Flying Car Demonstrations Set to Resume at Osaka Expo

Jul 07, 2025 | News On Japan

OSAKA - A flying car demonstration at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which had been suspended due to a mid-flight incident, is expected to resume soon.

The flying car had been conducting demo flights without passengers since the day after the Expo opened. However, operations were halted after a part detached mid-air from a Marubeni-operated aircraft on April 26th.

Subsequent investigations have confirmed the safety of the same model involved in the incident. Based on interviews with those involved, preparations are underway to resume demo flights between early July and July 21st.

In addition, a separate aircraft developed by SkyDrive is scheduled to begin flying from July 24th, while another model operated by ANA and others is slated for flight starting September 25th.

Source: YOMIURI

Typhoon No. 25 May Approach Eastern Japan During Silver Week

Large Typhoon No. 25 (Dujuan) formed near the Mariana Islands at 9 p.m. on September 16 and is forecast to strengthen as it moves north, potentially approaching the Izu Islands, eastern Japan and the Pacific coast of Tohoku during the first half of the Silver Week holiday period.

Halloween Jumbo Lottery Goes on Sale With 400 Million Yen Top Prize

Japan's Halloween Jumbo Lottery went on sale nationwide on September 16, offering a combined top payout of 400 million yen for the first prize and its adjacent-number prizes.

Shinkansen Introduces New Luxury Private Compartment

A new top-tier "Supreme Class" offering fully private compartments above the level of Green Car service will debut on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen on October 1, with passengers able to experience the new seating at a demonstration booth at Shin-Osaka Station.

Global Hawk Reconnaissance Drone Missing Off Tottori

A Japan Air Self-Defense Force Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft went missing over international waters about 50 kilometers north of Tottori Prefecture on September 15, with floating debris and oil later found in the area where communications were lost.

Japan Aims to Launch First Fully Driverless Taxis in 2027

GO, Waymo and Nihon Kotsu said they aim to launch Japan's first commercial fully driverless taxi service in Tokyo during 2027, using Level 4 autonomous vehicles that can operate without a driver on board under specified conditions.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Cybercab Arrives in Japan

Tesla unveiled its Cybercab in Japan for the first time on September 11, showcasing an AI-powered autonomous taxi designed without a steering wheel or pedals.

Footage Shows Tokyo Flood Control Tunnel After Heavy Rain

Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation.

Lights Out for Fluorescent Lamps

Fluorescent lamps that have illuminated Japanese homes and workplaces for decades are approaching the end of production, with Panasonic preparing to wind down a business it has operated since 1951 while experts warn that incorrectly replacing some fixtures with LEDs could create a fire risk.

Dry Fog Finds New Uses in Industry, Farming and Tourism

Osaka-based spray nozzle maker IKEUCHI is expanding applications for its proprietary "Dry Fog," an ultra-fine mist that can cool, humidify and create visual effects without leaving surfaces wet, with the technology now being used in factories, livestock farming, crop cultivation and tourist attractions in Japan and overseas.

Japan Moves to Commercializing Low-Power Optical Computing

Japanese companies are moving closer to commercializing photonics-electronics convergence technology that replaces part of conventional electrical data transmission with optical signals, potentially allowing huge volumes of data to move with lower latency while sharply reducing power consumption as artificial intelligence drives rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers.

Just 27 Centimeters Could Dramatically Reduce Power Consumption

A new generation of optoelectronic integration technology developed over four decades by Japanese companies is moving closer to commercialization, offering a way to transmit huge volumes of data with low latency while sharply reducing the electricity consumed by data centers as artificial intelligence drives explosive growth in computing demand.

CameraJet Connects Cleaning Coaching and Privacy

Dyson CameraJet™ turns the smart toothbrush into an active sensing product, making useful feedback and clear privacy design part of the same engineering brief.

Japanese Researcher Wins Ig Nobel Prize

A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years.

< 2 3 4 5 >