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Life & Lifestyle

Sharing Snacks With Your Dog: Morinaga's First-Ever Pet Products After 126 Years and Japan's Booming Pet Market

Japan's iconic confectionery giant Morinaga has launched its first-ever pet-friendly products in 126 years of history — 7 snacks that both humans and dogs can enjoy together. From Moonlight cookies to Ice Box frozen treats, the company backed its concept with university research proving shared snacking strengthens the human-dog bond. A deep dive into Japan's booming $12.7 billion pet market.

Tech & Science

Liquid Lens Glasses Revolution: Japanese Startup ViXion's Autofocus Eyewear Corrects Myopia, Farsightedness, and Presbyopia Automatically

A revolutionary pair of glasses born in Japan uses liquid lens technology to automatically adjust focus for myopia, farsightedness, and presbyopia. Developed by ViXion, a HOYA spinoff, the ViXion01S weighs just 33g and runs for 15 hours. With over $3.6 million raised in crowdfunding and a top government tech award, we explore this next-gen autofocus eyewear and the future of vision correction technology.

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Business & Finance

Tower Mansion Bubble Burst? Resale Struggles, Doubling Inventory Signal Japan's Luxury Condo Downturn

Japan's luxury tower mansion market shows signs of a potential bubble burst. Resale listings at Tokyo's Harumi Flag are stalling, Osaka tower condo inventory has doubled in two years, and banks are tightening mortgage screening against flippers. With over 40% foreign ownership in some buildings and a growing gap between sale prices and rental yields, experts predict a major correction within 2-3 years.

Tech & Science

Recovery Wear: Japan's "Wear It and Heal" Clothing Craze, What It Is and Why Budget Giants Are Racing to Sell It

What if your pajamas could heal you while you sleep? In Japan, "recovery wear" (clothing infused with ceramic minerals that emit far-infrared rays to boost blood circulation) has become a national craze, even earning a Word of the Year nomination. Now budget chains Workman ($13), Nitori ($10), and Aeon are making this uniquely Japanese wellness trend accessible to everyone. Here's what recovery wear is and why millions of Japanese are buying it.

Tech & Science

Rubber Muscle Walking Device: Japan's 3-Person Family Company Creates $220 Wearable That's Going Global

No batteries. Just 280 grams of rubber. A Japanese bone-setter turned entrepreneur created "futto," a walking support device using rubber tubes as artificial muscles. Built with hardware store materials by a 3-person family company, it's now scientifically validated and expanding overseas. Here's how this $220 innovation tackles aging societies worldwide.

News, Society & Economy

Lab-Grown Diamonds: The Next Rare Earth Crisis? Japan's $36B US Investment Gamble Explained

Japan and the US have agreed on the first tranche of a massive $550 billion investment plan, including a $600 million lab-grown diamond factory in Georgia. With China controlling over 60% of global production, synthetic diamonds are being called "the next rare earth." But with a controversial profit-sharing deal, is this a smart bet or a high-risk, low-return gamble for Japan?

Tech & Science

Cultivated Fish Meat: Japan's Maruha Nichiro Pioneers Lab-Grown Bluefin Tuna to Save the Ocean

Japan's largest seafood company Maruha Nichiro has partnered with Singapore's UMAMI Bioworks to develop cell-cultivated bluefin tuna using cells from fully farmed fish. Targeting overseas sales by FY2027, this report covers the technical breakthroughs, commercialization challenges, and global cultivated meat market landscape behind Japan's ambitious quest to produce fish without the ocean.