News On Japan

Japan's 1st lunar lander unveiled to media

Jun 05 (NHK) - Japan's space agency has unveiled to the media its first lunar explorer at its space center in Kagoshima Prefecture. The probe is called the Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon, or SLIM.

JAXA's unmanned spacecraft will test precise landing technology on the moon and study its rocks.

The craft is about 2.4 meters high and weighs roughly 200 kilograms.

The probe will use image-recognition technique to help it identify craters and other topographical features. JAXA's goal is to land the spacecraft within one hundred meters of its intended landing point.

The space agency had previously planned to send the SLIM lander on a H2A rocket in May. But the launch has been postponed to August or thereafter due to the failed debut of Japan's new flagship H3 rocket. ...continue reading

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Japan's Meteorological Agency has changed its heavy rain emergency warning for parts of Ishikawa to a warning. But it is still urging people to stay alert for possible floods and landslides in the central prefecture. (NHK)

Shohei Ohtani returned to Dodger Stadium in spectacular fashion, hitting a home run and stealing a base in his first game back, raising his season total to 52 home runs and 52 stolen bases.

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio says Japan and China have reached an agreement that will lead to the resumption of China's imports of Japanese seafood. (NHK)

The Tohoku Shinkansen came to a halt for five hours on Thursday due to an unexpected mid-journey separation of the linked Hayabusa and Komachi trains, 30 minutes after passing Furukawa Station with a total of 320 passengers on board.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued an eruption alert for Sumisu Island in the Izu Islands, following the detection of discolored water in July.

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The endangered Shimagengorou, a fast-swimming beetle known to inhabit still waters such as ponds and rice paddies, has been captured for the first time in 20 years in Ukiha City, Fukuoka Prefecture.

A new highlight for the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which will be held next year, has been revealed: a 'Martian stone,' roughly the size of a rugby ball, black and rugged.

In this year's Ig Nobels, Japanese researchers have won an award for discovering that mammals can breathe through their anuses, opening a new pathway for ventilators.

In 1990, journalist Akiyama Toyohiro became the first Japanese astronaut and journalist in space. Too bad he had such a rough time of it. (Unseen Japan)

The removal of fuel debris, a crucial and highly challenging part of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant decommissioning process, has resumed. This process, regarded as the most difficult aspect of the decommissioning effort, focuses on extracting melted and solidified nuclear fuel, known as fuel debris, from the plant's reactors.

Toing, a startup spun off from Nagoya University, is developing artificial soil by carbonizing rice husks and infusing them with proprietary microorganisms, using high-functioning biochar called "Soratane" to promote decarbonization and plant growth.

Space startup 'ispace,' aiming to achieve the first moon landing by a private Japanese company, has announced the completion of transporting its lunar rover from Luxembourg to Japan.

Japan's Ministry of the Environment announced on the 3rd that the mongoose, an invasive species known for preying on rare native species and disrupting the ecosystem on Amami Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, has been officially eradicated.