West Japan zoo s monkey named after Olympics reflects spirit of peace
July 23, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
This recent photo provided by Tobe Zoological Park in Ehime Prefecture shows Gorin, the stump-tailed macaque. TOBE, Ehime A gentle, warm-hearted monkey, whose name means Olympics in Japanese, is ready to lure people who can t attend the Tokyo Games due to a ban on spectators to a zoo in this western Japan city. Gorin, a female stump-tailed macaque at Tobe Zoological Park in Ehime Prefecture, was born in 2008 the year of the Beijing Games. Her name, which means Olympics in Japanese, was given to her by her then keeper. The zoo is reportedly the only one in Japan that keeps the macaque species native to southern China and Southeast Asia.
Vending machine selling origami toys stays open in small Japan town to delight of children
January 31, 2021 (Mainichi Japan)
Children gather in front of an origami vending machine placed before Okano Shoten in Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, on Oct. 21, 2020. (Mainichi/Tomoe Saito) UCHIKO, Ehime A unique vending machine boasting an array of origami animals and other folded designs stands in front of a shop selling daily sundries in western Japan. Located in the Ikazaki area of the town of Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture, the vending machine has been long known as a hangout spot for children in the neighborhood. But since a couple of years ago, when the origami machine gathered attention online and was even introduced on Japanese television, there has been an endless number of people some hailing from far away who visit the storefront to buy their own origami pieces.