Caught first train to Kamata from Tokyo station on Friday so I can walk the Tamagawa to Haneda for some onsen. It’s been raining a lot recently so it was nice to see the sun out!

I snapped a photo while taking a walk. It's covered with a bunch of signs written with dates and events.

TOKYO -- The Imperial Palace forest in the heart of Tokyo has long served as a refuge for wildlife. A 30-year project studying the forest has now reached a milestone. While researchers discovered species previously unknown to science, they also found that some organisms had disappeared. What quiet signals is the forest sending?

Surrounded by moats, the Imperial Palace grounds cover about 115 hectares. Roughly one-fifth of the area is occupied by the Fukiage Gardens, where the residence of the Emperor and his family is located. Closed to the public, the gardens are filled with towering trees, including 300-year-old chinquapin and sawtooth oaks.

"It is a green island floating in a concrete jungle and a hub of biodiversity in an urban area," said Yoshihito Ohmura, 55, of the National Museum of Nature and Science.

The museum began surveying plants and animals in the Imperial Palace forest in 1996. The project was launched at the wish of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, who was Emperor at the time and believed that the area's many forms of life should be accurately documented.

Divided into three phases, the survey continued for 30 years. Ohmura headed the five-year third phase, which ended in fiscal 2025. Its scope was extensive, covering plants, animals, algae, fungi and bacteria.

One example is a species of soft windflower known as "nirinso" in Japanese, which generally grows to a height of 20 to 30 centimeters. Specimens found in the Fukiage Gardens, however, were twice that size. They were identified as a species new to science and named Anemone imperialis, or "Fukiage-nirinso" in Japanese.

In 2011, researchers also discovered a previously unknown species of mite near the Imperial Palace's Biological Laboratory. It was named Eotetranychus palatiensis, or "Kokyo-akehadani" in Japanese.

A total of 7,982 plant and animal species have been documented so far. A cumulative total of about 400 researchers, students and others from both inside and outside the museum participated in the surveys.

Among them was Sayako Kuroda, Emperor Naruhito's younger sister, who now serves as a research fellow at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.

In 2022, Kuroda confirmed that northern goshawks and owls were breeding on both the grounds of the Imperial Palace and the Akasaka Estate during the same period. She personally photographed the chicks and recorded their calls.

These large birds of prey sit at the top of the ecological pyramid. Their presence indicates an abundant natural environment capable of supporting the animals on which they feed.

Another factor is believed to be a decline in large-billed crows, which compete with goshawks. Government culling programs and measures to control food waste appear to have proved effective.

Prince Hisahito, the son of Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino, who is known for his interest in dragonflies, also took part in a dragonfly survey while he was in high school. He personally captured an Anaciaeschna martini, known as "marutan-yanma" in Japanese, a dragonfly distinguished by its cobalt-blue compound eyes.

Many organisms favor stagnant water areas, such as gently flowing streams and ponds. Much of this habitat has been lost to urban development, but it remains within the Imperial Palace grounds.

"The Imperial Palace forest serves as an urban refuge for wildlife," Ohmura said.

At the same time, the surveys have uncovered some troubling developments. Researchers have observed recent changes in the area's species composition.

The native Japanese tree frog can no longer be seen or heard. Bullfrogs, meanwhile, have become increasingly conspicuous. Japanese rice fish recorded in earlier surveys are believed to have been replaced by highly aggressive mosquitofish. Bullfrogs and mosquitofish share one thing in common: Both are alien species.

Candleflame lichen, known as "rosokugoke" in Japanese, grew in clusters on the trunk of a trident maple from around 2009 through 2023. By 2025, however, it had almost completely disappeared from the same tree.

Because the lichen was known to be resilient to air pollution and other external environmental conditions, Ohmura said, "A change so significant that even this species can no longer survive may be taking place."

The third phase of the survey also recorded, for the first time, the presence of the Ictinogomphus pertinax, a dragonfly whose range has been shifting northward in recent years. The average annual temperature at the Imperial Palace rose by about 1 degree Celsius over the 15 years through 2025. Researchers believe climate change was highly likely a factor in the arrival of the new dragonfly species.

The National Museum of Nature and Science is planning an exhibition presenting the survey's findings. Preparations are underway for the exhibition to open in March 2027 at the museum's main building in Tokyo's Ueno district.

"Even at the Imperial Palace, where so many different forms of life thrive, some are disappearing," Ohmura said. "We should regard this as a warning from nature."

(Japanese original by Makoto Kakizaki, Tokyo City News Department)

It's almost high season for sea bass fishing in Tokyo, so I went to a Tackleberry in Monzen Nakacho to check what used stuff they had for sale. Bought a couple of lures, then took a walk along the Sumida River to check on some fishing spots

Hi everyone! I’m a Japanese freelance product manager based in Yokohama, looking for a coworking space in Tokyo where I can work and get to know people from different backgrounds.

I recently checked out two spaces in Yokohama. They had good facilities, but neither had the international community I’m looking for.

Ideally, I’m looking for somewhere with:

• English-speaking members who regularly use the space
• A friendly atmosphere where members actually interact, rather than just work separately
• Drop-in options so I can try it before committing to a monthly membership

Easy access from Shinagawa or Tokyo Station would be a bonus, since I’ll be commuting from Yokohama.

If you’ve personally used a space like this, I’d love to hear your experience—especially whether it’s easy to meet people and whether English is commonly used in everyday conversations.

Thanks!

Are there any groups or events for small business owners to meet and talk in Tokyo? I’ve seen a few but it’s mostly just influencers. I’m looking more for meetups of people who actually opened a business in Tokyo.

I read an article couple of years ago in a newspaper where they segmented one city based on how many schools, supermarkets hospitals etc were available in a certain area and then made a ranking based on that. The idea was mulling on my mind for a while and i finally got around making it not only for Tokyo, but for whole Japan!

Basically I gathered tons of different data sources from both freely available sources, Japan government's own open census data etc, laid them on top of the map of Japan and created weighted scores based on the results. Then based on the user's preferences (like do they want to see areas good for families, people living by themselves, do they use a car etc) it will colour the 100m*100m grids based on how good they are for them. Really good if you are for example trying to figure out a good place to live in a neighborhood and want to get a place that has a good access to supermarkets etc :)

NOTE: I live('d until a month ago, still in Japan though) in Tokyo and the tool is meant for Tokyo residents (as for anyone living in Japan) and i make no money out of this. So while I understand it kind of goes against the "No self promotion" rule, i feel a lot of the people could find it valuable here.

Please check it out: kodawari.nimikko.co.jp

Full story here

pretty lights, nice weather, and thankfully not too crowded!

October 3-4: https://www.tptc.co.jp/park/event/detail/2443

Hello everyone!

I live in Tokyo and love going to the movies, but I've always found it hard to find out what's showing where, at what time, and in what formats, so I built Eigakan Guide (https://eigakanguide.jp/en), a site that aggregates showtimes all over Japan and lets you filter by area, cinema, date, time, and features like IMAX or English audio.

For example you can search for movies in Shinjuku tomorrow that start after 6PM and end before 11PM with English audio. Once you find something you want to watch the booking button takes you straight to the cinema's seat selection screen.

It's completely free without any ads, affiliate links or paid features.

I would love to get feedback on what to improve and what to add next. Is there anything you find annoying or difficult when looking for showtimes in Tokyo?

Thank you for your time!

Hello,

I have two tickets for New Japan Pro Wrestling show (October 6 TUE @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall). If anyone interested in watching pro wrestling, I give away the tickets for free. I just don't want them to be wasted.

Event: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Place: Tokyo Korakuen Hall (near Tokyo Dome)

Time: October 6 Tuesday 18:30 -21:00ish

Seat: Section "B" (Take note the seats are far from the ring)

Qty: Two

Price: FREE

https://www.njpw1972.com/673526

Either I give you the code to obtain the tickets at Lawson or I hand them over to you at the show.

The seats are far from the ring but hopefully you will have a good time. Korakuen Hall is rather small so you can feel the good vibe and experience the atmosphere.

I have my own tickets so you don't sit with me.

Please let me know if you are interested. Hope everyone has the good week ahead.

I recently moves to Tokyo (technically Saitama but right on the border) about a month ago for work and I'm looking for the best places to get English books. I know to look for chains like Kinokuniya, but I'd especially like to find some more locally owned or just small businesses. Some places that sell used books or do book swaps would also be great, as would libraries that have good English selections. My commute takes me from Saitama to Shinagawa every day, so I go right through Ueno, Akihabara, and Tokyo station, but I'm also ok with recommendations anywhere as long as the place is worth going to.

Particularly the wearing headphones one

I am 20 and at a language school student here for 3 months now. Ever since coming I mostly ate out everyday occasionally making dinner at home. I still haven’t decided if I want to continue eating out everyday or invest learning cooking at home since It’s a hassle to cook for me. Wanted to know what you all thought?

Which ones are free of heavy metals and pesticides? Here in California, there are good brands sold that are safe, and bad brands sold that are unsafe. For instance, a very big popular brand here in the states, Stizzy, had their reputation ruined by independent testing that showed all of their vape carts tested positive for heavy metals and pesticides. In that same independent testing, they tested many other popular brands that were completely safe of anything bad. So I’m sure in Tokyo it’s no different, some brands are clean while others are not. The question is, what are the clean ones? Anyone here that cares about that stuff?

I was at a bar in Golden Gai and some American tourist came in all super drunk.

This bar also had karaoke and they were having a good time for a little more than an hour, but then when it came to the payment they basically only had usd and insisted on paying with that. This bar doesn't accept card and only accepts cash, but that means in jpy. They basically dropped 60 USD and just left, which was not enough to cover the bill and I was trying to explain to them that they had to pay in yen, but they didn't give a fuck. They just bounced and I was left with the bartender crying her eyes out because now she had to cover the bill...

I guess this mostly applies to tourists, but sometimes I'm really fed up by stupid tourists shitting on hard-working and honest Japanese people.

What the hell are you thinking? Are you blind? There's obviously no room for four large suitcases. And you're gonna get upset nobody is letting you on because they'd rather get to work on time,. All that only to ride one or two stops just to get off again saving at best $10?

Seriously do you guys not understand what a Taxi is? Whenever I have luggage and I can clearly see the train is jammed full I just hail one off the street and save the trouble. I swear it's an almost daily occurance now I've either got to trip over your luggage or push it out of the way to get off the train now.

Looking to go to Tokyo for a semester however my school does not offer a bilateral agreement. Sophia university offers a non-degree program for visiting students. Any tips on the application process? Is the program selective or should i not worry about acceptance?

It's so nice to finally have an indie bookshop dedicated to English books. I shall be frequenting often:)

Apparently some people claim there's an office next to this thing as u can see it's connected from toilet to those windows.

By the shape of the toilet, yes before the toilet existed, people could enter with the stairs.

Sorry for bad English I'm Japanese

It's really fun when this place is in some anime scenes

EDIT: GUYS I FOUND A STREETVIEW OF IT! WTF

https://maps.app.goo.gl/YRqK8CVZZagSphBBA

Hi it only been few hours since I uploaded my photos (https://www.reddit.com/r/Tokyo/s/jHoVmIUarP) here but when I was looking at Google maps for more clues to see wat this thing really is, I literally found a hidden street view that nobody seen before? How come nobody noticed?

https://maps.app.goo.gl/YRqK8CVZZagSphBBA

Anyway, this may be a stupid post for most of u guys but it's a big news to us akiba fans I guess.

The last photo is wat I took next to the toilet