Japanese researchers heated hematite to 1,200°C in a hard vacuum and pulled 0.03 grams of oxygen from 1 gram without melting it. Lunar soil is still only a calculation. How it compares with ESA and NASA methods.
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A TOHO producer pitched 'Maomao's Atelier' to Gust, which agreed almost at once. The False Imperial Brother is a mystery adventure in which brewed medicine re-creates crimes. Out March 18, 2027, in Japan and the West.
H3 flight No. 10 sent MMX toward Mars on Oct. 20, 2026 JST. With Mars Sample Return stalled, NASA's only contracted Mars-system sample is its share of at least 15% of the Phobos soil due in 2031.
On September 29, 2026, Japan's iPS cell heart sheet RiHEART reached its first insured patient. It costs 53.2 million yen, and two of eight trial patients met its main goal. Now 75 cases must show it works.
AIST's gamma-ray battery turns a crystal's glow into electricity and holds no radioactive material. Inside a Fukushima Daiichi storage facility it made about 1 microwatt and sent radio data for hours.
A temple in Hagi with more than 1,000 cat figurines offers a 1,000-yen charm against harassment. It shows a dog, for a reason hidden in the word 'harass', and it is meant to calm whoever is about to snap.
About 200 Ogasawara greenfinches remain in the wild. In 2026, 16 chicks fledged in captivity, five from captive-born parents. Why the bird now nests in an introduced tree, and what kākāpō and ʻalalā show about release.
Sakurai says ranking games is wrong, yet he ran Japan's Game Designers Award for 17 editions. Why he kept it going, and why it ended with no successor. Of its 17 winners, 15 were made outside Japan.
In 1926, a well drilled for oil in Hokkaido hit hot water. Toyotomi Onsen smells of petroleum, and guests treating skin conditions made up about 40 percent of its overnight stays in fiscal 2019.
A white male orca first seen off Rausu in 2019 returned in thick fog in June 2026. About 1 in 1,000 orcas in the western North Pacific is white, and genetics hint at why.
The complete NISA guide for foreign residents in Japan. 7 in-depth articles covering account setup, fund selection, departure procedures, iDeCo comparison, and home-country tax obligations. Includes US citizen PFIC guidance and strategies by length of stay.
02The most comprehensive English-language guide to Japan's health insurance system for foreign residents. Our 9-article series covers NHI, Shakai Hoken, private insurance, the 2027 visa renewal rule, My Number Card transition, how to see a doctor, insurance costs, maternity benefits, and what happens when you leave Japan. Everything you need to navigate healthcare in Japan, in one place.
03The complete pension guide for foreign residents in Japan. 3 in-depth articles covering the National and Employee's Pension systems with FY2026 amounts, lump-sum withdrawal payments when leaving Japan, and social security agreements with 24 countries. Updated for the 2025 pension reform and the 2027 visa-renewal compliance rule.
