Bridgestone's airless AirFree tire is now in permanent service on an autonomous shuttle in Higashiomi, Shiga, a national first. How its puncture-proof resin-spoke design works, why driverless and MaaS fleets need it, how it contrasts with Michelin's Uptis strategy, and whether it's really Moon-bound.
On July 7, 2026, Noto Airport became the world's first airport to carry the Pokemon name. All 111 Flying-type Pokemon and a giant Pikachu now anchor a recovery push for the quake-hit Noto Peninsula. We unpack the airport's own damage-and-revival story, Japan's distinctive model of rebuilding through beloved characters, and how to visit.
A free Pokemon footbath opened in May to help quake-hit Noto recover. Less than two months later, three of its seven statues (Vaporeon, Psyduck and Gyarados) are damaged, and one has prompted a police report. A look at what happened and how Japan is reacting.
On June 19, 2026, Iizaka Onsen in Fukushima launched a town-wide all-inclusive plan: one ¥25,000 passport for 16 inns, 13 baths, and 25 shops, with local sake, disc gyoza, and day-baths on the house. A look at a shrinking spa town's bet on a whole-district tourism model.
A stray calico named Tama once saved a doomed rural rail line. Now Japan's Wakayama Electric Railway plans to turn the whole route into 'Nyanderland'—a cat nation with passports, visas, and a queen.
Aquaponics rarely pays as a standalone farm. So how does Aomori's closed-school project plan to make money? By monetizing the cafe, tours, education and welfare work around the tank, backed by public funds.
Yokkaichi City handed its reservoir grass-cutting to nine goats, dropping annual costs from $5,000 to $3,100. Meet the hungriest grounds crew in Japan and the quiet comeback of goat grazing.
Niseko, Japan's premier ski resort, is moving beyond its winter-only image. We break down 'Niseko by Nature'—the new brand from the Niseko Promotion Board (NPB)—what a tourism DMO actually does, and how to enjoy Niseko's green season.
Japan's 2025 census preliminary count puts the population at 123 million, down 3.1 million in five years — the steepest drop since records began. The country fell from 11th to 12th in the world, overtaken by Ethiopia. We translate that number into cities you can picture, then compare how South Korea, Italy, and China face the same cliff, and ask whether Japan's immigration, birth-support, and regional-revival policies are working.
In Japan's science city of Tsukuba, a coffee roaster and the KEK physics lab created five drip-bag blends named after subatomic particles, each tuned to the particle's real character. Why visiting researchers love them as souvenirs.
JAL, JALUX and ispace have unveiled ARGO PROJECT, the first lunar transport service run by an airline. A box called Möbius Ark will carry cultural items to the Moon on ispace's Mission 3 in 2028. Here is why a 75-year-old airline is moving into space logistics.
Roadkill of the Amami black rabbit, a 'living fossil' found only on two southern Japanese islands, hit a record 185 in 2025. The grim milestone is a side effect of Japan's celebrated invasive-species eradication programs — including a 24-year mongoose campaign declared complete in 2024.
ufotable — the studio behind the $722M global hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle — announced on May 11, 2026 the acquisition of a 98-year-old former Mizuho Bank building in Tokushima. The historic structure that survived WWII firebombing will become a new entertainment hub and could turn into the next must-visit destination for global Demon Slayer fans making the pilgrimage to Japan.
Japanese telecom giant NTT runs a land-based shrimp farm in Iwata, producing 180 tons/year and capturing the largest domestic share. A deep dive into the 10-year plan to free Japan from its 90% shrimp import dependence, plus how it stacks up against Norway and Singapore.
JR East launches Japan's fastest and longest Level 4 autonomous bus on May 29, 2026, on the tsunami-rebuilt Kesennuma BRT in Miyagi Prefecture: 60 km/h top speed and 15.5 km route, both national records. As China's Baidu and Waymo race ahead with city robotaxis, Japan is taking a quieter, magnet-marker path on dedicated bus corridors.
In April 2026, all six Tohoku prefectures issued their earliest-ever bear alerts. A fatal attack in Iwate, Aomori's first urban emergency hunting in Hachinohe. Meanwhile, Shirakawa-go deployed 10 'Bear Sonic' units emitting a chalkboard-scratching sound. In Toyama, sightings dropped to zero for a year after installation. Can this Japanese acoustic technology save the day?
Air Canada launches the first-ever direct flight between North America and Hokkaido in December 2026, connecting Vancouver and Sapporo's New Chitose Airport with three weekly Boeing 787 services. We unpack who it targets, why now, and what makes Hokkaido a winter prize.
On May 31, 2026, 19 Crested Ibises will be released in Hakui City, Ishikawa—the first wild release on Honshu in 56 years. Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko will attend, returning to a milestone they witnessed in 2008 on Sado Island. The release is also a symbol of recovery from the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake. We compare this revival story with the California Condor and Korean Oriental Stork programs.
At Inazumi Underwater Cave in Oita Prefecture, professional diver Yuji Ohama (60) and his team reached 97.4m depth on March 20, 2026—likely a Japanese national record for underwater limestone caves. Formed 300 million years ago and submerged by an Aso volcanic eruption 85,000 years ago, the cave's deepest section revealed primordial stalactites and geological strata never seen above ground. We compare this discovery with Mexico's cenotes and Florida's cave systems, and explore Japan's only commercially diveable underwater limestone cave.
Gunma Prefecture's passport-style pamphlet sold out 10,000 copies on day one. Behind the frenzy: a beloved internet meme calling Gunma 'Japan's undeveloped territory' and a regional rivalry where prefectures fight to be the least popular.