JR East to test driverless shinkansen bullet trains in 2021
Kyodo -- Nov 11
East Japan Railway Co. said Tuesday it will conduct autonomous test runs of its E7-series shinkansen bullet trains next fall, with the aim of operating such automated trains in the future amid a labor shortage.
Yuji Fukasawa, president of the major railway operator, said at a press conference in Tokyo that its 12-car train will carry out multiple, 5-kilometer test runs in Niigata Prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, between October and November for technical checks. - Kyodo
The Most Usable Apps Worth Installing in 2022
newsonjapan.com - Aug 11
Your iPhone does most of the work for you these days, whether for chatting, finding food to eat, or exploring places to travel.
Third monkeypox case confirmed in Japan
NHK - Aug 07
Health authorities in Japan have confirmed the country's third case of monkeypox.
Tokyo eyes flying-car landing pads atop skyscrapers
Nikkei - Aug 05
Mitsubishi Estate is readying for Japan's first crewed flying-vehicle test flights in fiscal 2024, turning the rooftops of Tokyo high-rises it owns into takeoff and landing pads.
Japan approves smallpox vaccine to prevent monkeypox
ptvnews.ph - Aug 04
Japan’s health ministry has approved the use of a smallpox vaccine believed to be effective against monkeypox.
Wearable fans help Japan's hot dogs stay cool
The Straits Times - Aug 04
To help dogs that can't shed their fur coats to stay cool, a Tokyo clothing maker and veterinarians have teamed up to create a wearable fan just for dogs -- and even cats.
AI recognizes raging ocean currents as a life saver
nationworldnews.com - Jul 30
Sudden strong currents can be fatal while swimming in the sea. An AI system should recognize them and automatically call for help.
Tsunami could kill 149,000 in Hokkaido in worst-case quake scenario
Japan Today - Jul 29
Damage estimates released Thursday by the Hokkaido government show tsunami could kill 149,000 people in the event a major earthquake hits off Japan's northernmost main island, surpassing a central government prediction by around 12,000.
Eruption of Sakurajima raises alert level to 5
NHK - Jul 25
The Japan Meteorological Agency says a volcanic eruption occurred on Sakurajima in southwestern Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday evening.
Sakurajima volcano erupts, triggering evacuations
1news - Jul 25
A volcano on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu has erupted, spewing ash and rocks.
Japan's space agency tests future supersonic scramjet engine specimen
NHK - Jul 24
Japan's space agency has announced that it successfully test-launched a small research rocket, which conducted tests for a future supersonic scramjet engine.
First bulker with rigid sail launched in Japan
maritime-executive.com - Jul 23
The first installation of a rigid, winged sail has been completed on a commercial bulker with the vessel recently floated at the Oshima Shipyard in Japan.
Japan regulator approves release of treated Fukushima water
CNA - Jul 22
Japan's nuclear regulator on Friday (Jul 22) formally approved a plan to release more than a million tonnes of treated water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean.
Shionogi Covid pill Xocova fails to win Japan panel backing
theedgemarkets.com - Jul 21
Shionogi's experimental Covid-19 treatment Xocova failed to win the backing of health experts in Japan who said there wasn’t enough data to show the medicine’s efficacy.
Metarverse technology in Japan attracts visitors worldwide
ANI News Official - Jul 17
The Hologram technology produces 3D visual effect by reflecting light. This holographic image moves three dimensionally and even shows all the details.
Kishida orders restart of up to nine nuclear reactors to ease power crunch
alarabiya.net - Jul 14
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he ordered as many as nine nuclear reactors to be restarted to help ease concerns about a possible power crunch.
Fatty 'katsuo' fish may foreshadow climate change, threat to Japan's sushi
Reuters - Jul 12
For half a century, Takeo Nakajo has been catching katsuo, or skipjack tuna - indispensable in Japanese cuisine whether eaten raw, dried or used as a base for the broth.
