Japan govt. compiles report on possible impacts of solar flares
2週間スマホが使えない?「太陽フレア」最悪の被害想定 政治部・小野孝記者
Solar activity has a cycle and is likely to intensify around 2025, when solar flares are expected to increase.
The report released by the ministry's panel of experts on Tuesday describes the worst case scenario when solar flares cause disruptions in the earth's magnetic field.
The report says mobile phone and TV broadcast services could become unavailable intermittently for two weeks, and car navigation systems might fail to function properly as the accuracy of GPS satellites could be affected.
It also says power facilities without pre-emptive measures could malfunction, causing blackouts.
The report recommends that forecasts and warnings which focus on social impacts be introduced. It also says that in fields such as communications, frequencies that could easily be affected should be avoided, and alternative means, such as landline communications, should be secured.
Ishii Mamoru of Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology said he wants businesses to become aware of such a scenario and take gradual steps to enhance infrastructure.

News On Japan - Sep 20
While the Japanese national team got off to a great start at the World Cup Volleyball, which was crucial for their ticket to the Paris Olympics, what excited the audience wasn't just the players, but a mop.

News On Japan - Sep 17
Japan's Ministry of the Environment is conducting experiments using detection dogs in response to the increasing infiltration of fire ants at ports and surrounding facilities.

NHK - Sep 17
An international research team has successfully captured images of a Japanese aircraft carrier that was sunk in the 1942 Battle of Midway in World War Two.

NHK - Sep 17
The number of syphilis cases reported in Japan this year has exceeded 10,000. This is the fastest rate of increase seen since comparable data became available in 1999.

Kyodo - Sep 16
Kansai Electric Power Co. on Friday rebooted its nearly 50-year-old No. 2 reactor at its Takahama nuclear plant in central Japan for the first time since 2011, becoming the 12th unit to be restarted in the country since the Fukushima accident.

Japan Times - Sep 15
Japanese researchers Homei Miyashita and Hiromi Nakamura received this year's Ig Nobel Prize for nutrition on Thursday for research that led to the development of tableware that employ electric stimulation to allow users to sense salty taste strongly.

miamiherald.com - Sep 12
Scientists hauled in their nets off the coast of Japan. Sifting through their catch, they noticed a small, “translucent” sea creature on the surface of a starfish. The hitchhiker turned out to be a new species.

newsonjapan.com - Sep 12
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, businesses must stay updated with the latest trends.

BBC - Sep 07
Japan on Thursday successfully launched a rocket with a lunar lander at its fourth attempt this year.

News On Japan - Sep 06
A whale shark (Rhincodon typus) was caught inside a fishing net off the coast of Tottori Prefecture over the weekend, with fishing crew members spending over an hour rescuing the endangered creature before releasing it unharmed back into the sea.

MSN - Sep 06
Japan is a hotspot for strange aerial sightings centred around the ‘UFO town’ of Iinomachi, data shared by the Pentagon has shown.

The Japan News - Sep 04
The government has decided to double its current EV charger installation target to 300,000 by 2030. With EVs growing in popularity around the world, the government hopes the increased availability of charging stations across the nation will encourage a similar trend in Japan.

Hindustan Times - Aug 28
Japan is all set for its lunar mission Moon Sniper that is due for launch on August 28. JAXA – Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency – has one of the world’s biggest space programs but is yet to land a spacecraft on the moon.

NHK - Aug 25
The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched a website to share real-time monitoring data on the release of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.

Reuters - Aug 22
A Japanese health ministry panel on Monday recommended approval of the Alzheimer's disease treatment Leqembi, following standard approval for the drug granted by U.S. regulators last month.

South China Morning Post - Aug 19
Amid record-setting temperatures in Japan, local businesses have been developing wearable technology to help people stay cool.