RIKEN and Osaka University have launched cloud access to Ei-II, a domestically developed 144-qubit superconducting quantum computer. Doubling the previous 64-qubit Ei, the 28x28mm chip enables quantum calculations beyond classical simulation. We compare it with IBM and Google systems and examine Japan's quantum roadmap.
TOPPAN Holdings, Japan's NICT, and Canada's ISARA have demonstrated a seamless migration path from current cryptography to post-quantum cryptography in certificate authority systems, without service disruption. The breakthrough addresses the looming quantum computing threat to existing encryption, targeting real-world deployment in healthcare, finance, and government by 2030.
SoftBank Group is betting big on Physical AI, merging telecom infrastructure with robotics. From its $5.4B ABB acquisition to AI-RAN partnerships with NVIDIA, Arm, and Yaskawa, here's how Japan's tech giant plans to make robots think and move in real time.
University of Tokyo's MEVIUS2 is a Spot-sized open-source quadruped robot built from sheet metal and e-commerce parts. With full hardware and software on GitHub, LiDAR and HDR camera perception, and reinforcement learning locomotion, it aims to democratize advanced robotics, at a fraction of Spot's $74,500 price tag.
NTT Docomo launches 'docomo Starlink Direct' on April 27, 2026, offering free satellite-to-smartphone communication for 22 million subscribers. Using SpaceX's Starlink constellation of 650+ satellites as cell towers in space, the service covers mountains, remote islands, and seas across Japan. We compare it with KDDI's pioneering au service and T-Mobile's U.S. rollout.
An in-depth look at Woven by Toyota, the software subsidiary steering Toyota's transformation. From the Arene platform's debut in the new RAV4 to the $1B Woven City experiment, we analyze how Toyota is fighting Tesla and BYD in the SDV era.
Microsoft announced a $10 billion investment in Japan by 2029 to expand AI data centers, strengthen cybersecurity, and train 1 million engineers. We explore the partnerships with SoftBank and Sakura Internet, Japan's sovereign AI strategy, and why US tech giants are racing to invest across Asia.
Japan's shipping giant MOL and tech conglomerate Hitachi have agreed to jointly develop floating data centers by converting used ships. Using seawater cooling to slash power costs, needing no land, and deployable in just one year, these maritime server farms offer a creative answer to the AI era's insatiable appetite for computing power.
On March 31, 2026, NTT Docomo's 3G shutdown renders Japan's beloved garakei flip phones permanently unusable. Explore the rise and fall of Japan's unique mobile culture that gave the world emoji, mobile internet, and camera phones — and why over 500,000 users are losing their connection.
Osaka University startup QuEL has demonstrated 24-hour stable operation of its quantum bit control device QuEL-1 SE, achieving amplitude standard deviation of 0.15% and phase standard deviation of 0.39°. Published in Review of Scientific Instruments, this breakthrough in device-level temperature control clears fault-tolerant thresholds crucial for scaling quantum computers toward the million-qubit era.
NTT has developed multi-core optical fiber technology that quadruples submarine cable capacity without changing cable structure. Achieving 192 cores (48 fibers × 4 cores) with deployment targeted for 2029, this Japanese innovation addresses the explosive data demands of the AI era. We explore the technology alongside Big Tech's submarine cable investment race.