A small rocket launched by Japanese space venture Space One was destroyed mid-flight on March 5th after aborting its mission shortly after liftoff from a private launch facility in Wakayama Prefecture. (News On Japan)

A green beam of light piercing the night sky from Wakayama Prefecture is helping scientists determine Japan’s exact position on Earth with centimeter-level precision, as the Japan Coast Guard continues decades of satellite laser measurements at the Shimosato Hydrographic Observatory. (News On Japan)

A report session for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s "Be Smart Tokyo" project, an initiative aimed at improving the quality of life of residents through the power of digital technology as part of the broader goal of creating "Smart Tokyo," was held on March 4th. (News On Japan)

NTT’s next-generation optical communications infrastructure, known as IOWN, is moving toward global standardization as the company steps up efforts to promote the technology in Europe. (News On Japan)

Motors are embedded in countless electronic devices, from home appliances and robots to automobiles, quietly generating the power that underpins modern life, and now a Japanese startup is challenging long-held assumptions by developing a next-generation motor that delivers both high efficiency and high output while eliminating the need for rare earth materials. (News On Japan)

The assembly of a massive shield machine for tunnel construction at the Kanagawa Station site of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen has been completed, with the site opened to the media as excavation prepares to move forward toward Nagoya. (News On Japan)

Tsurui Village in Hokkaido is moving to purchase land designated for a large-scale solar power project near the Kushiro Wetland from an Osaka-based developer, in a bid to protect the surrounding landscape. (News On Japan)

The third launch attempt of the private-sector small rocket Kairos, which had been scheduled for three days later in Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, has been postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. (News On Japan)

Water shortages are worsening across Japan amid what meteorologists describe as 'once-in-30-years' low rainfall, with riverbeds exposed, reservoirs falling to record lows, and dry conditions fueling a renewed surge in influenza infections. (News On Japan)

A deep-sea exploration vessel that successfully recovered mud containing rare earth elements from a depth of 5,600 meters for the first time in the world has returned to Shimizu Port in Shizuoka City. (News On Japan)