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July 05, 2025
 

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INVENTIONS

A staff member at the Osaka Expo wears clothing featuring a cooling fan powered by electricity generated by perovskite solar cells.
JAPAN
Jun 17, 2025
Wearable perovskite solar cells tested at Osaka Expo
The cells, jointly developed by Toyoda Gosei and a startup company, weigh just 10 grams each.
Takuzo Aida, group director at the Riken Center for Emergent Matter Science, shows a sample of ocean-degradable plastic at its lab in Wako, Saitama Prefecture.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 5, 2025
Scientists in Japan develop plastic that quickly dissolves in seawater
The new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt.
NTT's drone — aimed at triggering, then redirecting lightning — is described as a "flying lightning rod."
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 23, 2025
NTT develops world's first 'flying lightning rod' using drones
NTT said it hopes its flying lightning rods will one day shield cities and digital infrastructure from strikes.
Chieko Asakawa, chief executive director of Miraikan, with an AI-powered suitcase designed to assist people with visual impairments, in Tokyo's Koto Ward on Jan. 22
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 11, 2025
AI suitcase for visually impaired to be tested at expo
The device incorporates generative artificial intelligence technology, enabling it to describe the surrounding environment through voice feedback.
A "biohybrid" robot hand developed by a research team from the University of Tokyo and Waseda University
JAPAN / Science & Health
Feb 13, 2025
Japanese research team develops world’s largest 'biohybrid' robot hand
Lack of nutrients, necrosis and muscle fiber alignment issues have limited the scale of previous "biohybrid" systems.
Though he didn't win the recent gubernatorial election in Tokyo, the 96-year-old Dr. Nakamats' run was seen as inspirational in Japan's aging society.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 18, 2024
For Dr. Nakamats, aging is just experience in action
Always trying to solve the problems of modern life, the perennial candidate refuses to bow to societal expectations of age.
Nikon's new microscope specialized for intracytoplasmic sperm injection, a fertility treatment
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 3, 2024
Nikon develops microscope for fertility treatment
The product reduces the number of operational steps involved in intracytoplasmic sperm injection by about 75%.
LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite, unveiled at Kyoto University in Kyoto on Tuesday
JAPAN / Science & Health
May 29, 2024
Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry unveil world's first wooden satellite
LignoSat is developed with the aim of combating space clutter and promoting more environmentally friendly space activity.
New study questions the trend of scientific breakthroughs and examines the changing landscape of innovation.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 8, 2024
Have scientific breakthroughs declined?
From curing disease to reducing global warming, there’s no shortage of hard scientific problems crying out for solutions.
A Toyo Safety Industrial helmet with a built-in fan is showcased at Extreme Heat Countermeasures Exhibition in Tokyo in July.
BUSINESS
Jul 31, 2023
Fan-cooled beds and baby carriers among new gadgets to beat heat
At Tokyo’s annual trade show last week the focus was on how to keep workers in high-temperature environments cool and reduce the risk of heatstroke.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 4, 2023
Japanese app aims to help detect pain in cats
Since its release last month, 'Cat Pain Detector' has racked up 43,000 users, mostly in Japan but also in Europe and South America.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Jul 4, 2023
Tokyo researchers develop robot arms to 'unlock creativity'
The Jizai Arms were inspired by traditional Japanese puppetry and a quasi-horror short story.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC / Science & Health
Jun 23, 2023
Chemical-maker Kao unveils new way to combat mosquitoes
Researchers found that spraying a solution that allows mosquitoes' wings to become wet can prevent them from flying and knock them out of the air.
JAPAN
Jun 23, 2023
New device to speed up disposal of dud shells from Battle of Okinawa
The explosion-proof container is expected to reduce the evacuation area in a residential district during bomb disposal work to one third of the present size.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech / FOCUS
Feb 19, 2020
Edison, Morse and Watson? AI poses question of who's an inventor
Computers using artificial intelligence are discovering medicines, designing better golf clubs and creating video games.
Japan Times
WORLD / Science & Health
Nov 9, 2019
NASA unveils its first all-electric plane, the X-57 Maxwell
NASA, best known for its many Florida-launched forays into space, showcased an early version of its first all-electric experimental aircraft, the X-57 Maxwell, on Friday at its lesser-known aeronautics lab in the California desert.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 8, 2019
Put down that phone! Indonesians invent device to aid internet addicts
From browsing social media to watching videos and chatting with friends, Indonesian university student Tyas Sisianindita spends about eight hours a day on her phone.
WORLD
Aug 4, 2019
French inventor Franky Zapata crosses English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard
French inventor Franky Zapata on Sunday succeeded in crossing the English Channel on a jet-powered hoverboard he designed, after a previous ended with him falling into the sea.
Japan Times
JAPAN / CHUBU CONNECTION
Nov 13, 2017
With two patents under her belt, Aichi junior high school girl looks to help other inventive kids
Asuka Kamiya, 14, a second-year student from Meisho Junior High School in Anjo, Aichi Prefecture, has established with her father a company to help elementary and junior high school students apply for patents and commercialize their inventions.
WORLD / Crime & Legal
Oct 5, 2017
Danish submarine inventor, charged in journalist's death, had murder videos on his computer
A Danish inventor charged with murdering Swedish journalist Kim Wall in his home-made submarine had video footage on his computer showing women being violently killed, a court heard on Tuesday.
A prophesied disaster (likely) won’t strike Japan this weekend
A viral manga prediction of a July 5 disaster has gripped Japan with anxiety and triggered an economic impact, but experts warn that while such dates are unreliable, the threat of a massive earthquake remains real. 
Magnitude 5.5 earthquake jars Tokara Islands amid flurry of seismic activity
A strong quake struck off the Tokara Islands on Thursday afternoon, with the island chain having recorded around 1,000 earthquakes since a burst of seismic activity first began on June 21.
Japan to require flight passengers to keep power banks within sight
The transport ministry has announced new regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues
Details about evacuations from Akuseki Island, located in the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima Prefecture, is seen written on a whiteboard in the city of Kagoshima on Thursday.
Ghibli’s Isao Takahata exhibit shows how beloved anime is made
“The man who planted Japanese animation” exhibition includes a variety of sketches, drawings and animation cels from Isao Takahata films such as color design for characters by Michiyo Yasuda from "Grave of the Fireflies."
Flag football facing challenges and opportunities ahead
Japan’s women’s flag football team at the 2025 International Bowl in Los Angeles in June. The sport is enjoying continued growth in the country.
From Hokusai’s Great Wave, shinkansen to One Piece: a cultural treasure box for Lego Japan
Michael Ebbesen, general manager of Lego Japan, says Lego bricks based on Japanese culture have a rich global appeal and are sellable around the world.
With farmed fish, RelationFish swims against the tide in fine dining
Chef Hideaki Matsuo (middle) and the staff of Oseto Suisan Fisheries prepare to check on their sustainably farmed fish.
As Southeast Asia heats up, a Japanese cooling giant sees a major opportunity
An employee of Daikin Cambodia explains the use of different tools during an air conditioner installation training session in Phnom Penh. Daikin is one of Japan’s oldest air conditioning companies, but as Japan’s population falls, the firm is keying in on overseas growth.

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