Strong earthquake hits southern Panama
A strong earthquake hit southern Panama on October 9, 2026. It happened at 12:56 in the afternoon, local time.
Our life and the environment
Social studies
Grade 5
Earthquakes, tsunamis, storms and floods, landslides, volcanoes, and heavy snow happen again and again in the same areas, because they are tied to the shape of the land and to the climate. Knowing this, the national and prefectural governments build sea walls and dams, make hazard maps, and work to lessen the damage. Forests cover about two thirds of Japan, and they give timber, hold water, clean the air, hold back disasters, and give homes to living things; the people who work in forestry raise and protect them, and so protect the country itself. As industry grew and life became easier, pollution also appeared, but citizens, cities, factories, and other groups worked together to deal with it and to protect the environment, and living conditions improved. For a society that can go on, we think about and choose what we can do to keep our health and our surroundings safe.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Japan writes new guidelines for flooded underpasses
An underpass is a road that goes under another road or a railway. When it rains very hard, water can fill the low part of an underpass.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Rare mole found in Japan's Shirakami Mountains
A rare mole has been found in the Shirakami Mountains for the first time. Hirosaki University, a national university in northern Japan, announced this on September 2, 2026.
Sunday, September 27, 2026
Typhoon rain breaks lake levee in Chiba, Japan
Heavy rain from Typhoon No. 25 has caused serious flooding in Chiba, an area in Japan near Tokyo.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
Beetle trap shows how healthy a forest is
Scientists in Japan have found a new way to check the health of a forest. They count small beetles that fly into a special trap.
Sunday, September 13, 2026
Kushiro road will close early before heavy rain
On September 4, 2026, a road office of Japan's transport ministry announced a new rule for a road in Kushiro. Kushiro is a city in Hokkaido, in the north of Japan.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Japan raises the warning level for Mount Tokachi
On September 12, 2026, at 9:30 in the morning, the Japan Meteorological Agency raised the warning level for Mount Tokachi. The agency is the Japanese government office that watches the weather and volcanoes.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Why the heavy rain stayed over Chiba in August
Very heavy rain fell on Chiba, an area east of Tokyo in Japan, in August 2026. On September 10, the Meteorological Research Institute explained why the rain stayed in one place for so long.
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
New sensor finds very small plastic pieces in water
Researchers at Science Tokyo, a university in Tokyo, the capital of Japan, have made a new sensor. The sensor can find very small pieces of plastic in water.
Monday, September 7, 2026
Heavy rain closes a road in Chiba
A road in Chiba, a city in Japan, is closed because of heavy rain. The road is part of Route 16, a big road in Japan.
Saturday, September 5, 2026
Krakatau volcano erupts in Indonesia
The Krakatau volcano in Indonesia had a big eruption on September 5. It happened at about 2:50 in the morning, Japan time.
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Japan holds a big earthquake drill on Disaster Prevention Day
On September 1, the government of Japan held a big earthquake drill. September 1 is Disaster Prevention Day in Japan.