Society

Japan's Space Tourism Single Stage to Orbit(SSTO) Reusable Rocket. The Kankoh-maru (観光丸, Kankōmaru)

May 13 (Hazegrayart) - Kankoh-maru is a single-stage reusable orbital passenger aircraft is a proposed vertical takeoff and landing (VTVL), single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO), reusable launch system that has been studied by the Japanese Rocket Society since 1993.

According to a document from July 1997, it would have been manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

　The passenger capacity is 50, which is the same as that of a sightseeing bus, and the crew is a pilot and a stewardess, 2 each. The rooms are two-story, with the seats facing outwards and circular so that all passengers can sit and look out the window. The cockpit and the entrance to the space hotel are on the 2nd floor, and the 2 entrances and exits for takeoff and landing and the toilet are on the 1st floor. The weightless swimming space is a stairwell on the 1st and 2nd floors and has large windows. The entrance on the 2nd floor is doubled, and you can do outside activities if you wear a space suit.

Japan Braces for Typhoon No. 23

As of 6 a.m. on October 10, Typhoon No. 23 (Nakri) was moving northward and bringing the Daito Islands in Okinawa under its strong wind zone. Forecasts show the typhoon approaching Okinawa’s main island and Amami on October 11, southern Kyushu and Shikoku on October 12, and reaching southern Honshu and the Izu Islands on October 13 — coinciding with the three-day holiday weekend. Authorities are warning of strong winds, heavy rain, and rough seas from Okinawa through the Kanto region, potentially disrupting travel and outdoor plans.

Deadly Tick-Borne Virus Detected in Tokyo Dog for First Time

Tokyo has confirmed its first case of a dog infected with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), a potentially fatal disease transmitted by ticks. It is the first time an animal infection has been recorded in the capital.

Why Are Bear Attacks Increasing Across Japan?

Bear attacks are intensifying across Japan, with fatalities in fiscal 2025 already matching the record high set in 2023. Experts warn that the rise reflects not only an increase in bear numbers but also changes in human society that have blurred the line between mountain habitats and residential areas.

Typhoon No. 22 Leaves Hachijo Island Devastated with Roofs Torn Off and Roads Blocked

Typhoon No. 22, classified as a very strong system, made a direct hit on the Izu Islands, leaving widespread damage across the region. On Hachijo Island, located about 300 kilometers south of Tokyo, the storm brought record-breaking rainfall and violent winds, leaving residents stunned by the destruction.

Japanese Teachers Still Work World’s Longest Hours

Elementary and junior high school teachers in Japan still work the longest hours among their peers worldwide, according to an OECD report released on Tuesday. While the 2024 results by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed working hours had fallen by around four hours per week compared with the previous survey in 2018, Japan’s teachers still far exceeded their global counterparts.

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'The True Story of Empress Kojun' Released

Japan's Imperial Household Agency has released The Official Record of Empress Kojun, chronicling the life of Empress Kojun, wife of Emperor Showa and grandmother of the current Emperor.

Typhoon No. 22 Leaves Hachijo Island Devastated with Roofs Torn Off and Roads Blocked

Kyoto’s Pine Trees Wrapped in Straw to Guard Against Winter Pests

In Fukuchiyama City, Kyoto Prefecture, workers carried out the traditional practice of “komo-maki,” wrapping straw mats around pine trees to protect them from harmful insects as the autumn season deepens. The activity takes place each year around “Kanro” (Cold Dew), one of the 24 solar terms marking the seasonal transition toward winter.

Two Hyogo Police Officers Arrested for Possessing Marijuana

Two police officers from the Hyogo Prefectural Police have been arrested for possessing marijuana, admitting they kept it for personal use.

Bear Breaks Into Gunma Supermarket

A bear entered a supermarket in Numata City, Gunma Prefecture on Tuesday night, attacking two male customers before escaping to the south.

Bosozuku Rattle Tokyo's Harumi Flag Apartments

Footage filmed near the Harumi Flag Apartments in Tokyo shows groups of motorcycles revving their engines loudly into the night at a nearby intersection, disrupting the peace of families living in the new residential complex built on the former site of the Tokyo Olympic Athletes’ Village.

University Ex-Employee Arrested for Spraying Bodily Fluid on Female Student’s Shorts

Police have arrested a 43-year-old former employee of Tsuda College in Kodaira, western Tokyo, on suspicion of property damage after he allegedly took a female student’s shorts from a locker and defiled them with bodily fluid.

Okinawa Court Orders Families To Pay For Police Station Damaged In Riot

The Naha District Court’s Okinawa branch has ordered a group of former youths and their parents to pay more than 4 million yen in damages to Okinawa Prefecture over a riot that took place three years ago when a crowd surrounded the Okinawa Police Station and destroyed vehicles and other property.

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