KDDI to Establish Moon-Earth Communication Network by 2028

TOKYO, May 31 (News On Japan) - As the space-related business sector rapidly expands, Japan's second largest telecommunications company, KDDI, has announced plans to enable mobile communication on the moon.

Hiroji Matsuda, Executive Vice President at KDDI, stated, 'The moon has become a very hot topic worldwide, and in the future, we aim to develop a 5G or communication environment on the lunar surface.'

KDDI, which has announced its full-scale entry into the space business, plans to establish communication between the moon and Earth by 2028 to promote the development of the space business and accelerate research and development in space.

Additionally, by 2030, KDDI intends to install base stations on the lunar surface, enabling a faster communication environment to remotely operate exploration vehicles and easily send and receive data obtained from the moon.

Simultaneously, KDDI plans to actively support startups engaged in space business, aiming to explore business opportunities beyond telecommunications.

The space market is expected to reach approximately 150 trillion yen by 2040.

Source: ANN

Why 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. 23 (Nakri) to Near Okinawa Before Tracking East Over Long Weekend

As of the night of October 9, Typhoon No. 23 (Nakri) was moving northwest over waters south of Japan. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, at 9 p.m. the typhoon was located about 300 kilometers east-southeast of Minami-Daito Island, traveling northwest at a speed of around 20 kilometers per hour.

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.

Beer Shortages Hit Japan's Izakayas

Beer deliveries from Asahi Group Holdings have been disrupted following a ransomware cyberattack, causing shortages that have already begun to affect izakaya and other establishments across Japan. Some bars have reported their beer stock falling to “only one left” as supply chain delays ripple through the industry.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Breakthrough in Immune Control Opens New Frontiers in Medicine

Osaka University’s Professor Shimon Sakaguchi has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering regulatory T cells that suppress excessive immune reactions, a landmark finding that has brought excitement to colleagues, students, and the medical community.

Best Online Cannabis Seeds – Sacred Seeds Australia Brings Legendary Strains to Local Collectors

Collectors and growers in Australia have long been limited by availability. Import restrictions, shifting regulations, and supply gaps have made sourcing quality seeds a challenge.

TeamLab Opens in Kyoto with Cutting-Edge Sensory Experience

TeamLab has opened a new art space, “TeamLab BioVortex Kyoto,” in Kyoto’s Minami Ward, featuring around 50 works including several unveiled in Japan for the first time. Spanning approximately 10,000 square meters, the facility offers an immersive interactive experience where light, sound, and motion respond dynamically to visitors’ movements.

Magnitude 4.9 Quake Off Fukushima, No Tsunami Warning Issued

A magnitude 4.9 earthquake occurred off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture around 9:30 a.m. on October 7th, registering a maximum intensity of 4 on the Japanese seismic scale. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, there is no risk of a tsunami caused by this tremor.

Osaka University Professor Sakaguchi Wins Nobel Prize

Osaka University’s Shimon Sakaguchi, a specially appointed professor, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking work in immunology. Sakaguchi is best known for discovering “regulatory T cells,” a type of immune cell that suppresses excessive immune responses, a finding that has had far-reaching implications in medical science.

Osaka University Doctor Pioneers Brain Interface Technology

A future where people control machines simply by thinking may be closer than science fiction suggests. At the forefront of this research is Masayuki Hirata, a neurosurgeon and specially appointed professor at Osaka University’s Graduate School of Medicine, who is developing a brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows high-tech devices such as smartphones or robotic arms to be operated by thought.

Mega Solar Farm Sparks Backlash Over Deforestation

Vast hillsides have been cleared for the construction of a large-scale solar power facility in Kamogawa, Chiba Prefecture, leaving piles of felled trees scattered across the slopes. The development covers approximately 146 hectares, or the size of 32 Tokyo Domes, and involves cutting down about 365,000 trees to make way for 470,000 solar panels.

Huge Whirlwind Appears Off Japan's Northern Coast

A massive tornado-like phenomenon was observed late in the morning of October 2nd off the coast of Tsuruoka in Yamagata Prefecture’s Shonai region, with thick swirling clouds rising high into the sky as seawater was drawn upward.

< 2 3 4 5 >