Menu
Search
 
July 12, 2026
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

JAPAN

Science & Health

Politics
Crime & Legal
Science & Health
Society
Explainer
History
Japan successfully launches and lands reusable rocket
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japan successfully launches and lands reusable rocket
The prototype, launched from JAXA’s test site in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, reached a height of about 10 meters, and then landed.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
University of Tokyo researchers said the study’s findings could advance understanding of disorders in which social memory and emotional processing become distorted.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Japan shelves beefing up regulations for heated tobacco products
Some public health experts have advocated for tougher measures against heated tobacco products, saying the ministry should apply precautionary principles.
A graphic illustration of the Hayabusa2 probe flying past the asteroid Torifune
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 6, 2026
Hayabusa2 flies past asteroid as Japan aims to acquire data for planetary defense
By Jessica Speed
The encounter marks a new phase for Hayabusa2, which completed its primary mission in 2020 after returning samples from the asteroid Ryugu to Earth.
Kyoto University is expected to be designated as a University for International Research Excellence by the end of this summer, which would make it eligible for aid from a Japanese government-financed ¥10 trillion ($62.2 billion) fund.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jul 3, 2026
Kyoto University to be third recipient of world-class research aid
It is expected to be certified as a University for International Research Excellence by the end of summer, which would make it eligible for aid from a ¥10 trillion fund.
Clinical trials are being planned in Japan where modified pig kidneys would be transplanted into humans.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 29, 2026
Two hospitals in Japan to conduct pig-to-human kidney transplant clinical trials in 2028
The startup spun out of Meiji University said it would aim to obtain production and marketing authorization after confirming their safety through the trials.
Researchers are able to use cow tendons in humans without triggering an immune response through a unique “decellularization” technology.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 25, 2026
Cow tendons eyed as ligament material for ACL reconstruction surgery
By Tomoko Otake
One of the researchers involved hopes to eventually apply the cow-derived material to the reconstruction of other ligaments in the knee, as well as in the ankle and inner elbow.
Yasuo Urata, the president and CEO of Oncolys BioPharma, said in an interview Wednesday in Tokyo that he wants to develop treatments that improve the quality of life for patients.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 18, 2026
Oncolys president reflects on long journey to world-first cancer treatment
By Jessica Speed
Yasuo Urata hopes the newly approved viral therapy will improve quality of life for esophageal cancer patients.
Cyanide is an acutely toxic substance that has been used in murders and terrorist attacks.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 16, 2026
Japanese researchers find new ways to detect cyanide poisoning
The study, conducted by researchers from institutions including Kindai University and the Aichi Prefectural Police Department, was published in a toxicology journal in May.
A Japanese startup tested a catheter injection of iPS heart muscle cells on a patient at Shinshu University Hospital in late March.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 13, 2026
Japan startup tests catheter injection of iPS heart muscle cells
The Tokyo-based company hopes to develop a minimally invasive treatment method that does not require surgery.

China’s demand for Soviet-style apartments shows limits to revival
Apartments built during a Soviet Union-inspired construction drive in the 1970s and 1980s tend to suffer from poor insulation and outdated plumbing, but they are seeing a revival in interest due to their attractive locations.
Japanese scientists identify neural mechanism that may explain why we dislike people
The aggressive mouse (left) used in the experiment and a mouse defending itself
Japanese payment processor’s collapse hits banks and restaurants
Zentoshin served around 200,000 shops, many of which rely on early payments to maintain cash flow, raising concerns over their financial stability following the disruption.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
Lenders seek $700 million after Japanese payments firm’s collapse
The financial failure of Osaka-based Zentoshin has left 63 creditors with claims totaling ¥115.16 billion, according to Tokyo Shoko Research.
Japan’s largest exhibition of women photographers rights a wrong in cultural history
Miwa Yanagi’s “Elevator Girl House” series skewers the superficiality of gender roles through staged images.
Over 70% of accommodations in Japan say they are understaffed amid tourism influx
The number of foreign visitors to Japan reached a high of 42.68 million in 2025.
‘Princess Mononoke’ comes alive in Super Kabuki staging
The “Princess Mononoke” adaptation was created under Shochiku’s Super Kabuki initiative, a modern form of kabuki with more technology in staging and open to pop culture collaborations.
The beating heart inside ‘Human Vapor’
Different forms of love and connection form the emotional backbone of Netflix’s “Human Vapor,” says actor Shun Oguri, who plays troubled detective Kenji Okamoto.
Japan bets on character IP to drive global growth
Born on social media platforms in 2022, Opanchu Usagi has become a major hit, especially among Generation Z.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being
Sompo looks beyond insurance to focus on well-being

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER

Latest News

Japan and others mark 10 years since South China sea arbitration
3 hours ago
How Putin turned Japan into a den of spies
3 hours ago
Farm experiences in disaster-hit Japanese area attracting children
4 hours ago
U.S. launches more strikes on Iran after commercial ship struck in Strait of Hormuz
5 hours ago
Modi courts Indo-Pacific partners as China, U.S. reshape region
6 hours ago