News On Japan

Sake Brewed on International Space Station Arrives at Kansai Airport

TOKYO, Mar 08 (News On Japan) - Sake brewed aboard the International Space Station returned from orbit and arrived at Kansai International Airport on March 6th, marking a milestone in a Japanese initiative aimed at eventually producing alcohol on the Moon.

A container carrying the "space-brewed sake" was delivered from the United States to Kansai Airport on the afternoon of March 6th.

The project was launched by a brewery in Yamaguchi Prefecture as part of efforts to develop technology for brewing sake under lunar conditions in the future. In October 2025, brewing equipment and the raw ingredients for sake were transported to the International Space Station, where brewing was conducted inside an experimental module designed to replicate the Moon’s gravity.

Astronauts added water to the brewing device, and after the mixture was automatically stirred over a period of two weeks, approximately 100 milliliters of sake was produced.

After undergoing quarantine procedures, the sake will be sent to the Yamaguchi brewery for further research. One bottle will also be offered for sale for 110 million yen, with the proceeds planned to be donated to space development initiatives.

Source: YOMIURI

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Japanese government on April 21 revised the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and related guidelines, in principle allowing the export of weapons with lethal capabilities. The move marks a major turning point in Japan's postwar security policy.

Footage released by the Nagano Prefectural Police mountain rescue unit captured the moment an earthquake struck during an operation to save two climbers who had fallen on a steep slope of Mount Shirouma in the Northern Alps.

Japan's weather agency and the Cabinet Office issued a 'Hokkaido-Sanriku Offshore Subsequent Earthquake Advisory' after an earthquake measuring upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale struck off Sanriku.

JR East has launched a preview version of its new online Shinkansen booking platform, JRE GO, promising reservations in as little as one minute and easier handling of sudden schedule changes.

A bear that had remained in a residential area in central Sendai since early Sunday morning was euthanized last night in an emergency cull. No injuries were reported.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Japan's logistics sector is struggling with a severe driver shortage, driving efforts to develop autonomous trucks as a potential solution to a growing freight transport crisis.

The fleet of 190 EV buses introduced for the Osaka-Kansai Expo has been withdrawn from plans for reuse on regular routes, with Osaka Metro abandoning efforts to redeploy the vehicles after the event.

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO announced it will release its foldable smartphone “OPPO Find N6” in Japan on April 15th, marking the company’s first entry into the country’s foldable device segment.

An event aimed at bringing the mysteries of the deep sea closer to the public was held in Nago City, where a researcher who has explored oceans around the world delivered a talk.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will withdraw from Antarctic research vessel operations after nearly six decades, with private-sector entities expected to take over following the retirement of the icebreaker Shirase in fiscal 2034.

As temperatures rise, concerns about body odor return, drawing attention to a lesser-known scientific field that examines the invisible gases emitted from human skin, with Tokai University professor Yoshika Sekine leading research that could even help detect disease and stress levels.

Five years have passed since Japan’s flagship supercomputer Fugaku, based in Kobe, began full-scale operations, achieving a series of breakthroughs by simulating complex phenomena on a massive and highly precise scale, ranging from the formation of galaxies to the behavior of nerve cells.

Rising tensions in the Middle East are raising concerns over potential disruptions to medical supplies in Japan, particularly due to uncertainty surrounding naphtha used in products such as gloves and gowns, with hospitals warning that a halt in supply could significantly impact medical care while authorities move to reassure that stockpiles are sufficient for the time being.