TOKYO - Japan’s largest space business exhibition opened at Tokyo Big Sight on May 27th, showcasing a growing wave of companies from outside the traditional aerospace sector entering the rapidly expanding space industry.
At the exhibition, known as “SPEXA,” visitors were greeted by a full-scale model of the asteroid explorer Hayabusa2 alongside a spacesuit made using Nishijin textile techniques, one of Kyoto’s best-known traditional crafts.
Now in its third year, the event has brought together around 320 companies and organizations displaying technologies designed to make space more accessible and commercially viable.
Alongside interactive attractions such as lunar driving simulations recreated using JAXA data, booths from companies in unrelated industries also stood out. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance introduced “space insurance,” while Sharp showcased satellite communication antennas.
Sakurako Yoshida, sales director at RX Japan, the event organizer, said interest from outside industries is growing as expectations rise for a future in which humans live on the moon.
“When the time comes for people to live on the moon, necessities such as food, clothing and housing will all be required,” Yoshida said. “That is increasing interest from companies in completely different sectors.”
Japan’s domestic space industry market has expanded to around 4 trillion yen, encouraging a steady influx of new participants seeking to apply technologies developed on Earth to future space projects.
Among them was long-established bedding manufacturer nishikawa, which marks its 460th anniversary in 2026. The company demonstrated a mattress equipped with built-in sensors capable of visualizing heart rate and breathing patterns, technology intended to support health monitoring before and during future space travel.
Motonari Yahagi, executive officer at nishikawa, said the company is pursuing a business strategy centered on what lies “beyond sleep.”
“We want to combine sleep solutions with many different industries and continue expanding the concept,” Yahagi said.
Construction giant Takenaka Corporation also drew attention with its “Takenaka Space eXploration” exhibit, presenting concepts for lunar living spaces.
Tatsuho Sato, leader of Takenaka’s TSX Space Architecture Task Force, explained that crewed lunar rovers could connect together to form modular structures across the moon.
“If these structures are placed in different locations on the lunar surface, they could function almost like roadside stations,” Sato said.
The company aims to develop habitable lunar facilities capable of accommodating more than 40 people during the 2040s.
“There is new land in space,” Sato said. “There is ground, and there are resources. As a construction company, we see this as an opportunity to bring terrestrial construction technology to the moon, and we joined the project because we do not want to miss that opportunity.”
As companies from increasingly diverse sectors enter the market, organizers say they hope to further encourage collaboration between businesses through the exhibition platform.
“We would like to create new areas specifically for companies entering the industry for the first time and provide support wherever possible,” Yoshida said.
Source: FNN
