Japanese girl, three, starves to death after her mother left her alone for eight days so she could visit her boyfriend 600 miles away Saki Kakehashi, 24, from Tokyo, told police she thought ‘it would be alright’ She left her daughter Noa at their apartment and went to Kagoshima Prefecture Kakehashi had gone to visit … Read more
There are an estimated 170 million pieces of so-called ‘space junk’ – left behind after missions that can be as big as spent rocket stages or as small as paint flakes – in orbit alongside some US$700 billion (£555bn) of space infrastructure. But only 22,000 are tracked, and with the fragments able to travel at … Read more
Japanese sushi chain YO! changes famous conveyor belt as it adapts to post-Covid safety needs Currently, dishes are sent out on a loop for customers to choose from But soon dishes will be dispatched on the belt once orders have been placed The new format has been tested at YO!’s Guildford restaurant By Harriet Dennys … Read more
For those of us sensitive to noise, the rules likely to govern public manners as the nation eases out of lockdown seem almost like paradise, and certainly an improvement on the pre-Covid-19 social code. The new measures are based on the scientists’ belief that talking loudly produces thousands of droplets, which can remain in the … Read more
There’s been no shortage of double-act super-sleuths over the years — Holmes and Watson, Starsky and Hutch, Morse and Lewis. And now there’s Mick and Mack, two fox red Labrador retrievers, whose mission is to sniff out Japanese knotweed, one of the most invasive plants. It can break through mortar, brickwork, joints in concrete, drains, … Read more
There’s been no shortage of double-act super-sleuths over the years — Holmes and Watson, Starsky and Hutch, Morse and Lewis. And now there’s Mick and Mack, two fox red Labrador retrievers, whose mission is to sniff out Japanese knotweed, one of the most invasive plants. It can break through mortar, brickwork, joints in concrete, drains, … Read more
Japanese Science and Technology Ministry predicts virtual reality and automation will dramatically reshape society in 20 years, making it possible for humans to ‘talk’ with their pets and more New white paper from Japan predicts technology will reshape society The researchers say VR will allow humans to communicate directly with pets They also expect robots … Read more
Rugby fans visiting Japan for the World Cup are in for a treat if they use the country’s bullet trains to reach the stadiums. The fleet contains some of the most advanced high-speed trains in the world, with jaw-dropping top speeds and unmatched punctuality. Here we map out the network, pick out which types of … Read more
‘Super-grippy’ sole developed using a Japanese paper-cutting technique known as kirigami could make shoes better suited to walking on ice Kirigami is an origami-like paper art which uses cutting in addition to folding US Experts created kirigami sheets that have spikes that pop out when stretched In tests, sheets increased friction on ice by 20–35% when … Read more
No screaming, no high-fives and haunted house ghosts will scare victims from a safe distance: Japanese funfairs release rules for the coronavirus era Japanese funfair operators have released guidelines on how to operate safely Characters dressed in costume cannot handshake or high five other guests Superheroes fighting villains should avoid whipping up support from spectators … Read more