We harvested some beautiful chestnuts in September, though there were fewer than usual this year.

September has brought some unsettled weather this year, with long spells of rain and heavy downpours followed by hot days when temperatures rise above 30°C (86°F). The weather has been rather unpredictable. Still, the days are gradually getting shorter, and the nights longer. We can sense the approach of fall in the coolness of the mornings and...

The Risshū, or Beginning of Autumn, has already passed in the Japanese calendar. Compared with the scorching heat we experienced in July, when temperatures came close to 40°C (104°F), it feels a little more bearable now. That said, there's no doubt that the hot days will continue.

August 9 is Pal's 26th Birthday.

Mari also turned 50 this June! She was born in the same year as Akira and Ai.

July 14 is World Chimpanzee Day. It marks the day when Dr. Jane Goodall began her pioneering study of wild chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania. It is also a day to learn more about chimpanzees and to take a moment to think about their precious lives and conservation.

For this installment of our "Seasonal Treats" series, we're featuring the delights of summer. It is now the season when we can harvest plums on the institute grounds. The fruits, once green, gradually ripen into a deep red color.

On June 19, we celebrated Cleo's birthday!

June is Akira's birthday month! Akira's exact birthday is unknown, but is estimated to have been born in June 1976. He turned 50 this year. He's the same age as Ai and Mari, and they've spent many years together.

The other day, we introduced some of the chimpanzees' "spring treats." This time, we would like to share their "rainy season treats."

Amid the various sounds of nature in Inuyama, "new sound" began to be heard around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It came from Ayumu, a chimpanzee, performing a display using wooden boards.

The Institute for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, where our activities are based, is located in Inuyama . The Inuyama Campus, is surrounded by rich natural environments. Throughout the year, the campus is filled with the sounds of nature, and if you listen carefully, you can hear the calls of many different bird species.

Pal (female, born on August 9, 2000)

Mari (female, estimated to have been born in 1976)

April 24 was Ayumu's birthday!

Akira (male, estimated to have been born in 1976)

Gon (male, estimated to have been born in 1966)

After a long, bitterly cold winter, we've finally been enjoying many warm days from March into April. The cherry blossoms around the institute quickly came into full bloom—and just as quickly fell. In the gentle spring sunshine, the chimpanzees look very content.