When the sunfish began looking unwell days after the aquarium closed on Dec. 1 for a six-month renovation, its keepers suspected digestive problems, gave it less food and visited the fish tank to comfort the sunfish when there was construction noise, but to no avail.

Japan's Sakura or cherry blossom season is always eagerly awaited by tourists, but unfortunately the pink blooming phenomenon is short-lived.

Someiyoshino cherry blossoms are expected to bloom March 21 in central Tokyo, the earliest bloom date this spring among urban areas, according to a weather information company.

From the most anticipated biennials to leading art and photography festivals, get your finger on the creative pulse around the globe with our edit of unmissable happenings

See multiple views from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft's touching down on asteroid 162173 Ryugu. Credit: JAXA/U. Tokyo/Kochi U./Rikkyo U./Nagoya U./Chiba Inst. Tech./Meiji U./U. Aizu/AIST

We've listed our five most read stories on The Mainichi news site, from top to bottom, that were published between Jan. 18 and 26. The first story was･･･

Dating key tectonic events in Japan's geological history has long been often challenging due to poor microfossil preservation from intense heat due to metamorphism. Researchers tackled this by using Re–Os isotope geochronology on Besshi-type volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (Makimine and Shimokawa deposits) associated with sediment-covered mid-ocean ridges.

The Padma Awards celebrate the achievements of PR Sreejesh, an Olympian hockey goalkeeper, and IM Vijayan, a football legend. Sreejesh, awarded the Padma Bhushan, has been pivotal in India's Olympic successes,

The solitary fish named Mambo stopped eating and seemed to be missing its human visitors—so aquarists attached photos of human faces and uniforms to the side of its enclosure

A solitary sunfish at an aquarium lost its appetite, began banging into its fish tank days after the facility closed for renovations.

Discover the beauty of sakura season in Japan in 2025 with this forecast and plan your perfect spring getaway with cherry blossom blooms.

The Earth's surface is constantly reshaped by the movement of tectonic plates, which make up the continental crust on which we are living. These