| Feb 10 | Fujisoft provides some robotic tenderness (Japan Times) |
| Need a friend?: Artificial intelligence may remain stuck on the computer screen, but aritifical companionship seems to be rolling ahead. Fujisoft hopes for a wide fan base with Palro, which stands for "Pal Robot." The robot packs the equivalent of a netbook's worth of brains into a humanoid looking form that stands at a less-than-imposing 40 cm in height and weighs just 1.9 kg. Videos of the device in action show that it can walk and talk, respond to commands and do a clunky version of a robotic dance. In effect it is a netbook with arms and legs that can also function as a cute companion. |
| Feb 09 | U.S. venture firm obtains patent related to iPS cells created by Kyoto Univ. professor (Mainichi) |
| U.S. venture company Fate Therapeutics Inc. has obtained a U.S. patent related to iPS cells first created by a Kyoto University professor, it has emerged. Rudolf Jaenisch, one of the company's founders and a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, and other researchers applied for a patent in November 2004 over a method of identifying genes for reprogramming somatic cells, about two years earlier than Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka's application for a patent on creating iPS cells. |
| Feb 09 | Japan pedometer gives incentive to skip the taxi (Reuters) |
| Looking for extra motivation to walk away the pounds? A Japanese company is selling a pedometer that calculates how much money you save on taxi fares by walking as well as the calories you burn. The metre on Happinet Toy's "Taxi Walker" starts at 710 yen (5.07 pounds) -- the same as the initial fare for most Tokyo taxis and which covers the first 2 kms (1.2 miles). Once the user has walked more than 2 km, the pedometer tacks on 90 yen for each additional 280 metres covered. |
| Feb 09 | U.S. study disputes increase in Antarctic minke whale population (AP) |
| The population of Antarctic minke whales has not increased even after other larger whales in food competition were hunted, according to a recent study by U.S. researchers, countering arguments Japan cites as a reason for conducting what it calls research whaling. With larger species of whales including blue whales being intensely hunted in the late 20th century, Japan's Fisheries Agency and researchers have hypothesized that Antarctic minke whales may have increased as a result of lesser competition for krill that they feed on. |
| Feb 09 | Nonsmokers' soy intake pays off (Japan Times) |
| Male nonsmokers who consume large quantities of soybean products like tofu and "natto" fermented beans face a remarkably lower risk of lung cancer than those who eat less, indicating the benefits of soy isoflavones, which are a kind of steroid, according to researchers. Soy isoflavones are known to play a role in preventing breast cancer in women because they function like the female sex hormone estrogen. |
| Feb 09 | Women with B or AB-type blood less likely to succumb to anemia (Mainichi) |
| Women with B or AB-type blood are less likely to succumb to anemia than women with type A or type O blood, a study by the University of Tokyo and Riken research institute has found. Researchers analyzed gene data from about 15,000 people, and identified 46 types of genes that relate to differences in the body's make-up and affect physical exam results, such as uric acid, which is linked to gout, and gamma-GTP, which is associated with liver functionality. |
| Feb 09 | Moon, sun 'could help trigger powerful earthquakes' (Yomiuri) |
| The gravitational pull of the moon and sun may serve as the last straw in triggering earthquakes, researchers have found. Though the effects of the two heavenly bodies--known as the lunar and solar tidal forces, respectively--have only about 0.1 percent of the accumulated-strain energy that triggers a powerful earthquake, such a force could act as the last push for a major tremor when seismic strain strong enough to cause a quake has accumulated, according to the researchers, including Sachiko Tanaka, a research fellow at the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention. |
| Feb 08 | Strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake strikes Japan (examiner.com) |
| A magnitude-6.4 earthquake rocked the Asian nation of Japan moments ago as it struck the southwestern Ryukyu Islands only hours after another quake hit the region. On Sunday, a strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Japan, according to the United States Geological Survey. Currently, there have been no reports of injuries, deaths or damages. |
| Feb 05 | Japan whalers' new foe: Scientists (MSNBC) |
 Researchers are en route to study whales off Antarctica without killing them - an open challenge to Japan's killing of up to 1,000 whales a year in the name of science.
Japan has a six-boat whaling fleet in Antarctic waters as part of its scientific whaling program, an allowed exception to the International Whaling Commission's 1986 ban on commercial whaling. Opponents claim Japan's program is commercial whaling in disguise, with the whale meat sold for food in Japan.
Some 18 scientists from Australia, France and New Zealand are taking part in the initial six-week voyage to research whales, their food and their interaction with the environment.
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| Feb 04 | Some of Japan's oldest human bones found on Ishigaki Island (AP) |
| Human bone fragments, among the oldest so far discovered in Japan, have been recovered from a cave on Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture, the prefectural government's education bureau said Thursday. Scientific checks have showed that the bone fragments are between 15,000 and 20,000 years old, which means they date back to the country's Paleolithic Period. Ishigaki, a popular tourist destination, is located about 400 kilometers southwest of Okinawa's prefectural capital of Naha. |
| Feb 04 | Japanese astronaut takes time to twitter, celebrate local traditions aboard ISS (examiner.com) |
| What would you do with your free time if you were spending five months in space doing research? Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, who was launched up to the International Space Station in December, has provided an answer to that question by taking time to tweet and to celebrate local traditions. Soichi Noguchi joined twitter under the name "Astro_Soichi" at the end of October, just as he was finishing up his training in America and heading for Russia. Since then, he has made well over 250 tweets and has gained more than 48,000 followers - more than half of which have been since the start of the New Year. |
| Feb 04 | Underwater volcano erupts, could create new island (Yomiuri) |
 A coast guard patrol vessel detected an underwater volcanic eruption Wednesday morning in the Pacific Ocean close to Minami-Iwoto island in Ogasawaramura, Tokyo, the coast guard headquarters said.
The vessel spotted white smoke rising from the sea about five kilometers north-northeast of the island.
An expert speculated that the eruption could form a permanent island.
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| Feb 04 | The world's radioactive rubbish is piling up (Japan Times) |
| The Pacific Sandpiper, a specially built cargo ship with safety features far in excess of those found on conventional vessels, left Britain's Barrow port bound for Japan the other day. The security surrounding its departure on Jan. 21 indicates that something out of the ordinary is aboard. The Pacific Sandpiper and several sister ships make no port calls on their voyages between Europe and Japan because they carry potentially lethal nuclear material. |
| Feb 03 | Full-body scanners for nation's airports in works (Japan Times) |
 The government is considering installing controversial full-body scanners at airports following a failed attack on a U.S.-bound jet in late December, sources said Tuesday. The full-body scanners, which some other countries are introducing, are designed to produce images of the human body in white and all other foreign matter in black. They are considered more effective than metal detectors in spotting items hidden beneath clothes, but critics have raised concerns about invasion of privacy.
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| Feb 02 | Sakurajima sets eruption record (Asahi) |
 The Sakurajima volcano had 131 explosive eruptions in January, topping the previous record set the month before, meteorological officials said Monday.
The island volcano in Kinko Bay, formally Mount Ontake, erupted 117 times in December.
At this pace, the volcano may well erupt 1,000 to 2,000 times this year, up from a record 548 marked in 2009, according to Masato Iguchi, an associate professor at Kyoto University's Sakurajima Volcano Research Center.
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| Feb 02 | Study links hormone to addiction, risk-taking (Reuters) |
| People with high levels of the hormone dopamine in the brain, and low sensitivity to it, tend to be greater risk takers and may be more prone to addictive behavior, drug abuse and gambling, a study has found. Scientists from Denmark and Japan said they had proved in research that a need for stimulation is greater on average among those who have more of the gratification hormone, dopamine, in their brains, partly because of their lower sensitivity to it. |
| Feb 02 | Japan leads the race for a hydrogen fuel-cell car (csmonitor.com) |
 It may still sound like science fiction to some. But Japan is taking a lead in making zero-emissions hydrogen-fueled cars a reality.
It's part of the country's aspiration to cut its carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050; nearly a quarter of those emissions come from transportation. And it's a more urgent task in a country that imports all of its oil.
Japan leads Asia in early hydrogen-car infrastructure and is a world-beater in emerging fuel cell technologies.
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| Feb 02 | Dismal yellowtail season ends off Toyama (Yomiuri) |
| This winter's yellowtail snapper fishing season in Toyama Bay ended Saturday with just one-tenth of a regular year's haul--a dismal catch that has pushed the prized fish's price to double that of last year. The fishing fleet even came home empty-handed on two days--the first time this has happened. Researchers suspect that the higher sea surface temperature this year has slowed the southward migration of the fish, known as buri in Japanese. |
| Feb 01 | Govt to promote Japan smart grid tech as intl norm (Yomiuri) |
| The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry will propose that an international organization adopt 26 Japanese items of technology to serve as global standards for so-called smart grid systems, it has been learned. The move is aimed at catching up with the United States, which has taken the lead in developing technological global standards, according to sources. A smart grid is a system that uses information technology to adjust electricity supplies depending on demand. |
| Jan 31 | Researchers hope new water-based gel will replace petroleum-based plastics (Mainichi) |
 Researchers from the University of Tokyo have developed a new material composed of 98 percent water that they hope will replace petroleum-based plastics.
Aside from water, "Aqua Material" is composed of a clay mineral used in cosmetics and toothpaste, as well as a moisture-absorbing chemical used in diapers called sodium polyacrylate, and a modified form of a medical compound called G3-binder.
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| Jan 30 | Wasabi smoke alarm raises a stink in Japan (CNET) |
 The Japanese are getting teary-eyed over a smoke alarm for deaf people that emits a strong odor of wasabi, according to a recent Nikkei Net article.
Instead of an ear-piercing wail, the device unleashes the chemical compound allyl isothiocyanate, which gives horseradish, mustard, and wasabi their bite. A red LED on the alarm also starts flashing when smoke is detected.
In tests on sleeping people with normal or no hearing, the device woke nearly all subjects up within two and a half minutes after the stench hit their nostrils. Further tests determined the ideal intensity of airborne wasabi to wake people up but not hurt their eyes in the process.
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| Jan 30 | Secret scientists cast doubt on Japanese whale numbers (stuff.co.nz) |
| Undercover scientists who bought whale meat at Japanese markets for genetic research say claims minke whale numbers are rising are incorrect. The research has been published as a joint team of New Zealand and Australian scientists prepare to sail to the Southern Ocean to conduct the first ever wholly non-lethal research programme into whales. In the 20th century, the killing of about two million whales in the Southern Ocean devastated the numbers of blue whales, fin whales and humpback whales, but not minke whales. |
| Jan 28 | Next-generation express trains set speed records (Asahi) |
A new breed of express trains is bringing speeds previously only seen on Shinkansen lines to the rest of Japan's railway network.
Keisei Electric Railway Co.'s new Tokyo to Narita limited-express, which will debut in July, will reach speeds of 160 kph. The Hakutaka limited-express in Niigata Prefecture has already clocked a similar pace.
Keisei's new Narita Sky Access Skyliner will run from Keisei Ueno Station in Tokyo to Narita Airport from July. Travelers starting at Nippori Station in Tokyo will reach Narita's Terminal 2 in a mere 36 minutes. The current Keisei Skyliner takes 51 minutes.
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| Jan 26 | Revolutionary electric vehicle to hit the road (Yomiuri) |
 A start-up company has begun developing an electric car that has motors in each of its wheels, a breakthrough that could enable the car to travel 300 kilometers per charge, up to twice as far as some other electric vehicles using the same batteries.
The vehicle with the unique energy-saving "in-wheel motor" technology could go into mass-production in 2013.
According to Sim-Drive, the company established by Keio University Prof. Hiroshi Shimizu and others, 34 companies and organizations--including Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Isuzu Motors Ltd., a battery maker and local governments--have invested 680 million yen in the project.
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| Jan 24 | 'Black rain' appears to have fallen in wider area than believed (AP) |
| "Black rain" following the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of the city of Hiroshima appears to have fallen in wider areas than previously believed, according to research by the city government. The central government has provided free medical checkups to those who were in areas hit by the contaminated rain for more than one hour, designated as heavy rain districts, while those who were in areas which received black rain for less than one hour, designated as light rain districts, have asked the state to review the criterion. |
| Jan 24 | Snow monkey temporarily escapes from Tokyo zoo (AP) |
| A snow monkey from Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost habitat in the world for a simian, enjoyed a hiccup of freedom Sunday after escaping from Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, the first day of a public exhibition of Japanese macaques at the facility, zoo officials said. Zoo staff members tried unsuccessfully to capture the monkey with nets and tranquilizer guns, and around six hours later, the monkey was finally detected and captured by a net near the zoo, they said. |
| Jan 24 | Researchers await 6 bil. yen in science funds (Yomiuri) |
| Many researchers have been left twiddling their thumbs after 6 billion yen earmarked in the central government budget to assist iPS cell research and other scientific studies has been frozen since last year's power shift to the Democratic Party of Japan. Though the funding was appropriated in the fiscal 2009 initial budget, procedures to distribute the money have been stalled under the new administration. The money was to be distributed to five scientific research projects in which international competition is fierce, including research on iPS cells--versatile cells expected to be useful in treating some now incurable conditions--in reproductive medicine and their possible adverse effects, and one study on developing more efficient solar power generation technologies. |
| Jan 23 | Slime mold grows network just like Tokyo rail system (wired.com) |
 Talented and dedicated engineers spent countless hours designing Japan's rail system to be one of the world's most efficient. Could have just asked a slime mold. When presented with oat flakes arranged in the pattern of Japanese cities around Tokyo, brainless, single-celled slime molds construct networks of nutrient-channeling tubes that are strikingly similar to the layout of the Japanese rail system, researchers from Japan and England report Jan. 22 in Science. A new model based on the simple rules of the slime mold's behavior may lead to the design of more efficient, adaptable networks, the team contends.
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| Jan 23 | Study detects stomach cancer from waste fluid (Yomiuri) |
| Researchers have discovered the early detection of stomach cancer is possible by studying the waste fluid pumped from the stomach carried out before an endoscopic examination. The study was conducted by a research team led by Prof. Fumio Ito of St. Marianna University School of Medicine. The team detected gene abnormalities peculiar to stomach cancer in the mucosal cells of the stomach that flaked off from water pressure during endoscopic cleansing of the stomach. |
| Jan 23 | Brain disorder decides flatfish eye migration (Yomiuri) |
 Eye migration to the left or right side of the head starts in two kinds of flounder--hirame and karei--due to a brain disorder that occurs at an early stage of their growth, a research team headed by Tohoku University Prof. Tohru Suzuki has found.
The team also discovered the gene that controls the direction of eye migration.
An adult flounder has two eyes on one side of its head, but at an early stage of growth one eye is located on each side of its head. One eye migrates to the other side of the body as a process of metamorphosis as it grows.
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| Jan 22 | Seed plants found at warming Mt. Fuji peak (AP) |
 Researchers said Friday they have found at the summit of Mt. Fuji grass and other seed plants that used to be unable to grow there, probably because the permafrost at Japan's tallest peak is ebbing due to rising temperatures.
The 3,776-meter summit could only grow moss about 20 years ago, but Takehiro Masuzawa, a Shizuoka University professor on plant physiological ecology, and his team recently found plants usually seen at an altitude of about 2,500 meters growing there.
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| Jan 22 | Mercury levels of whale-eating town's residents 10 times Japan average (AP) |
 Levels of mercury in hair samples of residents of Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, which is known for customarily eating small whales caught by coastal whaling, are about 10 times the average in Japan, possibly due to consumption of whale meat with high concentration of mercury, one of researchers who conducted the survey said Thursday. The researchers also discovered high levels of mercury in products made from local marine mammals and fishes, such as pilot whales, dolphins, tunas and skipjack, distributed in and around the community.
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| Jan 21 | Japanese scientists invent 'elastic' water (itar-tass.com) |
| Japanese scientists from the Tokyo University have invented a new material, which consists of water by 95%. It's safe for humans and environment and could, therefore, be used in medicine in a long-term perspective. The new material was obtained by adding about two grams of clay and a small quantity of appropriate organic matters into normal water. The new aqua substance is elastic and transparent and looks very much like jelly. Its characteristics make it possible to use it in medicine for sticking together tissues. |
| Jan 21 | UK returns nuclear waste to Japan (BBC) |
 The first shipment of highly radioactive waste from the UK has left the Sellafield nuclear site, the BBC has learnt.
It has been loaded onto a ship specifically designed to carry nuclear waste that will sail for Japan later.
The waste is a by-product of nuclear fuel spent by Japanese reactors that was sent to the UK for reprocessing during the 1980s and 1990s.
Some campaigners have criticised the shipments, saying they are dangerous.
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| Jan 21 | Swine flu vaccine imports OK'd (Japan Times) |
| The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry approved Wednesday the domestic use of swine flu vaccines made by British and Swiss companies, paving the way for their distribution around early February with inoculations beginning in midmonth. |
| Jan 21 | 2nd H1N1 flu virus infection of pigs confirmed in Japan (AP) |
| The H1N1 strain of influenza virus has been detected in some pigs at a farm in Yamagata Prefecture, making it the second confirmed swine infection with the virus in Japan, following the first case last October in Osaka Prefecture, the farm ministry said Wednesday. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry said it asked the farm's operator not to move pigs out of the facility, and suggested the virus may have been transmitted by a human. |
| Jan 18 | Plug-in and hybrid ships in the pipeline (Asahi) |
| As interest in "green" vehicles rises on land, shipbuilders too are developing vessels that could emit fewer or no greenhouse gases. Currently on the drawing board are two concept vessels--a plug-in ship that runs entirely on lithium-ion batteries and a diesel-electric hybrid vessel. IHI Marine United Inc., a subsidiary of heavy machinery maker IHI Corp., is developing a plug-in ship powered by lithium-ion batteries. Its Zero Emission Electric Propulsion Ship will use batteries that can be recharged at charging stations in ports it visits. |
| Jan 17 | New research reveals neurological disorder behind autism (Mainichi) |
 The nerves in the brain that control emotions and other faculties do not function at normal levels in individuals with autism, new research has revealed.
The research -- led by the Hamamatsu University School of Medicine -- is gaining attention in the medical community for possible applications in treating or even preventing the disorder, the hallmarks of which include obsessive behavior and an inability to empathize with others or communicate one's own emotions.
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| Jan 17 | Japan to propose joint research with China on giant jellyfish (AP) |
| Japan has decided to ask China to conduct joint on-the-spot studies of the massive outbreak of giant jellyfish in waters off China, which has been a headache for the Japanese fishery industry, diplomatic sources said Saturday. The Japanese government has made a similar request unofficially to South Korea, which has also been plagued by the outbreak of Nomura's Jellyfish, so that the three nations can work together to come up with measures to stem damage from the jellyfish swarm, the sources said. |
| Jan 17 | Cemeteries not so safe during earthquakes, Japanese group finds (thenewstribune.com) |
| The Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 in Japan prompted a surge in earthquake-resistance work on buildings in an effort to save lives when the next major temblor strikes. But now, moves are afoot to boost the quake-resistance of heavy gravestones. The research was born from fears that people who have fled to cemeteries designated as emergency evacuation sites following a quake may be hurt by gravestones that are easily rocked by aftershocks. |
| Jan 16 | Moderate radiation tied to heart disease, stroke (BusinessWeek) |
| New research based on the experiences of atomic-bomb survivors has found a link between exposure to moderate levels of radiation and higher levels of heart disease and stroke. It's not clear, however, if the radiation directly causes the diseases, nor is it clear if there's a link between lower doses and the health problems. For the study, researchers from the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Japan examined the medical records of 86,611 Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic-bomb survivors who were followed from 1950 to 2003. |
| Jan 13 | Using bees to battle crows in Japan (treehugger.com) |
 Crows are considered a menace in Japan and for the last 10 years, the country has been waging a war against them. There's been a range of tactics, but one that catches our eye is using one animal species to ward off another. Specifically, bees.
NPR reports that crow populations are booming in Japan, and while efforts have been made to improve trash services to cut off food sources, the birds are still considered too numerous and too much of a nusance to keep around.
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| Jan 12 | Excess salt impairs bodily functions (Yomiuri) |
| People who consume large quantities of salt are more likely to need assistance in their day-to-day lives as they age, according to the results of a health ministry survey. The survey, conducted by a group led by Hirotsugu Ueshima, professor emeritus of Shiga University of Medical Science, was the first of its kind to reveal a correlation between the intake of salt and the need for physical assistance as one gets old. |
| Jan 11 | Breakthrough made in diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome (Yomiuri) |
| Researchers have discovered a protein in blood that can be used to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, a breakthrough that could help detect the ailment during physical checkups. There are diagnostic criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome--a disorder involving extreme fatigue of unknown cause that continues for at least six months--that rely primarily on subjective symptoms, but there have been no objective markers such as blood tests. |
| Jan 08 | Big-headed fish to make big-screen debut (Yomiuri) |
 The bulgyhead wrasse that lives in waters off Sado Island, Niigata Prefecture, may not have classic movie star looks, but the bulbous-headed fish is set to make its big-screen debut on Jan. 22 when the documentary "Oceans" premieres in Japan and around the world, featuring a section about the fish.
The bulgyhead wrasse species, or kobudai in Japanese, is affectionately known to local divers as the benkei fish because its head resembles a lump said to have been on the forehead of the legendary warrior monk Musashibo Benkei of the Heian period (794-1192).
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| Jan 06 | Record-breaking snow cover hits Hokkaido (AP) |
| Record-breaking depths of snow for the month of January were measured in Hokkaido on Wednesday as inclement weather continues on the northern main island as well as a wide area of Honshu along the Sea of Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. In the town of Erimo, Hokkaido, the snow cover reached more than 115 centimeters to make it one of Hokkaido's four observation points that set a new record for January. |
| Jan 06 | Japanese whalers in spy flights (Sydney Morning Herald) |
| Japanese whalers have sent spy flights from Australian airports to track protest ships targeting their hunt in the Antarctic. A series of flights from Western Australia pinned down Sea Shepherd's vessel, Steve Irwin, but flights out of Tasmania on New Year's Day failed to locate the ship again. The operation started in December when the Steve Irwin left Fremantle to intercept the whaling fleet, which this year is targeting 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales. |
| Jan 06 | Japan team tracks down four meteorites (Japan Times) |
 The Japanese polar expedition team discovered four meteorites in the Sor Rondane Mountains of Antarctica on Tuesday in a race with U.S. scientists over the number of similar finds on the continent. It is the first discovery of meteorites in the area by Japanese scientists since January 2001.
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| Jan 05 | 1 out of 3 hospitals in Japan found vulnerable to major quakes (AP) |
| About one out of every three hospitals in Japan have been found to have failed to fully satisfy government requirements for earthquake-proof safety in the event of a major temblor, a health ministry survey showed Tuesday. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare surveyed 8,611 hospitals across the nation over their buildings' quake-proof safety between January and August of last year through the country's 47 prefectural governments. |
| Jan 03 | Why Japan has the right idea on meat production (thecommentfactory.com) |
| Japanese companies and government agencies have been focusing on informing customers, in stark contradiction to North American producers. In June of 2003, the Japanese government passed legislation requiring traceability from the farm through retail sale. On Japanese beef there exists a 10 digit Individual Identification Number that each cow is assigned at birth (with an ear tag) and this number follows the cow through his life, slaughter and sale to the end customer. The process was put in place after the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the local Japanese cattle herd. |