Japan to boost measures to battle invasive beetles with 6.7 bil. yen budget

Japan's Environment Ministry is allocating a substantial 6.7 billion yen ($43 million) budget for the upcoming fiscal year to combat the invasion of longhorn beetles that are causing extensive damage to cherry trees. This significant increase, eleven times the initial 600 million yen budget for fiscal 2026, will be utilized to eradicate the red-necked longhorn beetle and bolster protective measures for various trees, such as plums and peaches.

The ministry explains that a growing beetle population could lead to agricultural damage, hinder cherry blossom viewing, and pose risks to tree stability and ecosystems. In response to the widespread infestation, the Environment and Farm ministries formed a task force in July and introduced a strategy earlier this month, which includes providing local governments with technical and financial aid.

Native to countries like China, the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and Vietnam, the longhorn beetle measures 2.5 to 4 centimeters in length and was first discovered in Japan in 2012. Adult beetles are most commonly found from May to August, while larvae hatch from eggs in tree cracks and feed on the wood for two to three years before pupating.

Designated as an invasive alien species in 2018, the beetle is prohibited from breeding, possession, import, sale, or release into the wild. To prevent further spread, some local governments have initiated bounty programs, with the town of Kawajima in Saitama Prefecture offering 100 yen per beetle and the city of Oyama in Tochigi Prefecture paying 500 yen for ten beetle carcasses.

For fiscal 2026, an additional 600 million yen was allocated from international tourist tax revenue to protect cherry trees, an essential tourism resource. However, the total sum for the next fiscal year remains undetermined.