Public research university in Sapporo, founded 1918, fifth-oldest government university in Japan.
Japan faces a surge in bear encounters, with urban sightings and attacks prompting authorities to accelerate population-management measures after a year of record bear-related casualties. Utsunomiya has closed schools while officials assess whether to tranquilize, trap, or relocate the animal.
Researchers from the German Aerospace Center have found that Mercury’s diameter loss could be up to 14 miles (23 km), about 30% more than previously believed. BepiColombo’s approaching orbit will help confirm the extent of the planet’s contraction as the mission advances toward Mercury.