Japan articles

Wild human washing machine promises to rinse you clean in 15 minutes

In context: Back in 1970, a futuristic "human washing machine" called the Ultrasonic Bath caused a sensation at the Japan World Exposition. The egg-shaped pod was developed and exhibited by Sanyo Electric Co., now known as Panasonic Holdings Corp. When someone climbed inside, it would automatically fill with hot water, blast them with ultrasound waves, and release massage balls to knead their body. Over 50 years later, this peculiar invention is making a comeback with a high-tech upgrade.

NEC's 40.4-petaflop supercomputer unites Intel Xeon CPUs and AMD Instinct accelerators

Japan introduces $65 billion initiative to boost domestic chip production

Re-experience '90s internet with this new 56K dial-up modem

World's first transparent 5G antennas turn windows into base stations

In brief: It's been over five years since 5G started its worldwide rollout, bringing low-latency super-speed internet to hundreds of millions. But building out those 5G networks has been a challenge. The higher frequency signals don't travel as far, so more base stations are required compared to 4G. With prime real estate in limited supply, Japanese telecoms had to get creative.

Japan to build the world's first zeta-class supercomputer, promising 1,000-fold speed increase

Why it matters: In the global race for high-performance-computing dominance, Japan has positioned itself as a leader with its plans to build a zeta-class supercomputer. If it manages to achieve this feat, the advanced computational capabilities will significantly boost its economic competitiveness. First, though, Japan has to figure out how to meet the monumental energy requirements.

This $50 thumb drive doubles as a camera, still in crowdfunding stage

New study shows gaming can actually improve your mental health

Where in the world were waterproof phones the norm in the 2000s?

A Japanese Street Fighter tournament will penalize players who don't get enough sleep

Japan no longer measures train congestion based on how easy it is to read a newspaper

Quirky M.2 card plays retro sounds when you boot up your PC

Japan's latest Gundam-style giant robot takes on railway maintenance duties

End of an era: Japan finally removes floppy disks from all government operations

Blistering 402 Tb/s fiber optic speeds achieved by unlocking unused wavelengths

What just happened? Scientists in Japan have just blown the doors off what we thought was possible with conventional fiber optic cables. A team led by the country's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology has set a new world record by transmitting data at a blistering 402 terabits per second through an existing fiber optic line. That's fast enough to download over 50,000 HD movies in a single second.

Japan to help IBM build a massive 10,000-qubit quantum computer

Japan passes new law allowing third-party app stores on Android and iOS

Tokyo hopes new Tinder-like match making app will curb population decline

This Japanese vending machine dispenses Intel Core CPUs for just $3.25 a pop

Japan aims to strengthen antitrust laws against Apple and Google

Something to look forward to: Lawmakers around the world have begun to exhibit a more proactive stance toward openness and competition in mobile ecosystems. Apple and Google, the companies controlling the global mobile market with their respective operating systems, will face heightened scrutiny and stricter penalties if they violate regulations.

Japan's NTT and NEC showcase technology that can boost optical network capacities 12-fold

TSMC founder foresees the need for up to 10 new fabs for AI chip manufacturing

Japan will provide more subsidies to Kioxia and Western Digital for NAND memory chip manufacturing

Japan crashes SLIM spacecraft upside-down on the moon and calls it a "success"