A woman in her 50s with severe heart failure underwent what was described as the world's first surgery using commercially available iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheets at an Osaka hospital on September 29, marking the first practical use of the regenerative treatment. (News On Japan)

Japan's wild population of Oriental storks has exceeded 700 birds following decades of conservation efforts, with successful breeding across the country putting the population on track to surpass 1,000 within two years. (News On Japan)

A rare pod of around 50 dolphins was spotted swimming through the Seto Inland Sea off Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, with dozens of dorsal fins repeatedly breaking the surface as the animals moved together. (News On Japan)

Tesla unveiled its Cybercab in Japan for the first time on September 11, showcasing an AI-powered autonomous taxi designed without a steering wheel or pedals. (News On Japan)

Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation. (News On Japan)

Osaka-based spray nozzle maker IKEUCHI is expanding applications for its proprietary "Dry Fog," an ultra-fine mist that can cool, humidify and create visual effects without leaving surfaces wet, with the technology now being used in factories, livestock farming, crop cultivation and tourist attractions in Japan and overseas. (News On Japan)

Fluorescent lamps that have illuminated Japanese homes and workplaces for decades are approaching the end of production, with Panasonic preparing to wind down a business it has operated since 1951 while experts warn that incorrectly replacing some fixtures with LEDs could create a fire risk. (News On Japan)

Japanese companies are moving closer to commercializing photonics-electronics convergence technology that replaces part of conventional electrical data transmission with optical signals, potentially allowing huge volumes of data to move with lower latency while sharply reducing power consumption as artificial intelligence drives rapid growth in electricity demand from data centers. (News On Japan)

A new generation of optoelectronic integration technology developed over four decades by Japanese companies is moving closer to commercialization, offering a way to transmit huge volumes of data with low latency while sharply reducing the electricity consumed by data centers as artificial intelligence drives explosive growth in computing demand. (News On Japan)

Dyson CameraJet™ turns the smart toothbrush into an active sensing product, making useful feedback and clear privacy design part of the same engineering brief. (News On Japan)

An autonomous ride-hailing service developed by British company Wayve launched in London on September 3, with the AI-powered technology also scheduled to begin trial operations in Tokyo by the end of 2026. (News On Japan)

A late former professor at Asahikawa Medical University has won the Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine for scientifically examining the proper way to blow the nose, extending Japan's streak of Ig Nobel winners to 20 consecutive years. (News On Japan)

A herd of an estimated 200 to 300 deer has been filmed in the Southern Alps, highlighting a rapidly expanding population that experts warn is damaging mountain ecosystems, stripping vegetation, increasing landslide risks and creating problems across Japan ranging from crop losses to traffic accidents. (News On Japan)