Sci-Tech

Japan to designate fire ants as an alien species that requires urgent action
NHK - Nov 29
The Japanese government has decided to step up measures against highly venomous fire ants by designating them as an invasive alien species that requires urgent action.

Honda's new humanoid-robot push aims for practical use
Nikkei - Nov 28
A decade from now, a man suddenly collapses on the street. An ambulance is called but will take time to arrive. In the meantime, a robot stationed nearby rushes to the scene to provide emergency care, controlled by an expert operator sitting dozens of kilometers away.

Japanese space research team tampered with experimental data, space agency says
South China Morning Post - Nov 26
Japan’s space agency said on Friday that a research team headed by astronaut Satoshi Furukawa tampered with data from an experiment simulating life on the International Space Station, indicating that it would subject him to disciplinary action.

Why Japan's internet is weirdly designed
Answer in Progress - Nov 26
In 2013, an article suggested that Japanese web design looks different from the rest of the world. In this video, Sabrina uses an AI to figure out if that is true and, if yes, why.

Japan approves its first homemade oral COVID drug
Nikkei - Nov 23
Japan's health ministry on Tuesday granted emergency use of a COVID-19 drug developed by Shionogi, making it the country's first domestically produced oral medicine for patients with mild symptoms. The drug is expected to be available for use in early December.

IROS 2022 Kyoto - Japan's largest conference | Robots and Future Technologies
PRO ROBOTS - Nov 21
Last week Kyoto hosted IROS 2022, one of the largest and most influential robotics research conferences in the world, bringing together thousands of roboticists from around the world to show off their achievements and share their most incredible developments.

Japan's 1st moon lander probe in jeopardy after launch
Nikkei - Nov 19
The Japanese spacecraft intended as the country's first lunar lander has been plagued by communications problems since soon after its launch on Wednesday as part of NASA's Artemis 1, putting the unmanned mission in jeopardy.

Japan's Subaru Telescope will train 2,400 eyes on the sky to analyze "cosmic rainbows"
interestingengineering.com - Nov 16
Japan's Subaru Telescope team just introduced a new instrument that will utilize roughly 2,400 fiberoptic cables to capture light from the stars with immense precision.

Japan braces for 8th wave of pandemic as Hokkaido cases soar
Nikkei - Nov 10
Japan could face a new peak in COVID-19 cases as the northernmost main island Hokkaido, where winter hits earliest, sets daily records.

M5.0 quake hits North of Tokyo
NHK - Nov 09
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake has rocked Ibaraki Prefecture, north of Tokyo. It hit at around 5:40 pm on Wednesday.

Why Japanese Toilets Became So High Tech | The Japan Report
Japanese Comedian Meshida - Nov 09
Nowadays Japanese toilets are famous all over the world for being high-tech.

Sky watchers in Japan see Uranus hidden by totally eclipsed moon
NHK - Nov 09
Sky watchers across much of Japan have enjoyed an enormously rare celestial spectacle -- Uranus hidden by a totally eclipsed moon.

Is it safe to use public Wi-Fi when traveling to Japan?
newsonjapan.com - Nov 07
Frequent travelers might have numerous questions regarding the safety of public Wi-Fi connections.

What Happens When A Japanese Hospital's IT System Is Held Ransom?
CNA Insider - Nov 06
A nurse on night duty at a rural hospital 670km away from Tokyo realises something is amiss when multiple office printers begin spewing out strange printouts.

Honda develops AI self-driving technology
NHK - Nov 03
Honda Motor says it is developing an AI self-driving system that uses cameras to help the vehicle better recognize its surroundings. This is the company's latest step toward putting autonomous driving technology into commercial use.

Japan records over 10,000 syphilis cases for first time
NHK - Nov 01
The number of syphilis cases in Japan this year has exceeded 10,000 for the first time since comparable data became available in 1999.