risk of chronic disease and sensory function loss. This effect is a completely new mechanism that cannot be explained via pharmaceutical analysis.

Polyphenols are chemical substances that plants produce in order to survive in their surrounding environment, from which they cannot move. Although polyphenols are known to have beneficial physiological effects for humans, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, their mechanisms of action are, for the most part, a mystery. Their most reliably established property is their protective effect on blood vessels. Scientists say polyphenols act to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease by curbing arteriosclerosis. If efforts to shed light on their effects progress, polyphenols might one day be classed as the “seventh nutrient,” alongside protein, fat, carbohydrates (also known as the three major nutrients), vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

Hospital facility dogs are a special type of companion animal that are hand-picked while they are puppies and undergo two years of advanced training at a dedicated facility. Only then can they carry out their role. Working at hospitals and the like, hospital facility dogs provide comfort to everyone at the facility, especially to the patients. Providing support in situations involving a particularly substantial psychological burden is an important job that only hospital facility dogs can do, and the positive effects they have are steadily increasing. However, as only a very limited number of Japanese hospitals have introduced hospital facility dogs to date, more widespread support is needed.

While chronic kidney disease is highly prevalent in cats, its precise cause is not known and scientists had believed it to be incurable. However, it has now been discovered that a protein called apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM) holds the key to a remedy for this disease. Functioning in many animals, AIM's role is to make phagocytic cells called macrophages consume dead cells and other waste in the body. However, for some reason, the cat family is the only one in which AIM is consistently inactive, with the result that waste builds up in the kidneys, causing kidney disease. Administering AIM causes macrophages to consume this waste and improves kidney function.