Toho University stroked infants on the head, back and belly. Only the back calmed them, at about 10.5 cm/s. In mouse pups raised without a mother, the response never appeared at all.
In 2004, a University of Tokyo brain scientist said humans are born wired for grammar. In 2022, ChatGPT learned language without any such wiring. The half-century debate Chomsky started is wide open again.
It began with a particle mistaken for a bacterium in an English cooling tower. Two decades later, giant virus research in Japan has reached a startling question: where did the cell nucleus that defines us come from? A look at Furtivovirus, found in a Kamakura river.
Japan is rewriting the national curriculum that governs every classroom, with new tech subjects, flexible class hours, and slimmer content arriving from 2030. How does it compare to Finland, Singapore, and the US?
Japan's Coast Guard has released free Minecraft world data recreating Japan's surrounding seafloor — including the 10,920m Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. Released for Marine Safety Day on May 12, 2026, the world is available for both Java and Bedrock editions.
Students at Daigo Junior High in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto have collected aluminum cans from their homes since 1994 and converted them to cash for the Kansai Guide Dog Association. Over 30 years, the donations have surpassed 6.18 million yen ($39,000), enough to train two guide dogs. We unpack what makes this multigenerational effort possible.
Kenichi Sugino, who designed the Game Boy Color, Advance, DS and 3DS over 37 years at Nintendo, and Goro Abe, who directed all 12 WarioWare titles, have joined Osaka Electro-Communication University as professors. We explore Japan's distinctive game education model, how it compares to DigiPen and USC, and the wave of generational change at Nintendo.
Model kits that once got confiscated at school are now official teaching materials in Japan. Bandai's free Gunpla Academia program has reached 940,000 students since 2021. A father from the 'confiscation generation' shares his amazement as his daughter brings home a Gundam kit from class.
The University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering launches a new Blockchain Applied Practice Program in 2026, featuring cross-disciplinary study groups in finance, cryptography, contemporary art, and mobility. Eight major blockchain platforms including Ethereum Foundation and Avalanche participate in a chain-neutral design.
A survey of 2,469 Japanese elementary and middle school students reveals that 75% believe certain jobs will vanish within a decade. Translator tops the list of endangered professions, followed by train/bus drivers. Explore how Japan's youngest generation views careers in the age of AI.
Aircraft carrier flight decks come in two main types: ski-jump ramps and catapult systems. Why did Japan's JS Kaga choose a flat deck instead of either? Explore the technical differences between CATOBAR and STOVL carriers, the reasoning behind Kaga's conversion for F-35B operations, and how each nation's carrier design reflects its defense strategy. What does your country think about aircraft carriers?