Zhangixalus arboreus, which is endemic species in Japan, is widely distributed throughout the main island of Japan. This species was introduced to Izu-Oshima Island by human activity, where it multiplied and was subsequently classified as a domestic invasive species. This species is considered rare in Kanagawa Prefecture. Although few records of findings prior to the 1980s exist, reports of findings since the 1980s were initially sparse and limited to a few locations. In recent years, this species has been reported to occur successively from western to central Kanagawa Prefecture and in some eastern regions of the prefecture as well, which suggests the possibility of their spread via human activity. Phylogenetic data for this species throughout Japan were reported in 2019, but relatively little data came from Kanagawa Prefecture. In this study, we analyzed the haplotype distribution of this species at several sites in Kanagawa Prefecture to clarify their origins. While some native strains may spread in the northern and central locales, strains with completely different haplotypes were found at other sites, suggesting that most of this species in Kanagawa Prefecture have been introduced by humans. The concept of domestic invasive species is not yet widely understood. Many people believe that no problems are caused by the introduction of a species by humans into an area where it already exists. We hope that the results of this study will help prevent the spread of domestically introduced species in Japan.

 In Japan, the distribution of raccoons (Procyon lotor) is expanding and management measures vary by region. Although adaptive management based on current assessments is crucial for the management of invasive species, the assessment of current raccoon management measures is insufficient, and national trends remain unclear. Therefore, this study analyzed the status of raccoon control plans, their initiators, and their content (including objectives and monitoring items) to understand the nationwide situation of raccoon control. Results from the analysis of 303 raccoon control plans collected nationwide from March to June 2022 suggested insufficient progress in control efforts in areas of expanded distribution and low population density. Furthermore, the plans formulated by prefectures tended to include more monitoring items and had a higher rate of information disclosure than those formulated by municipalities. This finding suggests the effectiveness of prefectures in undertaking monitoring activities. In addition, no significant differences were detected in the objectives and monitoring items between the responsible departments.

 Human-bear conflicts have been serious issues in Japan, and the highest number of bears were captured and number of casualties were also the highest on the record in the fiscal year of 2023. In Shiretoko, Hokkaido, where around 15,000 residents live and more than 1.7 million tourists visit, there have been no citizen casualties by bear attacks recorded. In this research, we studied how the brown bear education program started in Shiretoko Utoro school as well as potential impacts of the program toward students. Interviews toward the personnel who were involved in developing the bear education program nearly 20 years ago revealed that the program was introduced as a part of school curriculum through collaboration with Shari town, Shiretoko Nature Foundation, and Shiretoko Utoro school. Survey revealed that while majority of students have seen wild bears in their daily lives, the higher graders tend to have more knowledge about bears as well as higher tolerance toward bears. This research identified not only how the bear education program was developed in Shiretoko but also potential impacts generated by such program toward students as well as residents.

 Kuchinoerabu-jima is extremely valuable in terms of biodiversity conservation. However, little is known about its avifauna compared to surrounding islands. In particular, there is no information on the summer avifauna in this island. We first surveyed bird assemblage of Kuchinoerabu-jima in the summer of 2022 and detected 15 species, including 3 endangered and 6 newly recorded species. 60% of the species identified were resident birds, but some of the newly recorded species were migratory birds staying for the summer or resting on the way to their final destination. Thus, our study provided basic information needed when considering the ecosystem conservation of Kuchinoerabu-jima.

 オープンデータ化は学術の全分野において必須の潮流となっているが，日本の研究現場ではデータ管理や共有についての理解が低いと指摘されている．そのため本稿では，筆者らが関連した具体的なケーススタディを検討し，自然環境研究に関するオープンデータ化の論点整理を行った．その結果，「誰もが自由に使えること」のための二次利用ライセンスなどの課題のほか，「なぜデータが埋没するのか」という点についての課題の整理と対応が十分ではないことも示された．その分析から，データを産出する側とデータを利用する側の信頼関係の構築や，データを管理するための制度や人材，予算の確保，公共財としての考え方，オープンデータ化のメリットの認識，好事例の蓄積などが今後の課題として見いだされた．

 Recently, there has been an urgent need to educate wildlife specialists as human-wildlife conflicts have increased drastically. The Science Council of Japan (2019) advocated the five proposals in “Wildlife Management in a Shrinking Population” as follows, 1) reinforcement of organizing ability with cross-ministerial collaboration, 2) rules and systems for sustainable use of local resources, 3) roles of the municipality and the local community for comprehensive land use, 4) open system to the citizens for collecting and using the scientific data, 5) establishment of an education program for highly specialized human resources to promote community-based wildlife management. Many universities and colleges offer lectures on wildlife, including those on wildlife biology, wildlife damage management, forest conservation, and conservation ecology. However, these lectures are provided separately, and there are very few systematic programs for educating wildlife management specialists in Japan. In contrast, approximately 400 universities in U.S. and Canada have the systematic programs. The Wildlife Society also has a certification system for wildlife biologists. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery and the Ministry of the Environment established “the Committee for Wildlife Management Education” and compiled the model core curriculum for wildlife management education in 2021 (Suzuki and Yoshida 2024). The Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, University of Hyogo, Gifu University, Rakuno Gakuen University, Utsunomiya University, Yamagata University, Tokyo College of Environment, and the Foundation for Shiretoko Institute of Wildlife Management have tentatively carried out the model core curriculum. Here, an outline of a trial for this curriculum is presented.

 Appointment of specialist for wildlife management in local municipalities are required as scientific knowledge became essential for compiling the integrated management plan for wildlife are requested in the prefectural level. However, municipal government tends to emphasize the general knowledge to deal with the social issues related to the human-wildlife conflicts rather than scientific knowledge on wildlife management. In addition, periodical personnel change in local municipalities prevents the appointment of professional personnel for wildlife management. In case of Shimane prefecture, appointment of specialists in governments improved the understanding of local communities for the human-wildlife conflict at local level and promote administrative measures at prefectural level. Need of specialists of wildlife management in municipalities should be advocated in community and parliament level. Certificate of wildlife management may improve the appointment of specialists of wildlife management in municipalities.

 While adaptive management system of deer population has been introduced in Hokkaido since 1998, the goal to reduce its population has not yet been completed up to now. Yezo Deer Association launched the Deer Culling Certificate (DCC) in order to train deer managers or cullers since 2015. DCC followed the model of the Deer Stalking Certificate (DSC) in the UK. Established in 1997, DSC has trained more than 32,900 of candidates awarded the level 1 certificate and more than 6,000 candidates awarded the level 2 certificate. DCC has issued the 180 level 1 certificates and 3 level 2 certificates by 2023 fiscal year. Rakuno Gakuen University provides the Wildlife Management Course in the Department of the Environmental Sciences since 2014 and collaborates with DCC since 2018. Students who wish to be certified by DCC must attend the specific contents of the seven classes of the Wildlife Management Course to take the examination of the level 1 certificate of DCC. Twenty-seven students were awarded the level 1 certificate by 2023 fiscal year.

 Founded in 2013, Foundation for Shiretoko Institute of Wildlife Management hosted the Shiretoko Nature Campus to foster specialists of wildlife management seven times since 2016. In 2022, the Recruitment Program for Wildlife Managers has been provided for those who are involved in wildlife management in local governments and non-profit organizations, as well as educational sectors. The program was divided into two sections; online lectures and on-site training. At online lectures, 43 participants learned the wildlife management in the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage site (SWNH) from nine lecturers belonging to the Scientific Committee of the SWNH in February 2022. Twenty participants were gathered in Shiretoko in June 2022. Through the workshop style lectures, participants learned about the visitor management of Shiretoko Five Lakes, bear management and safety, restoration of the river ecosystem, deer management and forest restoration. Questionnaires for participants revealed that adaptive management and consensus building are the most expected topics from those who involved in the wildlife management.

 Wildlife management varies from country to country and even within different administrative regions, leading to diverse goals and strategies. This results in a wide range of organizations and roles involved in implementing these measures. Understanding the roles and responsibilities of organizations in other countries is essential for formulating effective strategies for managing wild animals within one's own country. This content introduces the certification system of the Wildlife Society (referred to as TWS), which is a significant credential within North America, including the United States and Canada.

 In the United States, individuals can obtain two types of certifications offered by TWS by accumulating a specific number of academic credits through university coursework. The first is the TWS Associate Wildlife Biologist certification, attainable with a certain number of undergraduate-level credits. The second is the TWS Certified Wildlife Biologist certification, available to individuals who have completed undergraduate coursework and possess at least five years of full-time professional experience in wildlife management, encompassing areas such as conservation, administration, and assessment. Some positions, such as wildlife management scientists at federal agencies or state organizations, exclusively seek applicants holding these certifications. The United States seeks to foster a bottom-up approach in developing skilled professionals, where certification holders contribute to wildlife conservation and mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts through scientific management strategies at the local level and beyond.

 During the Heian period to the Kamakura period, numerous tankas, or Japanese poems of thirty-one syllables, were composed regarding wicker works known as Ajiro-weir installed along the Uji River. Historical records suggest that during this period, Ajiro-weir was actively used for whitebait fishing, primarily conducted from late September to early February of the following year, serving as a supplier to the aristocracy. In present-day Omi region of Shiga Prefecture, whitebait refers to young ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) caught in Lake Biwa before developing pigmentation on their body surface. Ayu, which are vulnerable in their larval stage, inhabit still waters such as lakes and are not typically found in the flowing waters of the Uji River. To estimate the identity of whitebait caught in Ajiro-weir, Sr/Ca analysis and daily growth analysis using otolith were conducted on upstream migrating ayu passing through the estuary barrage of the Yodo River. The findings indicated that some of these migratory fish hatched in rivers flowing into Lake Biwa and spent several dozen days in freshwater. Our result estimates that in the past, Ajiro fisheries likely targeted larvae of land-locked ayu that accidentally flowed out of Lake Biwa.

 The purpose of this study is to develop a rostral snare trap* to reduce an accident occurring when a hunter and culler captured a wild boar. First, we measured the length from the nasal speculum to the cuspid root and the width between the cuspid tip of wild boars, then designed the rostral snare trap. We carried out the measurement of wild boar carried into the meat processing institution of about 150 individuals between March 2018 and February 2020. The data showed that the cuspid root is located between 8.77 cm and 10.36 cm (from juvenile to mature wild boars) from the nasal speculum and width between the cuspid tip is smaller than the regulation value of 12 cm. We made a trial product and made 2 types of traps after experiment inspection. Second, we performed the capture experiment with each trap between 2019 and 2023, then captured 5 wild boars. All wild boars captured by these traps showed backward step behavior and did not show the attack action for the hunter. As a result, we could expect rostral snare trap to make hunter and culler activities safer and possible to capture wild boar location where cage trap cannot be set due to terrains.

* rostral snare trap: Trap to hold wild boars snout

 The Designated Wildlife Species for Control Capture Program and the Certified Wildlife Capture Program Implementers system, established with the 2014 revision of the Wildlife Protection, Control, and Hunting Management Act, aimed to shift the wildlife capture system from one relaying inclusively by the declining and aging members of hunting associations to a public-sector-driven system involving private entities with advanced capture techniques. However, even nearly a decade after the introduction of these systems, their effectiveness has not been thoroughly evaluated. This study examines the current status of the Designated Wildlife Species for Control Capture Program for sika deer in Japan's prefectures using the policy paradigm shift hypothesis from policy process theory. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining a quantitative analysis of the 2023 evaluation sheets of the program with qualitative follow-up interviews conducted with stakeholders nationwide, including prefectural officials, certified implementers, and researchers. The analysis revealed that in many cases, prefectural hunting associations are still responsible for capture projects aimed at achieving the culling targets set in specific management plans. This suggests that private sector participation has not progressed as expected at the time of the system's introduction. Two key factors can explain this trend, both emphasized in the policy paradigm shift hypothesis: (1) the path dependency of prefectural capture operations and (2) a lack of mobilizable policy resources.

 We have investigated the efficacy of electric fencing in preventing Amami rabbit (Pentalagus furnessi) and Ryukyu wild boar (Sus scrofa riukiuanus) invasions of Tankan (Citrus tankan Hayata) orchards (circumference: 940 m) on Tokunoshima Island, Japan. This study was conducted from November 9, 2022, to November 12, 2024. We installed electric fences (three polywires at heights of 10, 20, and 30 cm above the ground) in November 2023 and they were continuously energized with a pulse current of over 5,000 V for 24 h. The efficacy of electric fencing was assessed during two periods: 363 days before and 369 days after the fence setup. The relative abundance index (RAI) of Amami rabbits before the installation of the electric fence was 79.2 on the outside and 80.8 on the inside of the fence, and 45.1 on the outside and 0.9 on the inside after installation. The RAI of Amami rabbits inside the fence was found to be significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that before the fence setup, thus indicating that the electric fence was effective in preventing invasion and suppressing foraging damage in the Tankan orchard. The RAI of Ryukyu wild boars both outside and inside the fences decreased significantly after the fence was installed (P < 0.05), and damage was also greatly reduced. These results indicate that the installation of electric fences in Tankan orchards is effective in preventing the invasion of Amami rabbits and Ryukyu wild boars, regardless of the installation distance, if the management work to keep the fence energized is properly carried out. However, the installation of an electric fence did not restrict Amami rabbit plant-eating or movement around the fence.

 To facilitate science-based wildlife management at the national and local levels, specialists with higher education in wildlife management should be appointed in relevant jobs. However, the number of such specialists with higher education among the current officers in the wildlife management division of the local government is less than 2%.

 The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries together with the Ministry of the Environment established the Committee for Wildlife Management Education and outlined a core curriculum for wildlife management education in 2021. The Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology with five other universities and two institutes have been teaching these model wildlife management education programs since 2022. The Association for Wildlife and Human Society (AWHS) established the Working Group for Wildlife Management Education and a certificate system and discussed the role of the academy in wildlife management education in 2021. The society also held a thematic session on this subject at the 27th AWHS academic gathering in 2022.

 This paper discusses the conditions necessary for the widespread implementation of the certificate system for wildlife management education.

 The purpose of this paper is to publish a dataset of species inventories of “birds and mammals inhabiting” for all national designated wildlife protection areas, which are compiled by the Ministry of the Environment for each area, to be available for widespread conservation research.

 The total number of species listed was 533 bird species and 100 mammal species.

 In order to show examples of how the data can be used, hierarchical cluster analysis was used to group birds and mammals by species composition and to detect indicator species. The species composition of both birds and animals varied depending on the area size of the protected area, and was characterized by landscape elements such as tidal flats, lakes and marshes, and islands, and regions such as Hokkaido, southern Honshu, Ogasawara and Okinawa. The number of indicator species detected was divided into groups with 20-40 species and groups with 0 to several species. In bird species representative species to be indicators for habitat were detected, while in mammal species many indicator species were detected in protected areas in Hokkaido and large protected areas in Honshu.

 The use of social media data for assessing cultural ecosystem services is a growing field of research. However, previous studies have often been limited by their large spatial scales, which dilute site-specific information, and their reliance on a narrow range of platforms like Twitter and Flickr. To address these gaps, this data paper presents a dataset derived from photos posted on Google Maps, a globally popular platform, focusing on a local-scale forest recreational site: the Ushiku Nature Sanctuary in Ibaraki, Japan. This site is an ideal case for studying human-nature interactions due to its well-defined facilities and educational programs. We developed a detailed classification framework to categorize the primary subject of each photograph. This included identifying biological organisms to the species level whenever possible. The resulting dataset includes the classification of each photo's primary subject, its posting month and year, and its approximate spatial location within the forest. This dataset provides a valuable resource for fine-grained analysis of how visitors interact with and value specific components of a peri-urban nature protected area.