Ever wonder how buildings in Japan stay safe from strong winds, heavy rain, and earthquakes? (News On Japan)

Officials inspected a planned mega-solar construction site around the Kushiro Wetland on November 17th as staff from Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Hokkaido government visited the area together with Nippon Ecology President Matsui Masanori to confirm whether the project could affect the breeding and growth of red-crowned cranes. (News On Japan)

In recent months, a clear shift has appeared in Japan’s App Store rankings - users now prefer lightweight utilities that improve device performance without ads or paid upgrades. (News On Japan)

Japan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, and in this context, municipalities and companies across the country are accelerating the use of green hydrogen, which is increasingly viewed as the key to realizing a decarbonized society. (News On Japan)

Global food shortages are worsening due to extreme weather linked to climate change, driving up vegetable prices even in Japan. Amid this crisis, Hakuo Kikuchi, CEO of Quantum Flowers & Foods, has developed a groundbreaking technology that drastically shortens the time required for crop and grain breeding. (News On Japan)

Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and other researchers have discovered that female saw-toothed grain beetles cultivate fungi in a special organ on their hind legs, using it to coat their eggs with protective fungal filaments that block parasitic wasps from laying their own eggs inside. (News On Japan)

Offshore wind power, seen as Japan’s key to achieving carbon neutrality, is facing a critical test following the withdrawal of major players such as Mitsubishi Corporation. While the government is preparing to reopen bidding for large-scale offshore wind projects, questions remain over what institutional reforms are needed to make renewable energy truly sustainable. (News On Japan)

Based in the ancient capital of Nara, “future implementer” Hiromichi Fujimoto is leading multiple companies that blend technology and imagination to shape the society of tomorrow. (News On Japan)

JR Tokai has unveiled to the press the interior of its new Linear Chuo Shinkansen test train, the M10, currently undergoing trial runs. To reduce noise, the ceiling is covered with a membrane that also functions as a projection screen displaying scenery and maps. (News On Japan)

Kyoto’s prized bamboo shoots, a seasonal delicacy that graces dining tables each spring, are facing an unprecedented crisis this year. The culprit is the Chinese bamboo moth (Sinachiku nomeiga), whose larvae feed on bamboo leaves, weakening the plants and severely reducing harvest yields. (News On Japan)

Two Japanese regions — Okuizumo in Shimane Prefecture and Arida-Shimotsu in Wakayama Prefecture — have been officially recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS), receiving their certification in Rome, Italy. (News On Japan)