News On Japan

Japanese Company Pioneers Lunar Oxygen Generator

TOKYO, Mar 19 (News On Japan) - Aiming for future human habitation on the moon, a Japanese private company has announced the world's first initiative to produce hydrogen and oxygen on the lunar surface.

Takasago Thermal Engineering, a leading company in air conditioning systems, is embarking on this unprecedented challenge using a developed device to generate hydrogen and oxygen from water, which is believed to be a potential resource on the moon.

Hydrogen will be used as fuel for rockets, while oxygen will serve as breathable air, with the ultimate goal of enabling long-term human stays on the moon.

The device will be mounted on a lunar lander developed by the space-related company ispace and is scheduled to be launched this winter.

Source: ANN

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Shibuya Ward has approved an ordinance that would impose a 2,000-yen fine for littering on public streets, while also penalizing shops that fail to provide trash bins. The measure was passed on December 10th and targets both individuals who discard waste and businesses near major stations that offer takeout services, raising questions about whether the approach will meaningfully reduce trash on the streets.

Shogi player Kana Fukuma, who currently holds six women’s titles, revealed on December 10th that she has submitted a formal request calling for revisions to the Japan Shogi Association’s rule that prevents players from competing in title matches during a set period before and after childbirth.

The most popular baby names of 2025 were led by Minato for boys and Sui for girls, according to rankings released by Meiji Yasuda Life, which highlighted continued enthusiasm for certain kanji characters and showed how naming trends have evolved since the survey began in the first year of the Taisho era.

A powerful earthquake with a seismic intensity of 6+ struck Aomori late on December 8th, prompting the Meteorological Agency to issue a temporary tsunami warning for coastal areas along the Pacific side of the prefecture. While the warning has since been downgraded, the government is urging caution after authorities announced, for the first time, a heightened possibility of another large earthquake occurring off Hokkaido and the Sanriku coast.

A plan to sharply raise Japan’s departure tax is taking shape as the government and ruling coalition have begun coordinating a proposal to lift the current 1,000 yen levy to a flat 3,000 yen per person in next fiscal year’s tax reform, adding new momentum to calls for expanded funding to deal with overtourism across the country.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

A new material known as metal-organic frameworks, or MOF, developed by Kyoto University’s special professor Susumu Kitagawa, 74, has been thrust into the global spotlight after Kitagawa was selected for this year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry, drawing renewed attention to its potential applications across industry.

A report in an academic paper by ant experts describes how worker ants that normally protect their mother, maintain the nest and raise larvae can, at a certain moment, suddenly turn on the queen who gave birth to them, tearing her apart and ultimately killing her.

Green vein Kratom strains are quickly becoming popular amongst the Kratom community. But do you know out of the many green-vein Kratom varieties, which one is the talk of the town these days?

In an age marked by rapid technological advancement and ever-evolving media trends, holistic health education has found a powerful ally in digital storytelling.

The three JR companies operating the Tokaido, Sanyo, and Kyushu Shinkansen demonstrated on December 6th how they would switch train control to a secondary command center in Osaka if a major earthquake or other large-scale disaster rendered the main command facility in Tokyo unusable.

A large-scale solar project planned near the Kushiro Wetland in Hokkaido is facing renewed backlash after the developer offered local residents what it described as a “beautification cooperation payment,” prompting accusations that the company is trying to buy consent for the construction.

The Japanese government is preparing to release a new damage projection for a major earthquake striking directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area by the end of the year, and interviews with officials familiar with the assessment indicate that in the worst-case scenario the death toll could reach 18,000, while economic losses are estimated at 83 trillion yen.

Living organisms require protein synthesis as one of their processes to enable the cells to produce the needed proteins for their structure. It also helps with repairs and various other functions, and any interruption can cause different cellular responses.