Japan updates a free tool that measures 3R actions
Japan's Ministry of the Environment has updated a free tool. The ministry is the part of the Japanese government that takes care of nature, air and water.
Water and waste in daily life
Social studies
Grade 4
The water that comes out of the tap every day is stored in dams and in forests, cleaned at a water plant, and delivered through pipes. After we use it, sewage treatment takes the dirt out and returns the water to rivers and the sea, where it becomes rain again. These systems are built and improved so that safe water arrives without stopping, and they support the health of everyone in the area. Rubbish from our homes is collected under rules for sorting, burned at a cleaning plant, and then either buried or used again through recycling, so that the town stays clean. Both jobs depend on many people beyond our own town, and saving water and making less rubbish are things we can do ourselves.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
Scientists find what makes some tap water smell like mold
Sometimes tap water smells like mold. Now scientists in Japan have found an enzyme that helps make the chemical behind this smell.
Friday, September 18, 2026
Tokyo asks experts how to stop litter in the city
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, wants cleaner streets. On August 25, 2026, the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, asked a group of experts to study the problem of litter in the city.
Monday, September 7, 2026
AI recycling box collects old phones and batteries in Tokyo
A new recycling box is now collecting old phones and batteries at Takanawa Gateway City in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The box is called Bin-e.