iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Barbara Holthus

DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 10/09/2026

In der neusten Folge „Tokyo“ der ZDF-Reihe „Weltstädte“ spricht DIJ-Soziologin @barbtokyo.bsky.social über Einsamkeit junger Menschen in der japanischen Metropole. 📺 www.zdf.de/video/dokus/... (1/2)

zdf.de

Weltstädte - mit Leon Windscheid: Tokyo | Terra X Doku

Tokyo ist eine der jüngsten Weltmetropolen. Die Stadt besticht durch ihre Ruhe, Präzision und Sauberkeit. Woher kommt der Sinn für das Gemeinwohl?

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 28/08/2026

Despite the instant fame that Shohei Ohtani's dog, Dekopin, has brought to the Kooikerhondje in Japan, the breed has managed to escape the usual fate of viral Japanese pet trends. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/08...

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 28/08/2026

Japan plans to probe popular animal cafes, where visitors can interact with anything from cats to capybaras, following concerns about hygiene and the creatures' welfare, authorities have said.

ebx.sh

Japan to survey animal cafes over hygiene and welfare concerns

The nation has hundreds of the cafes where campaigners say animals are sometimes kept in cramped spaces.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 26/08/2026

Despite the instant fame that Shohei Ohtani's dog, Dekopin, has brought to the Kooikerhondje in Japan, the breed has managed to escape the usual fate of viral Japanese pet trends. 👉 ebx.sh/pzhuNL

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 31/07/2026

Following Tuesday's powerful earthquake that shook Kumamoto, private shelters, volunteer organizations, and online communities are racing against time to locate runaway animals frightened by the tremors. 👉 ebx.sh/c0h26u

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 31/07/2026

Twenty-five cats trapped inside a Japan shopping mall that was gutted in an explosion following a major earthquake have been rescued, the operator has said, triggering relief on social media.

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Twenty-five cats rescued from Japan mall damaged by earthquake and explosion

Momo, Kohaku, Tango, Shandy and the others were on the ground floor of Aeon Mall in Kumamoto Prefecture when the deadly 7.1 magnitude quake hit on Tuesday.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 22/07/2026

Japan’s pet industry is booming -- DIJ sociologist @barbtokyo.bsky.social explains why: “A pet can also replace a partner. After a divorce, people sometimes get pets. After someone gets widowed, they get a pet.” @genmansfield.bsky.social @aljazeera.com ▶️ www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026...

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 17/06/2026

A new kind of preschool in China is offering games, nibbles, treadmills and music for puppies, clawing out a fast-growing niche in a booming industry as youthful owners spend more on pets.

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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.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 05/06/2026

Thank you for joining Wednesday's session of the Contemporary Tokyo Seminar Series at the DIJ and for a lively discussion of "Tokyo – how can this possibly turn out well?" with Franz Waldenberger & @barbtokyo.bsky.social We have uploaded photos on our website ▶️ www.dijtokyo.org/event/tokyo-...

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Christian Dimmer @remmid.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

Research finds that Tokyo lost tree canopy equivalent to 256 Tokyo Domes in just 9 years. While summers grow hotter, street trees keep disappearing. While cities such as New York, Sydney, Paris, or Shanghai expand tree cover in response to climate change Tokyo continues to lose green infrastructure.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 22/05/2026

Dank an die Deutsche Botschaft in Tokyo für die Einladung zum Austausch mit den Kulturreferenten in Ost- und Südasien, weiteren deutschen Kulturmittlern in Tokyo und der Abteilungsleiterin Kultur & Kommunikation @diplo.de, Christina Beinhoff (im Foto neben DIJ-Vizedirektorin @barbtokyo.bsky.social)

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 18/05/2026

DLF Kultur Weltzeit-Feature "Japan - Frauen kämpfen gegen Klischees" von Felix Lill mit DIJ-Alumnus Vincent Lesch und DIJ-Soziologin @barbtokyo.bsky.social im Gespräch mit Katrin Materna: "Männer heiraten immer noch gerne sozial nach unten in Japan." www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/japans-fraue...

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 29/04/2026

“People in Japan just happen to be socialized different ... they learn early on that you don’t want to inconvenience others”: DIJ's @barbtokyo.bsky.social explains why Japanese soccer fans regularly clean up the stadium after a game @apnews.com @swade2020.bsky.social ▶️ apnews.com/article/japa...

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 31/03/2026

Indonesia will loan two Komodo dragons to Shizuoka Prefecture, where it is hoped the endangered reptiles will be able to breed, and will receive some red pandas and giraffes in return, an official has said.

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Indonesia to loan endangered Komodo dragons to Japan for breeding program

A male and a female will be sent to a zoo in Shizuoka Prefecture, which will send several animals in return to Indonesia including red pandas and giraffes.

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 31/03/2026

Japan is set to expand its child-rearing aid from April. by raising insurance payments for all households, including allowing any child to enroll in nursery facilities regardless of whether or not their parents work.

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Japan to broaden nursery access through expanded child aid program

The program will be funded by a child-rearing support fund, with fees collected on top of public medical insurance premiums from all households.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 11/03/2026

📖 NEW book chapter “Disaster Preparedness and Response for Companion Animals in Japan” by DIJ's @barbtokyo.bsky.social In: The Palgrave Handbook of Human-Animal Interactions @springernature.com, eds. H. Wu, @drkylebreen.bsky.social @drsarahdeyoung.bsky.social ▶️ link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 28/01/2026

日文研(主催)ドイツ日本研究所(共催）シンポジウム「動物愛護運動研究の現在」 📅2月14日 13:30-17:10 🖥️オンライン視聴可能 🎤 伊勢田哲治「「いただきますの倫理」の由来と日本的動物愛護」 W. Puck Brecher: Livestock Care Within and Beyond Japanese “Society” 春藤献一「動物愛護」という言葉が使われ続けてきたのはなぜか @barbtokyo.bsky.social 人とペットの社会学：幸福、孤独、Multispecies Families www.nichibun.ac.jp/ja/events/ot...

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 25/12/2025

Having a dog at home likely helps alter adolescent children's microbiome to make them happier and have better social skills, a study by a Japanese research team showed. 👉 ebx.sh/wS1TPB

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 03/12/2025

Global plastic pollution will hit 280 million metric tons per year by 2040, or a dump truck’s worth every second.

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The world’s plastic glut is set to get much worse by 2040, study finds

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 03/12/2025

A big thank you to the DWIH Tokyo for bringing together scientists, businesses & policy makers to discuss innovations, research, knowledge in society, future policies & action plans at the 'Sustainable Consumption & Production' symposium, incl. DIJ's @barbtokyo.bsky.social & Sebastian Polak-Rottmann

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 19/11/2025

Great to catch up with #DIJAlum Jasmin Rückert, Harald Conrad, Ralf Windhab, Sonja Ganseforth, @hajent.bsky.social, Florian Grosser, Frank Rövekamp, Steve Entrich as well as Ina Hein at the #VSJF conference @jstudiesvienna.bsky.social. More Alumni meetings scheduled for 2026! @barbtokyo.bsky.social

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 13/11/2025

Haustierfriseure, Igelcafés, Tieraltersheime: „In Japan ist die Anthropomorphisierung von Haustieren extrem“, sagt DIJ-Soziologin @barbtokyo.bsky.social im Gespräch mit Janosch Schobin @soziopolis.bsky.social Volltext ➡️ www.soziopolis.de/in-japan-ist...

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 12/11/2025

Onsite only lecture in Vienna by DIJ's @barbtokyo.bsky.social "Pets in Contemporary Japan: Between Commodification, Family Membership, and Animal Welfare Challenges" 🏚️ University of Vienna @jstudiesvienna.bsky.social 📅 19 Nov 2025, 18–20h CET ▶️ www.viennaanimalstudies.com/event-detail...

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 10/10/2025

You can enjoy the Osaka Kansai #Expo2025 even after it will close its doors on Monday: watch our presentation at the German Pavilion and learn about our institute and our research projects in the fields of Sustainability and Digital Transformation @barbtokyo.bsky.social 🎬 youtu.be/NVbOsSdP51s

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 09/09/2025

Vielen Dank an die interdisziplinäre Studiengruppe @lmumuenchen.bsky.social, geleitet von Aki Narutomi, für den Besuch am DIJ. Wir haben uns gefreut, unser Institut vorstellen zu können & über den spannenden Austausch zum demographischem Wandel, Nachhaltigkeit, Höflichkeit uvm @barbtokyo.bsky.social

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 09/09/2025

NEW on our YouTube channel 📽️ @barbtokyo.bsky.social "Stumbling upon furry friends in Aso: Transitioning to studying Japan’s urban-rural divide" youtu.be/HAq8dszJSKk 📽️ S. Polak-Rottmann "From well-being to spaces of resilience in the Aso region" youtu.be/ZQaSla0KnUQ Thanks @jstudiesvienna.bsky.social

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 01/09/2025

How are sustainable consumption, health & animal welfare connected and what are recent trends in meat consumption in Japan, Germany & globally? Find out in "Meat consumption and sustainability" @barbtokyo.bsky.social on our Sustainability in Japan and Beyond blog sustainability.hypotheses.org/1037

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 21/08/2025

Preview DIJ research #Japanologentag 📅 Fri, 11.30 am - 1 pm, Sociology section @celiaspoden.bsky.social 🎤 Barbara Holthus @barbtokyo.bsky.social www.dijtokyo.org/people/barba... ➡️ "Pets, Demographic Change, and Loneliness" www.dijtokyo.org/project/the-...

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 22/08/2025

The Environment Ministry is looking to increase its funding to local governments to enable them to respond better to bear attacks, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the nation.

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Environment Ministry to boost support for local governments facing bear attacks

It plans to allocate roughly ¥3.7 billion for designated wildlife control measures to enable municipalities to secure and train staff able to respond to incidents involving bears.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 18/08/2025

This week @goetheuni.bsky.social: triennial #Japanologentag with latest research in Japanese Studies incl. by DIJ researchers @barbtokyo.bsky.social, @daneuhaus.bsky.social, @celiaspoden.bsky.social, @torweber.bsky.social www.uni-frankfurt.de/156255174/Pr...

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Animal Welfare - the Science for Animal Welfare Journal @animal-welfare.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

🔍 “I want them to live their best lives”: Owner experiences of walking with their cats. This qualitative study examined the practice of walking domestic cats on a leash as a potential compromise between indoor-only & free-roaming lifestyles. 🔗 Read the open access article here: ow.ly/pJCW50WF7S7

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 06/08/2025

New on our YouTube channel 🎬 #DIJForum 'Fermenting for the future' with Aya H. Kimura & Yasuhiro Kobayashi youtu.be/0E4SioOQXxo 🎬 ICAS Seminar 'Animals in Japanese Society - The case of companion vs farm animals' with @barbtokyo.bsky.social & Maho Cavalier (Uehara) www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZRa...

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DIJ Forum 'Fermenting for the Future: tsukemono as a practice of awai'

YouTube video by DIJ Tokyo

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 28/07/2025

In Okinawa, feral goats are causing damage to crops, and there are concerns that they could negatively impact the forest ecosystems harboring rare animals and plants.

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Why authorities in Okinawa are trying to capture feral goats

The goats are causing damage to crops and there are concerns that they could negatively impact the forest ecosystems harboring rare animals and plants.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 23/07/2025

How sustainable is the #Expo2025? Isaac Gagné takes a closer look at its #SDG promotion & implementation and the Expo's lasting impact in "Searching for Sustainability at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai", the latest contribution to our Sustainability in Japan & Beyond blog sustainability.hypotheses.org/946

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 16/06/2025

Two months after the Osaka Expo opened amid tepid enthusiasm, organizers have a new problem: how to improve the guest experience despite swelling attendance figures.

japantimes.co.jp

Two months on, Osaka Expo organizer struggles to improve experience as crowds grow

Even before the expo reaches its peak attendance, some visitors are already growing weary of the long lines.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 30/05/2025

DIJ deputy director @barbtokyo.bsky.social was one of five invited panelists in this important discussion about gender equality in Japan in the Residence Talk series at the German Embassy in Tokyo. Check out the video below 🎬

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 16/05/2025

From Food to Friends? DIJ sociologist @barbtokyo.bsky.social will present insights into her research project on Animal-Human Relationships in Contemporary Japan next Monday in the #WeAreOne online seminar series on the changing role of animals in the Anthropocene www.uni-goettingen.de/en/687654.html

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 08/05/2025

Three Chinese men were arrested in Japan after their rustling suitcases alerted hotel staff to the thousands of hermit crabs inside, police said.

japantimes.co.jp

Three arrested in Japan over suitcases stuffed with hermit crabs

The guests 'had asked the hotel to watch their suitcases, and the suitcases made a rustling noise,' a police official said.

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 17/04/2025

New on YouTube: all presentations of the joint DIJ / @hhu.de /In-East @unidue.bsky.social annual #VSJF conference with economic, societal & political perspectives on Sustainability in Japan are now online @barbtokyo.bsky.social @apklein.bsky.social @hajent.bsky.social www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

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Max Weber Stiftung @maxweberstiftung.de · 03/04/2025

Am 17.3. hat @dijtokyo.org Direktor Franz Waldenberger mit Bestsellerautor Yuval Noah Harari, Kaori Hayashi und Arisa Ema über "The Role of Education & Science in the Digital Age" diskutiert. Zur Aufzeichnung 🎬 youtu.be/a8nyhR5XhZA

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Roundtable 'The Role of Education and Science in the Digital Age' with Yuval Noah Harari

YouTube video by DIJ Tokyo

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 04/04/2025

AI, sustainability, game design: we have just published the spring issue of our #DIJNewsletter www.dijtokyo.org/publication/... which covers these and many other topics, incl. updates on our research, publications @cj-jrnl.bsky.social, events & outreach @barbtokyo.bsky.social @daneuhaus.bsky.social

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Contemporary Japan @cj-jrnl.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Check out CJ's new issue, incl research on labor market dualization; Murakami’s Popular Hits of the Showa Era; media discourses of nuclear power; Japanese identity & railway technology; Nikkei narratives of multiculturalism; populism in Japanese politics www.tandfonline.com/toc/rcoj20/3...

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DIJ Tokyo @dijtokyo.org · 28/03/2025

Armut greift in Japan um sich, betroffen sind besonders Ältere, Kinder & alleinerziehende Mütter. Franz Waldenberger & @barbtokyo.bsky.social erklären in diesem Weltzeit-Feature von DLF Kultur, warum das Thema in der Öffentlichkeit fast keine Rolle spielt www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/armut-in-jap...

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The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 23/03/2025

The results of the decoding of a domestic cat's genome by a group of Japanese researchers have been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's most accurate reference genome for cats, according to a pet insurer.

japantimes.co.jp

Japanese researchers set Guinness record for cat genome

Researchers decoded the genome of American Shorthair cats and published the results.

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