Fundamental science from Japanese universities and national research institutes.
Yamaguchi University researchers discovered four new rare earth-containing minerals at Gunma Prefecture's Mokurasawa Mine. Amid Japan's push to reduce China dependence, this discovery holds both scientific significance and strategic implications for resource security.
Japanese-led international research team reveals the quenching mechanism of thorium-229 isomers crucial for next-generation nuclear clocks. Discovery shows electrons in crystals reset nuclear states, advancing portable solid-state nuclear clocks for GPS and dark matter research.
NIMS and University of Tokyo researchers have developed a revolutionary wafer-scale deposition technology for next-generation semiconductor material MoS2 (molybdenum disulfide). By discovering two key growth mechanisms, self-alignment and self-limiting, they achieved uniform, high-quality monolayer films across entire 2-inch wafers. This breakthrough opens the path to post-silicon semiconductors for sub-1nm node transistors.
Australian researchers have developed "thermoradiative diodes" that convert infrared radiation emitted from Earth into space at night into electricity. This reverse solar panel technology shows promise for satellite power and deep space missions. Explore the potential and challenges of this renewable energy breakthrough.
SFTS is a tick-borne disease with a 10-30% fatality rate. A treatment was approved in 2024, which made early diagnosis the bottleneck. Japanese institutions including Osaka University are developing a 15-minute test on the model of flu antigen kits. 2025 brought a record 183 cases and Hokkaido's first infection.
A Juntendo University and Hiroshima University team showed in mice that soluble ST2 (sST2), present at high levels in the body, naturally suppresses food allergy, and that fibroblasts in the skin and small intestine are its main source. Application to humans is still ahead, but the finding offers a lead for new prevention and treatment.
Kyoto University researchers, working with macaque monkeys, identified a "motivation brake" in the brain: the VS-VP pathway linking the ventral striatum and ventral pallidum suppresses starting a task under stress. Human studies are still to come, but the finding may help explain loss of motivation in depression and burnout.
A Shinshu University and Asahimatsu Foods study found that resistant protein in koya-dofu (freeze-dried tofu) raised GLP-1 production via gut bacteria and curbed weight gain and fatty liver in mice. Effects in humans have not yet been tested. Here is the mechanism and what remains to be shown.
JAXA, the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, and Tohoku University are working toward TSUKUYOMI, a radio telescope on the Moon. A prototype called LOPTA flies in the 2020s, with 10 or more antennas to follow by the late 2030s. The target is the 21-cm hydrogen line from the Cosmic Dark Ages, the first 100 million years after the Big Bang.
ATR, Kyoto University, and AIST have shown a humanoid robot slaloming on a skateboard. How its Cyborg AI works, why the task maps onto disaster response and construction sites, and where the project sits against US and Chinese rivals.
Yamagata University is building Benibana Sat, a 1U CubeSat targeting launch by fiscal 2028. Named for the prefectural flower, the project is aimed less at the satellite than at keeping the firms and people who can build one inside the prefecture.