Researchers at Osaka and Yamagata Universities have created a 'smart plastic' whose degradation can be toggled on and off with light. Using movable molecular rings, the material balances durability with biodegradability — and can even encode QR codes revealed by enzyme digestion. Published in ACS Nano.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo developed an AI model that integrates cine MRI imagery of uterine peristalsis with clinical data, significantly improving pregnancy prediction for patients with recurrent implantation failure. The novel approach condenses 18 seconds of uterine movement into a single image for deep learning analysis.
Fujitsu has developed and delivered the world's first 1-megapixel dual-band T2SL infrared sensor to Japan's defense agency, detecting temperature differences below 0.05°C. The technology, how it compares with Teledyne FLIR and L3Harris, and where Japan's dual-use defense tech strategy actually stands.
AT Tokyo and elleThermo successfully demonstrated waste heat power generation using Semiconductor-Sensitized Thermal Cells (STC) in a live data center. This Science Tokyo-born technology generates electricity directly from low-grade heat at just 30-40°C — no temperature differential required. A look at how this could reshape data center energy efficiency amid soaring AI power demands.
Not the iPS cells themselves, but the liquid they're grown in, injected into arthritic knees. A Japanese team's world-first study showed 71.4% improvement by international criteria with no serious adverse events. We look at what a seven-patient uncontrolled pilot can and cannot tell us, and where conditioned medium sits in Japan's regulations.
Japanese fusion startup Helical Fusion announces the construction site for its demonstration device 'Helix HARUKA' Phase 1, while completing critical coil case components with precision manufacturer Ryoki Tool. Explore how Japan's unique helical stellarator approach and the HTS superconductor boom are reshaping the global fusion race.
Japanese space startup Synspective successfully launched its 8th StriX SAR satellite via Rocket Lab's Electron rocket from New Zealand. The company is building a 30-satellite constellation and holds a role in a 283.1 billion yen Japanese defense program, competing with Finland's ICEYE and America's Capella Space in the global SAR market.
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son has announced a $500 billion AI data center campus at a former uranium enrichment site in Ohio—the largest single-site investment in history. With 21 Japanese and American companies involved and 9.2 GW of gas-fired power, this project reshapes the global AI infrastructure race. Here's what Japan thinks.
Osaka University's QIQB and Fixstars achieved the world's largest quantum chemistry circuit simulation using 1,024 NVIDIA H100 GPUs on Japan's ABCI-Q supercomputer. Breaking the previous 40-qubit barrier, they simulated H₂O with 42 spin orbitals and Fe₂S₂ with 41 qubits — accelerating quantum algorithm development before fault-tolerant quantum computers arrive.
Tohoku University spinoff Space Quarters has successfully demonstrated electron beam welding in simulated zero-gravity and lunar gravity environments aboard an aircraft. The company achieved a world-first by welding sintered lunar regolith — the sandy material covering the Moon's surface. With its ultra-compact 7 kg welding system and JAXA partnership, this breakthrough brings humanity one step closer to building infrastructure in space.
Japanese space laser startup Orbital Lasers has closed a $20 million Series A round backed by nine investors including Keio Innovation Initiative and JIC Venture Growth. Spun out from satellite operator SKY Perfect JSAT in 2024, the company develops compact, high-efficiency space lasers for debris removal via laser ablation and high-precision 3D terrain mapping via satellite LiDAR. We explore how it compares to Astroscale and SpaceX, and what it means for Japan's booming space startup ecosystem.