Tokyo eyes flying-car landing pads atop skyscrapers

Aug 05, 2022 | News On Japan

Aug 05, 2022 (Nikkei) - Mitsubishi Estate is readying for Japan's first crewed flying-vehicle test flights in fiscal 2024, turning the rooftops of Tokyo high-rises it owns into takeoff and landing pads.

The real estate developer has been picked as an operator of a Tokyo Metropolitan Government project, partnering with Japan Airlines as well as Kanematsu, a trading house that has a tie-up with Skyports, a U.K. developer of landing infrastructure.

Rooftops of Mitsubishi Estate skyscrapers in Tokyo's Marunouchi business district are being considered as possible pad sites, as are suburban parking lots it owns. Aircraft from Volocopter, a German startup in which JAL has a stake, are under consideration.

Hopes are high for electrically powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, which offer flexible mobility, to reduce traffic and even shuttle visitors between airports and tourist destinations. The Yano Research Institute sees the global eVTOL flying-car market growing to exceed 120 trillion yen ($900 billion) by 2050.

Many players in Japan seek to take their businesses to the skies at the Osaka World Expo in 2025. Mitsubishi Estate aims to achieve a commercial launch in the second half of the 2020s, leasing takeoff and landing platforms to aircraft operators. It also plans to expand the business beyond Tokyo to Nagoya and Osaka. ...continue reading

Hikone Castle Stone Wall Collapses After Typhoon Deluge

A section of stone wall at Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few surviving original Edo-period castles and a National Treasure whose main keep remains intact more than 400 years after its construction, collapsed after heavy rain caused by Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8, Hikone city officials said.

Weather Agency Checks Seismic Meters After Yamanashi Quake

Japan’s weather agency carried out field inspections in Yamanashi Prefecture on June 28 after a powerful earthquake struck the Fuji Five Lakes area late on June 26, registering a lower 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Fujikawaguchiko and injuring six people.

Double Typhoons Leave Record Rain, Flooding Across Japan

According to updates on June 28, the double-typhoon system that brought record rain, flooding, landslides and fallen trees to parts of Japan has moved away, but Kanto remains under cloudy rainy-season skies, with intermittent rain still possible and saturated ground keeping the risk of landslides high in areas hit by heavy rain.

Japan Books Spot in World Cup Knockout Stage After Sweden Draw

Japan advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup after a 1-1 draw with Sweden on June 25, finishing second in Group F and setting up a Round of 32 clash with Brazil in Houston.

Aomori Hit by Quake Measuring Upper 6 as Hachinohe Shakes Again

A powerful earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 6 struck off Iwate Prefecture at around 7:30 a.m. on June 25, shaking parts of Aomori Prefecture and leaving Hachinohe, which was hit by a similarly strong quake last December, facing fresh damage.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

First Approval for Heart Tissue Reuse in Japan

A new treatment that uses healthy tissue from the heart removed from a transplant patient and transplants it into another patient has been approved in Japan for the first time, with the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center preparing to carry out the procedure.

Four Key Dsip Peptide Benefits That Enhance Recovery

For those involved in medical research and biostatistics, understanding the intricacies of recovery processes is crucial.

Rare Look Inside Japan's Underground Gravity Wave Observatory

The KAGRA gravitational-wave research facility in Kamioka, Hida, Gifu Prefecture, was opened to the public on June 20 for the first special viewing in nine years, giving 200 visitors a rare chance to tour the underground observatory with Nobel laureate Takaaki Kajita.

Risk Of Major Mosquito Outbreak This Summer

Mosquitoes are appearing earlier than usual this year, raising fears of a major summer outbreak as experts warn that warm May weather and repeated light rain have created ideal breeding conditions across residential areas.

Fukuoka on Hand, Foot And Mouth Disease Alert

New cases of hand, foot and mouth disease in Fukuoka Prefecture remained at alert level for the third consecutive week, prompting the prefectural government to urge residents to take preventive measures against the infection, which spreads through droplets and physical contact.