The Uninvited Guests of Hokkaido: A Warning Sign for Climate Adaptation? The sudden appearance of cockroaches in Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido is a symptom of the changing climate.
Rising temperatures and artificial environments, often touted as drivers of economic growth and human migration, create unexpected consequences.
Makoto Watanabe, an academic in Eniwa town, had long taken pride in Hokkaido's reputation for being inhospitable to insects.