News On Japan

EVs take center stage at Japan Mobility Show

TOKYO, Oct 26 (NHK) - Journalists are getting a preview in Tokyo of one of the world's largest auto shows. Electric vehicles take center stage as Japanese automakers unveil their next-generation concept cars.

A record 475 companies, including major carmakers, are taking part in the first Japan Mobility Show, formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show.

The event is being held for the first time in four years.

Toyota Motor is introducing a concept car for a next-generation EV set for launch in 2026 under the Lexus brand. Two more of its EV concepts are also in the spotlight --- an SUV and a sports model.

Honda Motor is displaying a new EV model it plans to start selling next year in the United States. The vehicle was jointly developed with America's General Motors.

China's BYD is participating for the first time, with its latest EVs on view. The company has already made inroads into the Japanese market.

Japanese carmaker Subaru joins the show with a 1- or 2-person flying vehicle that's now under development.

The event opens on Thursday, and runs until November 5th.

Source: Kyodo

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Japanese government on March 21st released a report outlining countermeasures for volcanic ash in the event of a Mount Fuji eruption, including a four-stage evacuation plan based on ashfall volume.

Police uniforms in Japan will undergo their first major redesign in 31 years, with changes including the abolition of skirts for female officers and the introduction of polo shirts to help cope with rising temperatures.

Japan ranked 55th in the latest World Happiness Report, released on March 20th to coincide with the International Day of Happiness. Finland secured the top position for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Denmark and Iceland, with Nordic countries dominating the upper ranks due to strong welfare and education systems.

A third-party panel investigating allegations of power harassment against Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito submitted its findings to the prefectural government on March 19th, concluding that ten instances of his conduct constituted workplace harassment.

A new facility for the research and production of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has been completed in Osaka's Nakanoshima district and was unveiled to the press on March 19th.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

A new facility for the research and production of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells has been completed in Osaka's Nakanoshima district and was unveiled to the press on March 19th.

Chubu Electric Power has begun dismantling the reactor at Unit 2 of the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Omaezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Monday. This marks the first time a commercial nuclear reactor is being dismantled in Japan.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying astronaut Takuya Onishi, 49, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and three others arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on March 16th at around 12:00 a.m. (Japan time: March 16th at around 1:00 p.m.), completing a journey of approximately 29 hours since launch.

Sugi pollen levels have reached their peak in Fukuoka, with daily economic losses from hay fever estimated to exceed 230 billion yen. Clinics are overwhelmed with patients, including young children experiencing severe symptoms.

The launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi has been postponed due to a technical issue with ground equipment.

Shimadzu Corporation has launched the world's first optical lattice clock, which measures time using the oscillation frequency of atoms trapped by lasers. The clock boasts an unparalleled accuracy, with an error of just one second over 10 billion years.

A key experiment aimed at realizing the long-sought dream of fusion energy is set to begin at the National Institute for Fusion Science in Toki, Gifu Prefecture.

East Japan Railway, or JR East, says it will launch new bullet trains with improved anti-earthquake features and other services in fiscal 2030. (NHK)