Science & Technology News from Japan - International Relations

Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft 

Confédération suisse 

Confederazione Svizzera 

Confederaziun svizra 

Embassy of Switzerland in Japan 

Science & Technology News from Japan, March 2009 

Table of Contents 

State Secretariat for Education and Research SER 

1. Science and Technology Policy in Japan.........................................................................................................................1 

2. Education.......................................................................................................................................................................1 

3. Life Science / Health Care...............................................................................................................................................2 

4. Nano / Micro Technology / Material Science....................................................................................................................6 

5. Information & Communications Technology.....................................................................................................................6 

6. Energy / Environment....................................................................................................................................................11 

7. Space Development......................................................................................................................................................18 

8. Engineering / Robotics..................................................................................................................................................18 

9. Nuclear Development....................................................................................................................................................20 

10. Physics.........................................................................................................................................................................23 

11. Intellectual Property Rights / Technology Transfer / Alliances.........................................................................................26 

12. General Interest............................................................................................................................................................26 

Upcoming Science and Technology Related Events in Japan.................................................................................................28 

Conference To Increase Swiss-Japanese Cross-Cultural Competences 

(March 19-20, 2009) 

More than 70 exponents of economy, authorities and academia gathered at the university- 

and ETH-Zurich to identify success factors of Swiss-Japanese collaboration. They 

analyzed the cultural dimensions of productive trans-cultural relations - from language skill 

to the understanding of differing working modes and administrative processes. Starting 

from case studies brought to the conference by participants, approaches towards culturalscientific 

support of managers, engineers and researchers throughout the life-cycle of 

projects was developed. With both countries taking the lead in fields of physics, chemistry, life- and environmentalsciences, 

computer science, robotics and design, collaboration is gaining momentum – supported by the 2007 science 

& technology cooperation and the 2009 free-trade agreement. 

1. Science and Technology Policy in Japan 

Goals To Reduce Environmental Impact Of Food Industry 

(March 10, 2009) 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will announce numerical targets for individual sectors after 

studying reports to be submitted on food disposal practices by about 17,000 firms that discard 100 tons or more per 

year. The ministry will also consult with a panel of experts before drawing up the targets. Agriculture Minister Shigeru 

Ishiba will propose to the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy that the government launches a project to 

reduce the environmental impact of the food industry by slashing waste and other means. The ministry estimates 

that roughly 11 million tons of food was thrown away in fiscal 2006 by companies that make or sell food. 

Solar Panels Pushed By Governmental Environment Policy 

(March 16, 2009) 

The government is considering having schools, municipal offices and other public offices equipped with solar panels 

as part of a "Green New Deal" policy that aims to bolster economic growth by promoting measures to tackle 

climate change. By boosting public demand for solar equipment, the government aims to reduce the price for such 

systems. The government also plans to oblige power companies to purchase electricity generated by solar energy 

at schools, houses and companies at twice the current price. The program will include preferential treatment for the 

purchase of environmentally friendly consumer electronics and cars to help making these products more popular. 

Governmental Measures For 400’000 New Jobs In IT Sector 

(March 18, 2009) 

Officials unveiled a range of proposals to create as many as 400,000 jobs on the basis of increased capital outlays 

relating to information and communications technologies. The Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry wants 

the government to integrate the proposals related to information and communications technology into a package of 

pump-priming measures now being drawn up by the government and ruling coalition. The proposals call for creat- 

Science & Technology News from Japan, March 2009 • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 1 of 28







ing new industries and business fields on the basis of a large band of radio frequencies and using technological 

innovations to revitalize small and midsize enterprises hit by the global economic slowdown. 

IT For Energy Saving Pushing Economic Growth 

(March 25, 2009) 

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai will propose that Japan should achieve economic growth by 

promoting use of information technology in energy saving. Nikai will submit the proposal at a meeting of the Council 

on Economic and Fiscal Policy, a key policymaking panel. By promoting the spread of power-saving home electronics 

and use of IT in making buildings more energy efficient, Japan will strive to cut its energy needs by roughly a 

third by 2030. 

Government Eyeing Green Tech To Push Economic Growth 

(March 28, 2009) 

A government blueprint for revitalizing the economy aims to create up to 60 trillion yen in new demand and 2 million 

jobs, according to sources. Environmental technology is one of the priority areas identified in the first draft of this 

new economic growth strategy. Use of solar power is targeted at 20 times the current level in 2020, up from an earlier 

goal of 10 times. To this end, the strategy calls for requiring utilities to buy solar electricity at a premium and 

equipping 37,000 public schools with solar panels. Subsidies of several hundred thousand yen at the time of purchase 

are eyed to promote the use of hybrid cars and other environmentally sound vehicles. Such cutting-edge 

medical technologies as stem cells are also highlighted. 

Options For Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction 

(March 28, 2009) 

The Japanese government's global warming gas emission reduction target through 2020 will likely come down to a 

choice between 7% or 15% below 1990’s level. An advisory committee offered a report that lists five options for 

Japan's greenhouse gas emission reduction, aiming to act as a springboard for discussions between the government 

and the public. The options are a 4% increase, unchanged to a drop of 3%, a 7% reduction, a 15-16% cut, 

and a 25% decrease. The report also includes the estimated economic impact for each option, as well as measures 

for achieving each goal. 

2. Education 

Nobel Laureate’s Discussion-Training Institute 

(March 03, 2009) 

Toshihide Maskawa, 69-year-old Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University, says one can acquire abilities necessary 

for scientists, such as thinking thoroughly and logically through reading books and other self-help measures, but he 

recommends discussion with friends as a more effective and speedier way. He says discussions sometimes get offtopic, 

but they can help broaden one's study. Maskawa will head a new training institute for young scientists to be 

established at Kyoto Sangyo University, where he currently teaches. He wants to provide a place where researchers 

can hold discussions, as well as to promote the appeal of science to ordinary people. 

One Third Passed Entrance Exams At One Of Most Competitive Universities 

Cheers echoed across the University of Tokyo's Hongo campus as students and parents 

crowded in front of a billboard listing the identification numbers of those who passed the 

prestigious institution's entrance exam. Of the 9,877 hopefuls, 3,007 passed the entrance 

exam for 2009. A further 100 will gain entry following a second series of exams. Founded by 

the Meiji government in 1877, the University of Tokyo is one of the largest and most 

competitive in Japan. 

(March 11, 2009) 

Learning Physics With Attractive Manga 

(March 14, 2009) 

The main store of the Maruzen bookshop chain in Tokyo's lures Visitors to the section by a selection of books introducing 

difficult physics subjects with large, colorful illustrations of attractive young girls on their covers. PHP Interface 

published a study titled "Genso-shuki--Moete Oboeru Kagaku no Kiso". Attractive manga girls teach the 

periodic table by personifying the 118 chemical elements. The company already has published 11 printings of the 

science crammer, selling a total of 35,000 copies to date. A manga book explaining quantum mechanics published 

by PHP Interface last month has already sold 45,000 copies. 

Science & Technology News from Japan, Template 2009 • Felix Moesner, Science & Technology Attaché Page 2 of 28







Less University Graduates Found Job 

(March 14, 2009) 

In the first drop in five years, only 86.3% of university students graduating this month had secured jobs as of Feb. 1, 

down 2.4 points from a year earlier. The data reflect moves by companies to curb recruitment or tighten recruitment 

standards amid the economic deterioration. The number of graduating high school students who have found work 

fell by 1.9 percentage points to 87.5%, the first decline in six years. By prefecture, Aichi was highest, with 95.9%, 

against the lowest reading of 57.9% for Okinawa. The rate for male university graduates was 86.5%, down 2.7 

points, but the rate for females fell 2.0 points to 86.2%. 

Less Japanese Students Willing To Study Abroad 

(March 18, 2009) 

Japanese high school students are less willing to study abroad. The Japan Youth Research Institute survey found 

that 37% of junior high and 41% of high school students hope to study overseas. Asked why they wanted to study 

abroad, only 17% of the Japanese junior high and 8% of the high school students listed expectations of better educational 

environments. 10% in Japan cited higher living standards abroad and the hope of skirting tough competition 

at domestic schools. More than 50% of the students in Japan listed opportunities to be exposed to foreign cultures 

and improve their foreign-language skills. 

Industry-Academia Research Cooperation Agreement 

(March 30, 2009) 

Sharp Corp. and Osaka Prefecture University are likely to conclude an agreement that aims to promote various 

forms of cooperation, according to sources. As the first practical step, the university will set up a research institute 

on environmental issues on the premises of Sharp's liquid crystal and solar panel factory under construction. The 

two parties will jointly study a new technology that uses artificial light radiated by light-emitting diodes to grow 

plants. It will be the first research institute to be built by an academic institution in a corporate production setting. In 

addition, they also will study recycling technology to address the problem of waste generated during the liquid crystal 

panel production process. 

University To Issue Bonds For Revenue Diversity 

(March 30, 2009) 

Waseda University plans to diversify its revenue stream by floating around 1 to 1.5 billion yen in bonds as early as 

this summer targeting alumni and companies. With the global financial crisis hurting the performance of its investments 

and with revenue from tuition not expected to increase due to Japan's declining birthrate, the prestigious 

private university is expected to issue a 10-year bond with a coupon that is roughly half of its Japanese government 

bond counterpart. Waseda will also consider regularly scheduled bond issuances. Waseda has already obtained an 

issuer credit rating of AA-plus from Rating & Investment Information Inc. 

Seven Japanese Selected “Young Global Leader 2009” 

Hideyuki Inoue, a lecturer at Keio University, has been selected as one of the "Young Global 

Leaders 2009" by the World Economic Forum for his support activities on behalf of 

entrepreneurs whose businesses aim to solve social problems. Of about 230 leaders chosen 

from various fields across the globe, seven were chosen from Japan, including Osaka Gov. 

Toru Hashimoto and musician Kazutoshi Sakurai, vocalist-guitarist of pop band Mr. Children. 

About 70 company employees, public officials and other people operate as part of Social 

Venture Partners Tokyo, a support organization headed by Inoue. 

3. Life Science / Health Care 

(March 30, 2009) 

iPS Cell Production Without Virus 

(March 02, 2009) 

A group of researchers including a Japanese scientist in Britain have succeeded in producing induced pluripotent 

stem (iPS) cells without using a virus, therefore significantly reducing the risk of cancer. Production efficiency with 

the technique is about 25 times greater than the common method using viral vectors. Kyoto University has succeeded 

in producing iPS cells using mice. The researchers also succeeded in separating the four genes by introducing 

the specific enzyme into the mice's iPS cells, returning the positioning of the chromosomes to their original 

condition. 








Multiple Chemical Sensitivity-Awareness 

(March 02, 2009) 

One Japan study conducted by Kyoto University's graduate school, along with others, estimated that as many as 

700,000 adults could potentially have “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity” (MCS) syndrome. It is a condition in which a 

person experiences headaches or other symptoms in response to exposure to certain chemicals. Three prefectural 

governments and 21 city and town governments are staging public awareness campaigns. The debate extends to 

what kind of paint to use when renovating a school. Sick building syndrome, triggered by volatile organic compounds 

and other chemicals used in architectural materials, paint and other substances, is a form of MCS. 

Smokers Two Times More Fragile For Noro-Virus 

(March 03, 2009) 

Smokers who were exposed to a noro-virus at a hospital in Gifu Prefecture three years ago had an infection rate 

twice that of nonsmokers also exposed, an investigation by the hospital has revealed. A total of 127 patients and 

staff at Nozomi no Oka Hospital were infected with the noro-virus between October 2005 and February 2006. The 

hospital looked into how the infection spread and concluded that the higher rate of infection among smokers was 

due to finger-to-mouth contact with the virus facilitated by smoking. 67% of staff at the three wards and 55% of the 

staff at the annex were infected. The infection rate of nonsmokers was only 36% and 26%, respectively. 

Japan Behind US In ES Cell Tech Research 

(March 04, 2009) 

Japan will start drawing up rules covering regenerative therapy using human embryonic stem cells this month. The 

nation is already behind the United States, where the world's first clinical trials for such therapy begin this summer 

using a method that involves injecting ES cells into people with spinal cord damage. Okayama University has urged 

the government to use the U.S. model on the application of ES cells as a reference to help expedite the drawing up 

of rules covering ES cell use in medical treatment here. 

Cells Cultured In Artificial Matrix 

(March 05, 2009) 

Sumitomo Bakelite Co. has begun marketing a kit that can be used to culture cells in 3-D multilayer matrices without 

the use of animal-derived bio molecules. The kit is based on work carried out at Osaka University, where scientists 

developed a means of culturing 3-D cellular matrices by growing layers of cells separated by films that serve 

as cell-adhesive sheets. But these films are made from fibronectin and gelatin, which are both proteins of animal 

origin. To eliminate inconsistencies and the risk of contamination with infective agents, Sumitomo Bakelite used its 

polymer processing technologies to develop an artificial substitute. 

L’Oreal-UNESCO Award For First Female Professor At Tokyo University 

(March 06, 2009) 

Prof. Akiko Kobayashi is one of the recipients of the 2009 L'Oreal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science, along 

with four other scientists from five continents, becoming the third Japanese to win the prize. The L'Oreal-UNESCO 

Awards were established in 1988 to honor female scientists who have made outstanding contributions to science. 

Kobayashi succeeded in using single-component molecules to develop the world's first molecular crystal that conducts 

electricity--a characteristic feature of metals. Many believed this was an impossible task. Kobayashi made 

history when, at the age of 55, she became the first female professor at Tokyo University's school of science. 

First Time Mapping Of Termite Intestinal Bacterium Genome 

The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) has succeeded for the first time in 

mapping the genome of a bacterium that lives in the intestines of termites. These results 

bring scientists a step closer to developing a biofuel from wood biomass. This study succeeded 

in mapping the complete genome of Rs-D17, a bacterium that lives in the cells of 

Trichonympha (T. agilis), a protist inhabiting the intestine of the Japanese subterranean termite. 

RIKEN’s Advanced Science Institute isolated a single cell of T. agilis and collected 

several hundred Rs-D17 by rupturing the cell membrane. 

(March 06, 2009) 

Modified Analyzer For Blood Sugar Marker 

(March 06, 2009) 

Hitachi High-Technologies Corp. has modified its fully automated biochemical analyzer to test for a blood sugar 

marker when it measures for other metabolic syndrome indicators in the blood, such as cholesterol and lipids. The 

result is a machine that is both labor- and space-saving, since it eliminates the need for separate steps and separate 

equipment to isolate and test for this marker, known as HbA1c, from the blood sample. To integrate this task 








into its biochemical analyzer, Hitachi High-Tech modified the probes so that a sample for the HbA1c test can be 

taken from the lower layer of blood cells that separate from the serum when the blood is centrifuged. 

Highly-Sensitive DNA Detection With Diamond Biosensor 

The Diamond Research Center of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and 

Technology (AIST) has fabricated vertically aligned nanowire structure with 10 nm lateral 

spacing on conductive diamond surfaces, and succeeded in highly sensitive detection of 

DNA (2 pM) using an electrochemical sensor with the nanowire-structured diamond 

electrodes. The sensor shows several magnitudes of higher sensitivity than those of electrochemical 

sensors with conventional electrode materials. Several target DNAs can be 

detectable by changing sequence of probe DNA. 

(March 06, 2009) 

Less Funding For Genetically Modified Rice Against Hay Fever 

(March 09, 2009) 

Efforts to develop genetically modified rice that could provide a long-lasting solution to the misery of hay fever sufferers 

have become tangled indefinitely in the bureaucracy of pharmaceutical testing and stymied by funding shortfalls. 

The rice contains artificially inserted genes from the proteins thought responsible for allergies caused by 

Japanese cedar pollen. To receive approval for the drug, the developers will have to cooperate with a pharmaceutical 

company that has experience and understanding of clinical testing on humans in order to get further governmental 

support. 

iPS Cells For Creating Kidneys In Unborn Mouse 

(March 10, 2009) 

Scientists have successfully used induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to create kidneys inside a mouse whose 

parents were genetically engineered so their offspring would not be born with the organs. Tokyo University's Institute 

of Medical Science cultivated a fertilized egg obtained through the mating of the parents. The team then implanted 

iPS cells from a normal mouse with kidneys into the embryo and transplanted the embryo into the womb of 

a surrogate mother. The baby mouse was born with kidneys, and it is believed its bladder inflated and it produced 

urine as normal. The implanted iPS cells are thought to have compensated for the kidneys it should have been 

born without. 

New R&D Facility To Develop Advanced Medicine With Supercomputer 

(March 16, 2009) 

Asubio Pharma Co. plans to build a research facility in Kobe at a cost of up to 10 billion yen. To develop advanced 

medicines, the firm intends to take advantage of the world's fastest supercomputer, which is due to partially come 

online in the man-made island in fiscal 2010. Asubio Pharma's drug development centers on bio-based treatments 

for various ailments, including hard-to-cure mental disorders. Port Island features the R&D facilities of over 130 

drug companies and other medical players, including the Japanese arm of Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH of Germany. 

Yomiuri Awards For Seventeen Medical Professionals 

(March 17, 2009) 

Seventeen medical professionals have been honored with the 37th Yomiuri Awards for Medical Dedication for their 

devotion to their activities under difficult circumstances at home and overseas. Among the recipients, Keiichi Yamamoto, 

an 80-year-old physician of Kanazawa, was recognized for his commitment to training doctors in Brazil. 

After retiring as a professor at Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University at age 65, Yamamoto has been devoting 

his energy to his long-cherished dream of contributing to medical care overseas. Sixteen other people were 

given awards for providing medical care in Japan. 

Initiative For Sarcoma-Cancer Center Project 

(March 19, 2009) 

Yurie Yoshino, a professional dancer, is also a cancer patient who is serving as a representative of the Japan Sarcoma 

Center Project--an initiative launched by sarcoma victims that aims to establish a specialized hospital for 

treatment of the disease. The disease, which has been termed the "forgotten cancer“, afflicts less than 1% of adult 

cancer victims. Through the project, Yoshino, 40, hopes to realize the establishment of a specialized sarcoma 

treatment center where sarcoma sufferers will be able to receive the best treatment for the ailment. There was so 

fare no established medical treatment for that cancer. 






First CT Scan Of Coelacanth-Fish Eggs 



(March 20, 2009) 

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology carried out what is believed to be the first CT 

scan of eggs inside a coelacanth. About 40 eggs were photographed inside each of the two 

coelacanths, which were captured off the coast of Tanzania, frozen and transported to Tokyo. 

The fishes are 170 cm long and weigh 70 kg each, while their eggs are about 7 cm in 

diameter. Coelacanths are thought to represent an early step in the evolution of fish to amphibians. 

The eggs hatch while still inside the female and the young grow to 30 cm in length before they emerge. 

Antibody Drug For Colorectal Cancer 

(March 27, 2009) 

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. will market an antibody drug for colorectal cancer. Takeda currently sells only one 

such drug for treating prostate cancer and revenue from the cancer field accounts for only around 15% of its total 

sales. The company aims to broaden its lineup of cancer drugs because the market for its mainline drugs for blood 

pressure and other lifestyle diseases has flattened in Japan. Its patents on drugs for ulcers, blood pressure and 

diabetes will be expiring in the U.S. over the next few years. Japan's Health Ministry has approved the monoclonal 

antibody drug, for cancers of the colon and rectum. 

New Antibody Drug For Ovarian Cancer In Clinical Testing 

(March 27, 2009) 

Eisai Co. will begin phase III trials in the U.S. on an antibody drug for treating ovarian cancer. The drug was developed 

by U.S. biopharmaceutical firm Morphotek Inc., which Eisai acquired in 2007. It is the first of the company's 

antibody drug candidates to make it to the third and final phase of clinical testing. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration 

recently approved a phase III trial in combination with standard chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and taxane 

to treat ovarian cancer. The antibody drug fights cancer in two ways: stimulating the immune system to attack 

the cancer cells and blocking a signaling pathway that promotes cell proliferation. 

More Efficent Cervical Cancer Vaccine 

(March 30, 2009) 

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases and other institutions have developed a next-generation vaccine 

against human papillomavirus (HPV). While anti-cervical cancer vaccine prevents 60% to 70% of uterine cervical 

cancer, the new vaccine is expected to be more effective. Of the 100 different types of HPV, 15 can cause cervical 

cancer. Researchers at the institute found in experiments conducted on animals that an antibody made by using a 

surface protein commonly found in 15 types of HPV was effective in protecting against at least eight types of HPV. 

Vaccines used overseas are effective against only two to four HPV types, as the vaccines are manufactured using 

proteins found in specific HPVs. 

4. Nano / Micro Technology / Material Science 

Various Nanofiber Developments 

Tokyo Institute of Technology makes sheets by electro-spinning nanofibers and letting them 

pile up at the bottom of a container. It has also managed to grow nanofibers of zinc oxide on 

the surface of a sheet of carbon nanofibers. The carbon nanofibers are 100nm in diameter 

and the zinc oxide nanofibers are 50nm in diameter. When the surface of these zinc oxide 

nanofibers are coated with a photosensitive dye, the construction operates as a type of dyesensitized 

solar cell, generating electricity in the presence of sunlight. Kyoto University uses 

laser light to fabricate nanofiber structures with diameters of just tens of nanometers inside clear glass. 

(March 01, 2009) 

Nanofiber Experimental Research For New Technologies 

(March 08, 2009) 

The Nanofiber Society wants to help make sure Japan stands there at the cutting edge when the fruits of experimental 

research seed new nanofiber-related industries. Set up in December of last year, the society is chaired by 

Tokyo Institute of Technology Professor Akihiko Tanioka, whose work with organic nanofibers has taken that field 

to new heights. But the society is not focused entirely on organic materials and makes a point of soliciting the participation 

of specialists from the various branches of materials science, including inorganic materials and metals. 

Japan has already made a contribution to global research in this field. 








New Technique For Cheaper And Faster Wafer-Level Packaging 

(March 10, 2009) 

Sanyo Electric Co. has developed a new technique for wafer-level packaging that reduces both the time and cost of 

packaging semiconductor devices on the wafer before dicing. In the new jCuReS method, the bumps are fabricated 

from a copper foil that is pressed down over an adhesive resin and then etched away. This eliminates the need for 

vacuum deposition and plating equipment and reduces the overall packaging time by half. In addition to using 

jCuReS for its own semiconductor-manufacturing operations, the company is also considering a business selling 

the jCuReS packaging lines to other chipmakers. 

Lightweight High-Strength Honeycomb Structures 

(March 11, 2009) 

Ricoh Co. has developed an inexpensive, fast and easy way to fabricate lightweight, high-strength honeycomb 

structures with dimensions in the microns. The firm hopes to have ready in three years a practical manufacturing 

technology that can be used to make high-performance soundproofing and odor-busting materials, as well as light 

guide plates for LCD panels. The resulting structure after drying has a honeycomb shape, made from hexagonal 

pillars of dried gelatin. The size of these pillars can be adjusted to have openings of 5-150 microns and heights of 

50-500 microns. 

Fat Burning Nano-Fabric Underwear 

(March 18, 2009) 

Teijin Ltd. has developed a fabric for undergarments that can burn away body fat. The fabric hugs the skin and 

generates enough friction resistance when people go about their daily routines to work the muscles and boost energy 

metabolism. Based on Nanofront, it is a polyester nanofiber used for industrial polishing cloths. The Nanofront 

fibers are only 700 nanometers in diameter, or 7,500 times thinner than a strand of hair. Although the fabric is soft 

to the touch and does not feel restricting, it resists slipping so to put resistance on the muscles when the body 

moves. Teijin's factory makes Nanofront for industrial applications at a rate of 25 tons a month. 

Nano-Powder Processing Combined With Inkjet Printing Technologies 

(March 24, 2009) 

The combination of nano-powder processing and inkjet printing technologies is proving to be a boon to the creation 

of low-cost electronic circuits. Dai Nippon Printing Co. has teamed with a heater maker to develop a way to use 

copper instead of silver for the wiring of inkjet-printed circuit boards. Teijin Ltd. will partner with a U.S. startup to 

use inkjet printing to fabricate the silicon circuit elements themselves on resin substrates. The use of printing technologies 

promises to eliminate the need for much of the expensive micro-fabrication equipment now used in semiconductor 

production, and will facilitate the fabrication of circuitry on flexible substrates. 

Nanocrystals With Improved Photoluminescence Efficiency 

(March 25, 2009) 

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) developed 

indium phosphide (InP) photoluminescent Nanocrystals (NCs) that are dispersible in water 

and stable for a long period and exhibit high photoluminescence (PL) efficiency (68% in case 

of red). The NCs have an InP/zinc sulfide (ZnS) core-shell structure, where InP is the core 

and ZnS is the coating on the outside. By controlling the reaction conditions, the ZnS shell 

was thickened and improved PL efficiency and chemical stability were achieved. At the 

same time, sulfur-containing surfactant was bound on the NC surface to increase water dispersibility, which was 

essential for biological applications. 

5. Information & Communications Technology 

Information Technology Ranking 

(March 02, 2009) 

Japan ranked 12th among 154 countries and regions in terms of the development and use of information technology 

in 2007 up from 18th place in the previous International Telecommunication Union survey in 2002. Japan's 

move up the ranking was mainly attributable to the widespread use of high-speed wireless Internet access via cellphones. 

Sweden topped the ranking with other Northern European nations also securing high positions, while 

South Korea moved up to second place from third in the 2002 survey, becoming the only Asian nation in the top 10 

list. 






Human Body Surface Transmits Electronical Data 



(March 05, 2009) 

Hitachi Ltd, Miwa Lock Co Ltd and NTT Communications Corp have jointly developed an 

access control system using "RedTacton," a human body communication technology that 

transmits data via the surface of a human body. The system consists of parts including Red- 

Tacton-based card keys and antenna-integrated doorknobs and floors. When a person carrying 

a RedTacton-based card key grabs the doorknob or walks on the floor and unconsciously 

contacts the antenna housed in them, the system will identify and authenticate the 

individual. By setting up antenna-integrated authentication points on the main traffic line in a building, users can 

monitor people. 

Optical Transmission Fibers For Flexible Screen Sizes 

(March 06, 2009) 

IDEC Corp developed the "Fiber Beam," a rear-projection display that uses resin optical 

fibers as transmission media. Because the display screen was modularized, screen size can 

be flexibly changed. For example, a 150-inch screen can be created by using four 75-inch 

modules. The new screen was jointly developed by IDEC, the Industrial Technology Center 

of Fukui Prefecture and Tsuya Fabric Co Ltd. It was woven by using 22dtex/1f* polyester 

fibers as warp and OPFs (Optical Plastic Fiber) of 0.25mm in diameter as woof. Utilizing 

Tsuya Fabric's weaving technology; they succeeded in producing high-density webbing with limited damages to the 

OPFs. 

Mimics Remote-Controlling Electric Devices 

A wink, a smile or a raised eyebrow could soon change the music on your iPod or start up 

the washing machine, thanks to a new Japanese gadget. The device looks like a normal set 

of headphones but is fitted with a set of infrared sensors that measure tiny movements 

inside the ear that result from different facial expressions. The gizmo - called the “Mimi 

Switch” or “Ear Switch” - is connected to a micro-computer that can control electronic 

devices, essentially making it a hands-free remote control for anything. The Mimi Switch 

could also store and interpret data and get to know its user. 

(March 07, 2009) 

Shinkansen Train Offers Wireless LAN Services 

(March 10, 2009) 

Passengers on some Shinkansen bullet trains will be able to access the Internet via wireless local area networks 

being launched separately by four major telecommunications firms, including NTT DoCoMo Inc. and Softbank 

Telecom Corp. The services will be available on N700 series Shinkansen trains running between Tokyo and Osaka. 

The other two firms providing such services are NTT Communications Corp. and UQ Communications Inc. Highspeed 

data transmissions of up to 2 megabits per second will be possible even when the trains are running at full 

speed and through tunnels. Mobile stations on the trains will send and receive signals 

3-D Touch Panel For Small Screens 

Mitsubishi Electric Corp prototyped a capacitive touch panel that can detect the distance 

between a finger and the panel. Mitsubishi Electric calls the touch panel "3D touch panel" 

because it can determine not only the x- and y- coordinates of a finger but also its z- coordinate. 

The prototype has a 5.7-inch screen with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (VGA). The 

prototype is intended for use in mobile devices with a small touch panel. The prototype can 

detect the distance of an approaching finger while using ITO transparent electrodes. 

(March 11, 2009) 

3-D Illusion In Cube Display 

(March 13, 2009) 

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology has developed a cube-shaped display that 

enables 3-D images to be viewed from any angle. Each face of the 950-gram device is 10cm 2 . Special 3.5-inch 

high-resolution LCD panels are attached to the six faces -- and over these, numerous small lenses are arranged, 

with the scattering of light from the lenses giving the appearance of a 3-D object being inside the box without the 

viewer needing to wear special glasses. The shape of the lenses has been carefully engineered to give a viewing 

angle of around 120°, enabling the display to appear three-dimensional when viewed from any direction. 








High Efficient Transmitter Amplifiers For Mobile Base Stations 

(March 13, 2009) 

NEC Corp has developed what it claims is one of the world's most efficient transmitter amplifiers for mobile base 

stations, a 2.1GHz model that produces 45W of output power per 100W of power consumption. These amplifiers 

are produced by adopting high performance and highly reliable RF transistor technologies, in addition to independently 

optimizing Doherty RF circuitry with harmonic tuning. These innovations are accredited with NEC's successful 

creation of amplifiers with what it said is one of the world's highest efficiency levels of 45%. Mobile base stations 

fitted with the transmitter amplifiers are expected to be smaller and to consume less power than existing equipment. 

Remote Control Finger Ring 

(March 15, 2009) 

A "magic ring" that wearers can use to remotely operate electrical devices, such as signaling a car to open its doors, 

has been developed by a research laboratory run by Denso Corp. The ring, which emits a faint electric signal when 

a wearer brings his or her forefinger and thumb into contact, also can be used to operate a portable music player 

contained in a bag or pocket on a crowded train, among other uses. The ring, named "Yubi-nya," features the face 

of a cat and measures about three centimeters across and two centimeters thick. 

Bendable, Unbreakable Plastic Optical Fiber For Household Consumer Electronics 

(March 17, 2009) 

Asahi Glass Co. has developed an unbreakable plastic optical fiber for household consumer electronics. Based on 

a fluororesin material and made with a double-clad structure, the plastic fiber can be bent and even knotted without 

breaking and without leaking the light signals. Plastic optical fiber cannot carry light as far its glass counterpart. The 

amount of data sent between consumer products such as televisions, audio systems and computer peripherals will 

eventually become so voluminous that today's copper cables will give way to optical cables. 

R&D For Accurate Sound Reproduction Technology 

(March 17, 2009) 

Toshiba Corp developed a new technology to accurately reproduce sound by using an auxiliary speaker in collaboration 

with the Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering, 

and Actimo Ltd. The technology uses sound from an auxiliary speaker to eliminate noise (sound other than 

the original sound) generated from the main speaker. Toshiba confirmed that non-original sound can be eliminated 

by more than 90% in an experiment using equipment incorporating this technology. The company plans to conduct 

research and development for introducing this technology in its products. 

Micro LED Projector As Car Equipment 

(March 18, 2009) 

Castrade Co Ltd will release an ultra compact projector with an LED light source. Castrade 

plans to take advantage of its expertise as a distributor of automotive audio-visual 

equipment and monitors to market the micro-projector for use in automobiles. Dedicated 

accessories will be released to promote its use in vehicles. The projector employs LCOS as 

its display element. It features 640 x 480 pixels with a panel size of 0.44 inches. The luminance 

is 10lm, and the maximum power consumption is about 10W. With a built-in 

secondary battery, the projector can be operated for about one hour. The outer dimensions are 115 x 50 x 23mm, 

and the weight is 160g. 

10Gbps Video Transmission System For FTTH 

(March 19, 2009) 

Hitachi Ltd developed a 10Gbps video transmission system intended for FTTH. It conforms to the "10G-EPON" 

standard specified by IEEE802.3av. The specifications of the 10G-EPON are still being discussed. The video 

transmission system was developed based on those technological specifications. When 32 optical transmission 

devices are connected on the user side at a communication distance of 20km, the communication quality has a bit 

error rate of 10-12. The key to the development was the transimpedance amplifier (TIA), which is used on the OLT 

side. 

Tie-Up To Produce Smallest Bluetooth Module 

(March 20, 2009) 

CSR plc is working with Taiyo Yuden to produce a range of connectivity modules specifically targeted at small devices. 

CSR's connectivity center product, CSR9000, will combine with Taiyo Yuden's EOMIN module technology to 

produce what they claim is the industry's smallest Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS modules. The CSR9000 supports a 

long list of connectivity technologies including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n), GPS, Bluetooth low energy 








and FM receive and transmit. CSR’s EOMIN technology results in a module that is tough and shock resistant, 

highly reliable and features a significantly lower profile than competing, non-CSR-based solutions. 

One Third Less Power Consuming LCD TV 

Sharp Corp. will release new energy-efficient LCD televisions under its Aquos line. The new 

TVs will come with 40-, 46- and 52-inch screens. The 46-inch model uses 145 kilowatt-hours 

a year, which is 32.6% less than a conventional LCD TV of the same size and about the 

same as a typical 37-inch set. Power consumption was reduced by improving the efficiency 

of the backlight, which illuminates the LCD from the rear. And the TVs have a function in 

which the intensity of the backlight changes based on how bright the room is, allowing for 

less electricity to be used when the room is dark. 

Bluetooth 8-Inch Color E-Paper Device 

Fujitsu Frontech Ltd started selling a of the "FLEPia," a mobile information device equipped with 

a color electronic paper display. The device features an 8-inch display with 768 x 1024-pixel 

XGA resolution. Display colors and the time to replace a page can be selected from 64 colors for 

high-speed replacement of menu pages. 4,096 colors for high-contrast viewing and 260,000 

colors for displaying images. The battery can run the device for about 40 hours if a page is 

replaced every minute in 64-color mode. It takes about three hours to charge the battery. The 

viewer measures 158 x 240 x 12.5mm and weighs 385g. The latest model complies with 

Bluetooth 2.0 specifications. 

(March 23, 2009) 

(March 23, 2009) 

Parallel Image Codec System For HDTV Using Only PC 

(March 25, 2009) 

NEC Corp. developed a parallel image coding/decoding system that enables distribution of HDTV video by using 

only a personal computer and software. The system is intended for use in personal computers equipped with a 

multi-core processor. The new coding/decoding system is compliant with the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC standard. The 

system re-performs image processing for the boundary areas of an image divided during parallel processing, 

thereby significantly reducing noise in the areas. With a parallel computer having eight cores, the processing speed 

can be approximately six times as high as before. 

Technology For 50% Brighter E-Paper Device 

(March 26, 2009) 

Ricoh Co. has developed the technology for a color electronic paper that is 50% brighter than conventional devices 

and can retain graphics even with the power turned off. Ricoh's new e-paper employs the same principles as a 

color copier, using cyan, magenta and yellow as the base hues instead of red, green and blue. These colors are 

created using electro chromic compounds. They typically revert to transparent when the voltage is removed, but 

Ricoh has altered the molecular structure to create compounds with a memory property to retain their color. With 

less glass, it is thinner and lighter than existing devices and the reduced light loss provides a brighter appearance. 

Next-Generation Flat Panel-Production Postponed 

(March 26, 2009) 

Amid intensifying competition in next-generation flat panels, Sony Corp. is nixing a project while a joint venture of 

Toshiba Corp. and Panasonic Corp. has delayed plans for scaled-up production. Sony will halt plans to massproduce 

field emission displays through its joint venture with an investment fund. FEDs can display high-speed 

motion with no blur and consume less power than LCDs, but have higher production costs than other types of flat 

panels. Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co. has decided to postpone the start of commercial production of 

OEL (organic electro-luminescent). 

Longest Distance Bridged By Free-Space Optical Communications System 

The Visible Light Communication Consortium (VLCC) of Japan succeeded in an experiment 

in visible light communication between image sensors as receivers and LEDs used in a 

lighthouse and a traffic light. When information was transmitted via a beam from the 

lighthouse, the transmission speed was 1,022bps at a communication distance of 2km and 

1,200bps at 1km. The distance of 2km is the world's longest of the distances attained by 

free-space optical communications systems that use light sources with a wide range of 

diffusion. Other experiments have also been conducted by using traffic lights as transmitters. 

(March 26, 2009) 






Noise-Resistant kHz-Band PLC Physical Layer 



Japanese researchers developed a physical layer for power line communication (PLC) in the 

kHz band. The new physical layer is relatively unsusceptible to transmission failures caused 

by home appliances. This was a joint research conducted by the High Speed Power Line 

Communication Collaborative Research Team, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science 

and Technology (AIST) and Tokyo Electric Power Co Inc. The physical layer enables 

up to 200kbps data transmission via a power line even in the areas where wireless LAN 

access is not available. The group will focus on developing MAC layer software from now on. 

Perception Mechanisms Applied To Illusional Reality Devices 

NTT Communication Science Laboratories and the Japan Science and Technology Agency's 

PRESTO program conduct scientific studies on the mechanisms of perception and applies 

that science to the creation of what might be described as 'illusional reality' devices. The 

"Full-Scale Saccade-Based Display" presents 2-D images using just a single line of light by 

exploiting the way we naturally shift gaze with rapid eye movements called saccades. The 

team wanted to apply its knowledge to devices that can recreate the perceptions of sights, 

sounds and the other senses. 

(March 27, 2009) 

(March 29, 2009) 

Full-High-Definition Viewing With One External DRAM 

(March 31, 2009) 

Renesas Technology Corp. has developed a system chip for the North American LCD television market that enables 

full-high-definition viewing with a single external memory chip. The new product is 23mm square, making it 

the industry's smallest chip of this type. By carefully engineering its computational methods for digital signals, Renesas' 

device allows for highly efficient processing of large quantities of data. The new chip needs only one external 

DRAM for full-high-definition viewing. It also has built-in USB and voice multiplex decoder functions, which may 

reduce the number of peripheral components required significantly. 

6. Energy / Environment 

Greenhouse Gas Emission From Ships To Be Measured 

(March 03, 2009) 

The transport ministry will conduct a test to examine whether greenhouse gas emissions from ships anchored at 

ports can be reduced by supplying them with electricity from shore. Facilities needed to supply power to ships for 

lighting and controlling temperatures for loads will be constructed at the five ports. For the experiment, large ferries 

will be used at Osaka, Niihama and Kitakyushu ports, university training ships at Hakodate port and fishing boats at 

Kushiro port. Vessels anchored at ports usually keep their engines running for electricity and as a result emit 

greenhouse gases. 

Kobe Awarded For Biogas Supply 

(March 04, 2009) 

Kobe City has received an award from the land, infrastructure and transport minister for 

undertaking global environmental conservation through the supply of biogas made from 

sewage. The 'sewer award for the path of recycling' was given to commend the 'Kobe biogas 

supply project' introduce it across the country. Kobe biogas is produced by refining digestive 

gas that is generated in the process of sewage treatment, resulting in 98% pure methane 

gas. It is almost equal to city gas in quality and can be used as fuel for natural gas-driven 

automobiles. Presently, 127 registered vehicles, including city buses and private-sector transport vehicles, use biogas 

fuel. 

Solar Cell Production Capacity To Be Extended 

Sanyo Electric Co. will construct a new building at its main solar cell plant in Kaizuka City to 

expand its production capacity. Sanyo has been pushing ahead with manufacturing HIT 

solar cells, its originally structured crystalline model having the world's highest energy 

conversion efficiency. The company plans to increase the solar cell's production capacity 

combined with that of its plant in Unnan City from 340,000 kW estimated at the end of fiscal 

2008 to 600,000 kW at the close of fiscal 2010 and to 2 million kW in fiscal 2020. 

(March 04, 2009) 








Surrogate Fish For Tuna In-Vitro Mass Production 

(March 04, 2009) 

Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology positively identified the presence of sperm of a nibe croaker in 

the testes of a mackerel. It was the necessary next step in the ultimate goal of using mackerel to mass-produce 

tuna eggs and tuna sperm for the in-vitro creation of schools of tuna fry. The plan is to extract the gametes that develop 

into eggs and sperm from the ovaries and testes of tuna and transplant them into mackerel fry. Once these 

mackerel have grown for about a year in tank culture and matured enough, the testes and ovaries will be harvested 

to isolate out the tuna sperm and tuna eggs. 

Road Map For Automotive Li-Ion Batteries 

(March 05, 2009) 

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) submitted the final draft of the 

"2008 Roadmap for the Development of Next Generation Automotive Battery Technology." It covers the development 

of secondary batteries used in plug-in hybrid cars and electric cars, which are expected to play main roles as 

next generation vehicles. Performances and costs at present as well as those to be attained by 2010, 2015, 2020 

and after 2030 are shown as target values. 

Portable Wind-Powered Battery Charger 

Pleiades System Designs Inc. has released an innovative battery charger that generates electricity 

using wind power and which can be worn on the arm. The "HYmini Wind + Solar Power Battery 

Charger" comes with an arm strap. Power generation is especially effective when the user wears 

the device on the arm on a windy day or while riding a bicycle. Electricity stored in the built-in 

battery can be transferred to mobile phones, digital cameras and portable music players via the 

respective adaptors. A solar panel and hand-operated crank are also included, making it possible 

to generate electricity regardless of weather conditions. 

(March 05, 2009) 

Japanese Company Joins Portuguese Solar Power Project 

(March 06, 2009) 

Mitsubishi has agreed to take part in one of the world's largest solar cell-based electricity generation projects in 

Moura/ Portugal. Mitsubishi will acquire a 34% stake in Lisbon-based Amper Central Solar S.A. Mitsubishi is considering 

sending an employee to Acciona as a part-time member of its board. The 250-hectare Moura solar plant 

has an output capacity of 45 800 kW. The Moura plant emits 89 000 tones less carbon dioxide a year than a comparable 

coal-based power generation plant. Mitsubishi President Yorihiko Kojima will have direct control over the 

trading house's environment and renewable energy business operations. 

New Efficiency Improving Backwind 

The wind turbine developed jointly by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. and Hitachi Ltd. is with its back to 

the wind. The machine points in the opposite direction of a typical wind turbine. It has a downwind 

rotor that fits behind the tower, so the machine looks like it has its back turned to the wind. In this 

case, the blades are tilted slightly downward relative to the ground, as if they were bowing. As the 

wind in Japan tends to blow upward toward the wind turbine, the downwind rotor design is better 

suited to take advantage of the power of the wind. A downwind turbine with the same rated power 

capacity as an upwind turbine ends up generating a few percent more electricity. 

(March 06, 2009) 

Japanese-EU Cooperation On Electric Car’s Sources 

(March 07, 2009) 

Japan will seek an agreement with the European Union to jointly develop solar cells and new ultra light batteries for 

electric cars that can deliver three times the power of current technology. The trade ministry's Agency for Natural 

Resources and Energy aims to sign an accord with the EU to pioneer the next-generation rechargeable batteries 

and photovoltaic cells. About 100 officials and experts from both sides began talks in Tokyo. Japan also wants to 

collaborate with Europe in developing a battery that can power an electric vehicle as long as 500 km on one charge. 

Sharp Corp. and GS Yuasa are among solar-power cell and battery makers that may benefit of such cooperation. 

Fuel Cell For All-Electrical Households Promoted 

(March 10, 2009) 

Major gas and oil companies have teamed up to develop a household fuel cell scheduled for release as early as 

May in an attempt to compete against electricity power companies that are increasing their share of the market due 

to all-electrical households. The fuel cell, named Ene Farm, will be the first of its kind to be sold in Japan. The 








companies, including Tokyo Gas Co. and Nippon Oil Corp., are hoping to attract customers by promoting the benefits 

of the fuel cell. The CO2 emissions of a household installed with the fuel cell are about 30 to 40% less than 

houses that use gas-fired water heaters and electricity from thermal power generation. 

Solar Heat Certification System For Tokyo 

(March 10, 2009) 

Tokyo Metropolitan Government decided to initiate efforts for expanding the use of solar heat from fiscal 2009 by 

introducing the Green Heat Certification System and by granting subsidies to households for installing solar thermal 

equipment for the two-year period beginning in April 2009. Tokyo Environmental Public Service Corp. will among 

other measures grant subsidies to households for the environmental value (green heat equivalent) resulting from 

the introduction of photovoltaic power generators, and solar-powered water and room heaters, on the condition that 

the environmental value be transferred to TEPSC for 10 years. 

Fuel Cell To Recharge Small Electronic Equipment 

(March 10, 2009) 

Toshiba Corp. plans to market the nation's first palm-sized miniature fuel cell capable of recharging mobile phones 

and portable music players. This method can take a considerable amount of time and fully recharging a device is 

not always possible. The new fuel cell is capable of fully recharging a mobile phone in about the same time it takes 

using an electrical-socket recharger. When full, the methanol-fueled mini battery is able to fully recharge a mobile 

phone four or five times. Refilling the battery with methanol enables it to be used time and time again. 

Sewage Treatment Facility Extracts Gold From Ash 

(March 10, 2009) 

A sewage treatment facility here has literally struck gold, finding large traces of the precious metal in waste residue 

produced through the treatment process. Sewage goes through a primary stage of treatment where sludge is extracted. 

The residue is then compressed and dried after which it is incinerated. Residual soot is then melted in a 

furnace at about 1,600 degrees, which in turn produces what is known as fly ash. In fall of 2007, officials at the Japan 

Sewage Works Agency discovered about 1,890 grams of gold in every ton of ash produced at the plant. Toyoda 

plant is the first such facility to make a profit of gold in sewage ash. 

Production Of Pollen-Free Cedar Saplings 

(March 11, 2009) 

Nippon Paper Group Inc. announced the development of a technique that enables the more efficient production of 

saplings from cuttings taken from a unique variant of pollen-free Japanese cedar. The Japanese cedar has become 

the bane of allergy sufferers nationwide. But by carefully adjusting the concentration of carbon dioxide, Nippon Paper 

can grow saplings from cuttings that are only 2cm long, making it easier to mass-produce the pollen-free trees. 

The company plans to provide its technology to research facilities and government agencies that are working with 

Japanese cedar. 

Electric Double Layer Capacitor With Tripled Energy Density 

A Japanese university developed an electric double layer capacitor (EDLC), which has an 

energy density per unit volume of 20Wh/l. The new capacitor has three times as high energy 

density as existing EDLCs. When commercialized, it may be utilized to store renewable energy 

or as regeneration systems for hybrid cars. It uses activated carbon for the positive 

electrode. But lithium titanate is used for the negative electrode to enhance energy density. 

In addition nanocrystallized Li4Ti5O12 with a particle diameter of about 5-20nm is mounted 

on carbon nanofibers so that the time required for charging/discharging becomes shorter. 

(March 12, 2009) 

High-Performance Electrolyte For Car Lithium Ion Batteries 

(March 12, 2009) 

Central Glass Co. will start manufacturing a high-performance electrolyte for lithium ion batteries used in cars. 

Three other Japanese companies already command 60% of the global market, but Central Glass believes that it 

has an advantage because of the high fire resistance of its electrolyte and the fact that it makes the starting materials 

itself. Central Glass developed the fire-resistant electrolyte with Bridgestone Corp., which has technology for 

making an additive that renders electrolytic solutions nonflammable. 

World’s Most Efficient Gas Turbine 

(March 13, 2009) 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. has developed a gas turbine that it bills as the world's most efficient and most 

powerful. The power generation efficiency is estimated at slightly over 60% in gas turbine combined-cycle applica- 








tions, roughly 2 percentage points higher than the company's own existing products and those of rivals. Higher efficiency 

means that carbon dioxide emissions will be lower than other facilities with equivalent power output. With 

the J-series turbine, power generation capacity is about 460,000kW in combined-cycle applications -- roughly 20% 

higher than conventional turbines can achieve. 

Further Development Of Condominium Fuel Cells Systems 

(March 14, 2009) 

Toshiba Corp. plans to commercialize Japan's first fuel cell system for condominium units. Toshiba's new condominium-use 

fuel cells are expected to weigh 150kg and measure about 1.5 meters in height. Sales efforts will likely 

focus on pitching the products to developers for installation while condominiums are still under construction. Development 

of the fuel cells is to be handled by Toshiba Fuel Cell Power Systems Corp. The Toshiba unit in Yokohama 

aims to use fewer components and 10-20% less platinum. The firm has already started working with chemical 

companies on development of new materials capable of boosting fuel cells' energy efficiency. 

Recession Causes Power Generation Drop 

(March 14, 2009) 

Domestic power generation dropped for a seventh straight month in February, falling 16% year on year as factories 

and businesses cut production because of the deepening recession. The 10 regional utilities reduced electricity 

output to 74.47 billion kWh last month, the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan said in a report. The 

economy contracted at the fastest pace since 1974 last quarter as exports, output and business spending collapsed. 

Improved Battery Technology Pushes Electric Bicycle Boom 

(March 14, 2009) 

Rising awareness of environmental issues has sparked a surge in the popularity of bicycles propelled by a combination 

of pedal power and electricity. Recent improvements in battery technology have also strengthened the market, 

with the current generation of electric bicycles traveling much further per charge than earlier models. From 

January to February this year, major manufacturers, such as Yamaha, Panasonic Cycle Technology Co., Sanyo 

Electric Co. and Bridgestone Cycle Co., have released a succession of more powerful models. 

Lithium-Ion Batteries For Machinery And Cars 

(March 15, 2009) 

Lithium-ion batteries are also taking over the world of power tools. Furukawa Battery Co. is developing a lessexpensive 

lithium-ion battery for industrial machinery and Toshiba Corp. had developed a powerful and safer lithium-ion 

battery for hybrid cars. Furukawa Battery has been performance-testing prototypes of a new, low-cost lithium-ion 

battery for industrial machinery. In February the prototypes reached a milestone of sorts: 2,200 charge cycles 

with no loss in performance. Toshiba is already shipping samples of a new lithium-ion battery for hybrid cars 

that supplies triple the power output of today's nickel-hydrogen batteries. 

Thin-Film Solar Cells For Portable Devices 

(March 15, 2009) 

Toppan Forms Co. will start selling thin-film solar cells for use in cellular phones, notebook computers and other 

portable devices. The Japanese company and Konarka Technologies Inc. are looking into the possibility of finding 

applications for the product in home construction materials, such as attaching it to wallpaper to generate electricity 

using indoor lighting. The thin-film solar cell will measure 10x10cm, have a thickness of 0.4mm and weigh just 5g. 

The developer’s claim the cells will last about 10 years and that a solar cell the size of a standard sheet of paper 

will be able to fully charge a mobile phone in two hours. 

Investing In Developing Countries’ Environmental Infrastructure 

(March 16, 2009) 

Japan will launch a $5 billion lending facility to help developing countries improve water, solar power and other environmental 

infrastructure. The government hopes to spur investment by private-sector banks by having public financial 

institutions participate. Tokyo will provide $5 billion over the next two years through the Japan Bank for International 

Cooperation for big private-sector projects. It also plans to supply syndicated loans with the Asian Development 

Bank and the International Finance Corp., an arm of the World Bank Group. Japan is eager to play a 

role in helping the world out of the deepening economic crisis. 

Prefectural-Private Sector Carbon Offset Deal 

(March 16, 2009) 

The Kochi prefectural government and department store chain Lumine Co. concluded a carbon offsetting contract. 

The deal marks the first carbon offsetting arrangement promoted by the Environment Ministry. The prefectural government 

will sell a portion of carbon dioxide emission cuts caused by its biofuel project to Lumine, which will offset 








CO2 emissions attributed to its operations. The prefecture's biofuel project has been in place since October 2007, 

using wood from forest thinning as fuel to substitute for fossil fuel. The prefectural government says 1,938 tons of 

CO2 emissions were cut in the year through September 2008, of which 899 tons will be sold to Lumine. 

Academia And Government Go For Household Energy Saving 

(March 16, 2009) 

The president of the University of Tokyo boasts his eco-friendly "thermal bottle" house, 

which is wrapped with heat-insulating material and features solar panels on the roof. He also 

bought a hybrid car and replaced his air conditioners and refrigerator with the latest energyefficient 

models. These steps have slashed his utility bills and gasoline expenses by as 

much as 80%. The government recently announced a plan to purchase surplus electricity 

from homes and companies equipped with solar panels. At present, it will take 30 years for 

households with solar panel systems to recoup their investment. Japan is one of the countries in the vanguard for 

green technology. 

White Goods Research Center For Environmentally Conscious Europe 

(March 16, 2009) 

Some of the nation's biggest home appliance makers are promoting the green qualities in their white goods in a bid 

to capture a major share of environmentally conscious foreign markets. Constrained by stagnant domestic demand, 

companies such as Panasonic Corp. and Hitachi Appliances Inc. have launched a push into Europe and Asia with 

a new range of energy-efficient products designed to appeal to ecologically minded consumers. Panasonic will also 

create a research center in Germany to study European lifestyles and use of white goods so it can better adapt its 

product line to the tastes and needs of local consumers. 

Wind Power Modulator Cooperation 

(March 17, 2009) 

Japan Wind Development Co. and NGK Insulators Ltd. have joined forces to supply an output-leveling system for 

wind generators to U.S. power company Xcel Energy Inc. The system combines high-capacity sodium-sulfur batteries 

made by NGK with control technologies developed by Japan Wind to stabilize the supply of power from wind 

turbines. Japan Wind has already installed an output-leveling system at a wind farm in Rokkasho using batteries to 

adjust the supply of power to the grid. And NGK has begun marketing its high-capacity sodium-sulfur batteries 

overseas and plans to have the capacity to make 150,000kW of the batteries per year. 

Environment-Conscious Sanitary Products 

(March 17, 2008) 

INAX Corporation manufactures an extensive range of bath, toilet, kitchen and sanitary fixtures and tiles as building 

materials. INAX's sophisticated designs for these indispensable daily-life products has attracted a lot of attention; 

the company has also developed environment-conscious products such as advanced water-saving toilets and airpurifying 

tiles. 

Regain Lead In Solar Cell Market 

(March 18, 2009) 

The government will offer loans to assist firms in silicon procurement and make utilities purchase surplus power 

from households as part of its push to help Japan capture more than one-third of the global solar cell market by 

2020. The plans were compiled by a panel of officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and representatives 

from such firms as Sharp Corp., Sanyo Electric Co. and Tokyo Electric Power Co. Japan accounted for 

roughly half of world production of solar cells in the first half of this decade. In 2007, as global output more than 

doubled to 3,733MW from two years earlier, Japan's share shrank to about 25%. 

Thinnest Glass-Substrate Lithium-Ion Battery 

Nippon Electric Glass Co. (NEG) and Iwate University of Morioka have developed the world's 

thinnest glass-substrate lithium-ion battery, measuring 0.03 mm in thickness. NEG is strong in the 

manufacturing technology of thin sheet glass used for liquid crystal display panels and other 

products. It has built a lithium-ion secondary battery by covering a 0.03 mm-thick ultra-thin glass 

substrate with a film-like cell. The glass substrate features an extremely smooth non-polished surface 

and is flexible owing to its thinness. The company is a major supplier of glass for film panel 

displays, accounting for 20% of the world's glass-substrate output for liquid crystal panels. 

(March 18, 2009) 








Indoor Vegetable Garden Possible Through LED Array 

(March 18, 2009) 

Towada Giken Co. has introduced an LED array to help condominium dwellers whose homes lack a veranda or 

enough sunlight to have their own gardens. The Oheya de Saien, or In-Room Vegetable Garden, uses both red 

and blue light-emitting diodes and was designed under the supervision of Kagawa University. The devices combine 

red LEDs emitting at a wavelength of 600 nanometers with blue LEDs at 470nm to replace sunlight, allowing for 

flower, vegetable and herb gardens, even in small rooms. Red light reportedly promotes photosynthesis and encourages 

germination, while the blue causes plants to grope toward it. 

Solar Power Industry Tries To Cover One Third Of Global Market 

(March 19, 2009) 

Japan’s solar power industry will generate up to 10 trillion yen worth of economic benefits in 2020, if the industry 

manages to secure more than a third of the global market. A study panel at the ministry also estimated that the industry 

will create up to about 100,000 new jobs in Japan in 2020, if domestic solar cell makers achieve that market 

share in terms of production, up from the current 25%. Currently, the industry is creating about 12,000 jobs in Japan 

and 1 trillion yen worth of economic effects at home and abroad. Foreign rivals are quickly catching up with 

Japan, while the size of the global market more than doubled just between 2005 and 2007. 

Portable Compact Fuel Cells In Mass Production 

(March 23, 2009) 

Toshiba Corp. will mass-produce compact fuel cells for recharging such devices as cellular phones and notebook 

computers. It said to be first to turn out portable fuel cells on such a scale, is installing an assembly line at a Yokohama 

facility. Production levels and capital investment outlays have not been disclosed. The chargers will be powered 

by methanol, eliminating the need for an electrical outlet. Although production will initially focus on external 

fuel cells for recharging, the company plans to commercialize mobile handsets and PCs with built-in fuel cells. 

Ukraine Buys Environmental Technology Exclusively From Japan 

(March 23, 2009) 

Ukraine, the first foreign government to sell greenhouse gas emission rights to Japan, will use the proceeds to introduce 

environmental technology solely from Japan. Tymoshenko, scheduled to visit Japan, said that Ukraine 

choose Japan as to modernize Ukraine's Soviet-era production equipment and infrastructure. She said Ukraine and 

Japan could cooperate on energy-consuming heating systems, steel and chemical plants, and water services. 

New Portable Hydrogen-Making Fuel Cell 

Takasago Thermal Engineering Co. has collaborated with Daiki Ataka Engineering Co. and the National 

Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology to develop a fuel cell that can make 

its own fuel by extracting hydrogen from water. The device is a solid-polymer fuel cell that is able to 

switch between a process that generates electricity from a supply of hydrogen and a process that 

electrolyzes water to yield oxygen and hydrogen. Toyo Seikan Kaisha Ltd. and hydrogen fuel startup 

Bio Coke Lab. Co. have developed a small hydrogen generator that can operate without the 

need for propane, kerosene or any other kind of fuel. 

(March 23, 2009) 

Less-Expensive And More Powerful Lithium-Ion Batteries 

(March 23, 2009) 

Furukawa Battery Co. is developing a less-expensive lithium-ion battery for industrial machinery and Toshiba Corp. 

had developed a powerful and safer lithium-ion battery for hybrid cars. The Furukawa lithium-ion batteries are costcompetitive 

with nickel-hydrogen batteries. Using a technology developed by Prof. Kiyoshi Kanamura and colleagues 

at Tokyo Metropolitan University, Furukawa Battery designed an electrode material that can perform at the 

same level as cobalt. Toshiba uses proprietary technologies to finely process the electrode materials, lower resistance 

and ease the migration of lithium ions so the batteries can operate with high power output. 

R&D Efforts In Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells 

(March 24, 2009) 

Sharp Corp. has been stepping up R&D efforts on dye-sensitized solar cells, counting on the potential of the nextgeneration 

model to significantly slash its manufacturing costs and help maintain its lead in the fiercely competitive 

market. Study of the cutting-edge solar cells has been conducted at Sharp's Advanced Energy Technologies Laboratories. 

Prototype cells with high photoelectric conversion rates are mostly in dark greens and they also have 

fewer color irregularities. Sharp in 2008 succeeded in attaining a conversion rate of 8.2% with a 25-sq.-cm glass 

substrate -- the world's best so far for this size. 








Ceramic Substrate Increases LED Brightness By 10% 

(March 25, 2009) 

TDK Corp. has developed a ceramic substrate that protects light-emitting diodes and increases their brightness by 

10%. The substrate is processed and manufactured in wafers like a semiconductor and has the same function as a 

varistor. The new substrate also eliminates the need for Zener diodes. This saves on the time and cost that would 

be spent mounting Zener diodes and allows for greater absorption of light, thus increasing light-emission efficiency 

by around 10%. Static electricity prevention and component cost are the same as for substrates that use Zener 

diodes. 

Japanese-Brazilian Collaboration For Biomass Hydrogen 

(March 25, 2009) 

Sapporo Breweries Ltd. will collaborate with Petrobras to test a process for making hydrogen fuel from sugar cane 

dregs and other biomass. The Sapporo Holdings Ltd. unit is testing a technology in Japan that generates hydrogen 

from the fermentation of bakery waste. Petrobras will use this technique to produce hydrogen fuel from the plentiful 

biomass available in Brazil. The plan is to build a pilot plant on the outskirts of Sao Paulo and begin production in 

October. 

Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction-Technology For Asian Nations 

(March 25, 2009) 

Japan will provide other Asian countries with technologies for reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, in 

a bid to obtain their cooperation in international efforts to tackle global warming under a new framework beyond 

2013. The Japanese government, which plans to use the amount of emissions reduced toward its reduction quota, 

will launch on-site research projects in China and Indonesia with an eye to providing the technologies from fiscal 

2010. The Environment Ministry aims to take steps in as many as 10 other Asian nations, such as Vietnam and 

India. 

Governmental Subsidies Make Solar Panel Use More Lucrative 

(March 26, 2009) 

With the central and local governments introducing and expanding subsidies for alternative energy investments, 

consumers may be able to recoup costs for solar power systems in 10-15 years, cutting the recovery time by half. 

Consumers can achieve a return on their investment through savings on electricity bills and by selling surplus energy 

back to the power grid. Without any subsidies and at the going rate for selling power to the grid, it would take 

27.7 years to recoup the initial investment. The central government's subsidies will lower this to 15.6 years, and 

adding in the other subsidies would further shorten it to 10.7 years. 

Gas Companies Introducing Household Fuel Cell Systems 

(March 26, 2009) 

Six gas companies will begin selling fuel cells to households, spurred by the pending introduction of government 

subsidies for buyers. They have decided to sell their fuel-cell-based cogeneration systems under the Ene-Farm 

brand, having set a combined sales target of 4,000 to 5,000 units for fiscal 2009. These systems generate electricity 

and heat through a reaction between oxygen and hydrogen, which is extracted from gas and LPG. Because the 

heat is used to heat water, these systems have a high energy conversion efficiency of 70-80%. Fuel cells still need 

more time to recoup their initial investment than solar power systems do. 

Solar Power System Providers Push Up Residential Demand 

(March 26, 2009) 

Competition is heating up among companies that hope to capitalize on government subsidies aimed at pushing up 

residential demand for solar power generation systems. Misawa Homes Co. has begun selling solar power generation 

systems at a steep discount to customers. Sekisui House Ltd. will consolidate under a new brand houses that 

come standard with solar power systems. Sharp Corp. will release next month a solar power system compatible 

with narrow and irregular roof dimensions. The product is geared toward the rooftops common in Tokyo, which will 

offer its own subsidies. Compared with existing models, it is expected to generate 20% more power. 

Gel Recovers Heavy Metals From Waste Liquid 

(March 27, 2009) 

A joint research team from Kyushu University and Kinki University has developed a gel-like material that can remove 

heavy metals like hexavalent chrome and nickel from industrial waste liquid. The material promises to be a 

low-cost way to recycle heavy metals, since it not only recovers the heavy metals for reuse but also reduces their 

concentrations in waste liquid to levels low enough for safe disposal. The gel is made from long polymer molecules 








formed into a meshwork with a spacing of several nanometers. Attached along these polymers with a spacing of 

just 0.1nm are special molecules that grab hold of the heavy metals. 

High-Capacity Lithium Ion Capacitors 

(March 27, 2009) 

JM Energy Corp. will begin mass production of lithium ion capacitors with a 50% larger capacity than its current 

highest-end product. The unit last fall became the world's first company to mass-produce lithium ion capacitors and 

now makes up to 25,000 units a month in storage sizes of 500, 1,000 and 2,000 farads. They are used for solar 

power stations and uninterruptible power supplies. The new model will boast a capacity of 3,000 farads and will be 

sold to manufacturers of construction equipment and large commercial machinery. It will also have a 50% higher 

energy density than the products the company now makes. 

Coalition For Residential Fuel Cells 

(March 27, 2009) 

The decision by Toyota Motor Corp. to form a coalition with three other firms for the development of residential fuel 

cells is certain to reshape competition in the sector. Toyota and the three others -- Kyocera Corp., Osaka Gas Co. 

and Aisin Seiki Co. -- announced that they will jointly develop residential fuel cells called solid oxide fuel cells 

(SOFCs). By forming this agreement, Osaka Gas, which has been co-developing SOFCs with Kyocera since 2004, 

managed to draw Toyota and Aisin Seiki to its camp. 

Low-Cost Carbon Alloy Catalyst For Fuel Cells 

(March 31, 2009) 

Nisshinbo Industries Inc. plans to begin mass production next year of a carbon-based catalyst that could drive 

down the price of fuel cell vehicles by roughly 10%, according to sources. The carbon alloy catalyst is designed to 

replace platinum in fuel cell electrodes. The material offers performance comparable to platinum's, but for only onesixth 

the cost. It will be shipped to automakers and manufacturers of home-use fuel cells. The high price of platinum 

has been one of the hurdles to promoting fuel cells. About 100 grams of platinum is used in the electrode 

catalyst of a fuel cell vehicle. Nisshinbo developed the carbon-based material with Gunma University. 

Model Project For Bioethanol Made From Rice Straw 

(March 31, 2009) 

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has chosen Akita Prefecture from among applicants 

as a location to conduct a model project utilizing soft cellulose. The model project aims to conduct verification tests 

to establish a technology for production of bioethanol made from soft cellulose biomass, such as rice straw and 

husk that do not compete with food supply. Akita Agriculture Public Corp. will collect and transport the biomass materials, 

while Kawasaki Plant Systems has been contracted to produce the biofuel and conduct verification tests of 

the biofuel from fiscal 2008 through 2012. 

7. Space Development 

Longest Total Eclipse Of The Sun This Century 

(March 05, 2009) 

The longest total eclipse of the sun this century, which will blanket natural light for several minutes on July 22, will 

be streamed live and broadcast on TV from Iwojima Island, as part of a project devised by Japanese astronomers. 

The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan is preparing to cover the spectacular natural phenomenon by satellite. 

It will also use the rare eclipse to study the solar corona. Iwojima Island is one of a handful of spots in Japan 

from which it is possible to view the total eclipse. The blackout is predicted to last about 5 minutes and 12 seconds 

when viewed from Iwojima and about 6 minutes and 25 seconds from Akusekijima Island. 

Astronaut Going To Make People-Suggested Experiments In Space 

(March 08, 2009) 

Can eye drops be applied in zero gravity? Is it possible to crawl? Astronaut Koichi Wakata plans to answer these 

questions and many more submitted by the public by actually trying them during his time on the International Space 

Station. Wakata, 45, announced late last month 16 such experiments that he will try during his scheduled three 

months in orbit. He received 1,597 individual experiment suggestions from about 800 people, ranging from primary 

school children to people in their 70s, after asking the public for ideas. The eye drop experiment is one of the 16 

tests that made the cut. 








Robotic And Manned Moon Mission Planed 

(March 09, 2009) 

Japanese astronauts may set foot on the moon for robot-assisted exploration around 2025 to 2030, according to 

proposals in a draft plan for the nation's first basic space program. The plan, presented to an expert panel by the 

secretariat of the government's Strategic Headquarters for Space Development, calls for Japan to send an unmanned 

probe to the moon on its own around 2020 using robot technology, before going on to a manned mission. 

The headquarters will release the basic space program in May based on the panel's discussions on costs, risks 

and technology. 

Robot Satellite To Clean Up Man-Made Trash In Space 

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is developing a satellite that could help reduce 

the growing amount of man-made debris in space. JAXA's satellite has a robotic arm that dangles 

an electrically conductive cable capable of extending several kilometers. The satellite would fish for 

debris as it circled the earth. The earth's magnetic pull would slow its orbit and eventually draw it 

into the atmosphere, where both would burn up. The satellite can only grab one piece of junk at a 

time. This may seem like a limitation, but JAXA says that focusing on big pieces such as defunct 

satellites. 

First Japanese Resident Astronaut At International Space Station 

The U.S. space shuttle Discovery blasted with a pair of solar wing panels and the first Japanese 

resident astronaut for the International Space Station. The primary goal of the mission is to deliver 

the last piece of the station's 11-part external backbone. Discovery's seven-man crew includes 

Koichi Wakata, 45 will be left behind on the space station. NASA last year delivered and installed 

the main components of Japan's Kibo laboratory at the orbital complex. It is over 20 years since 

Japan started this endeavor, in participating in the International Space Station program. Wakata 

participates in a long-duration flight to fully utilize the Kibo module. 

(March 16, 2009) 

(March 16, 2009) 

First Passenger Jet To Be Made In Japan 

(March 18, 2009) 

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and two other firms plan to invest in the company overseeing the development and marketing 

of Mitsubishi Regional Jet, the first passenger jet to be made in Japan. Mitsubishi Electric and Mitsubishi 

Rayon Co. aim to forge ties with Mitsubishi Aircraft on components and materials. Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp. will 

come away capital increase with a 64% interest in the unit. Toyota Motor Corp. and trading house Mitsubishi Corp. 

will each emerge with stakes of 10%. 

Wrongly Positioned Wires At Robotic Arm In Space 

(March 20, 2009) 

Astronaut Koichi Wakata has reported a problem with the robotic arm on the International Space Station. Wakata, 

on his second day aboard the ISS, was operating the robotic arm to bring aboard large solar power generation 

equipment that had been unloaded from the space shuttle Discovery by other astronauts. Wakata reported to 

ground control that a camera on the shuttle showed that wires on the robotic arm were in the wrong position. The 

control center sent an instruction to crew members, who fixed the problem. 

First Time Diamond Ring Effect Captured From Moon 

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) 

captured unprecedented video footage of the Earth eclipsing the Sun, as seen from the Moon. 

It was captured via the HDTV camera aboard the KAGUYA (SELENE) lunar explorer. The 

footage shows the Earth rising over the lunar horizon, with the Sun almost completely hidden 

behind it. A halo of sunlight is visible around the edge of the planet, and a bright bead of light 

appears just as the Sun begins to peek from behind, creating the so-called “diamond ring 

effect.” This is the first time that video of the diamond ring effect has ever been captured from the Moon. 

(March 20, 2009) 

Bacteria Killing, Dry Underwear In Space Test 

(March 23, 2009) 

Koichi Wakata, the first Japanese astronaut to live on the International Space Station, is testing the clothes, called 

J-ware and created by textile experts at Japan Women's University in Tokyo. Wakata's clothes are designed to kill 

bacteria, absorb water, insulate the body and dry quickly. They also are flame-resistant and anti-static, not to men- 








tion comfortable and stylish. Japanese astronaut Takao Doi gave the clothes a trial run during a shuttle mission last 

year. Even after a vigorous workout, Doi's clothes stayed dry. The Japanese space agency plans to make the 

clothes available to NASA and its other space station partners once development is complete. 

Fresh Fruit In Space Thanks To New Non-Woven Fabric Sheet 

(March 24, 2009) 

In a break from the usual bland space fare, astronaut Koichi Wakata got to snack on a fresh, juicy apple aboard the 

International Space Station. Ten apples grown in Aomori Prefecture were carried aloft when Wakata, 45, blasted 

off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. To keep them fresh, each apple was wrapped in a special sheet of 

non-woven fabric jointly created by Tohoku University researchers and a medical equipment maker. With each apple 

he eats, Wakata will check how well the special textile works to maintain the fruit's freshness. Usually, astronauts 

dine on freeze-dried food intended to last about a year. 

8. Engineering / Robotics 

Remote-Controlled Student-Project-Robots Sending Data Via Satellite 

Remote-controlled robots built for disaster relief and planetary exploration are demonstrated 

by a research group comprising students from the Tohoku University graduate school of engineering 

and others at Sendai Astronomical Observatory in Sendai. The team put the robots 

through their paces at the university, testing their ability to send images and other 

information gained with cameras and sensors back to the lab via satellite. 

(March 02, 2009) 

Instantly Set Watch To Local Time 

(March 05, 2009) 

Citizen Watch Co. has developed a movement that can immediately reset the hands of radio-controlled analog 

wristwatches to the local time in different parts of the world. Citizen's new H610 movement has a set of four motors 

that move the hands immediately to the local time just by twisting the watch crown so that it points to the appropriate 

city. Rotating the crown moves a gear, changing the place where a tiny spring attached to the gear makes electrical 

contact with underlying circuitry. The signal generated at this location of contact moves the hands appropriately 

to the time for any of 27 major cities in 18 countries worldwide. 

German Innovation Award To Foster Industry-Academia Cooperation 

(March 06, 2009) 

The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan and twelve technology-focused German companies 

have launched the German Innovation Award to encourage and support young scientists in Japan and to promote 

industry-academia cooperation between the two countries. There were 91 applications received from 35 Japanese 

universities and research institutes. The first prize was granted to Dr. Takao Someya for the University of Tokyo. 

The address was held by Seiko Noda, Japan’s Minister of State for Science and Technology Policy, Food and 

Safety at the official award ceremony. 

Robotic “Human”-Body Parts Remotely Controlled 

(March 09, 2009) 

Keio University and Kyoto University of Art & Design jointly developed a "Sukima (interspace) robot," which is composed 

of human presence sensors and personified display devices. The Sukima robot was developed with the aim 

of providing a space with a virtual human body. Specifically, the system is composed of multiple human presence 

sensors and information output interfaces such as "eye devices" and mechanical hands, which are installed in 

spaces under tables and between bookshelves. Each of the devices is connected to a PC via Bluetooth. The system 

can be used to make a room more interesting as well as to keep people away from entering. 

Hybrid In Top Ten Car-Sales Ranking In February 

(March 09, 2009) 

Honda Motor Co.'s Insight hybrid hatchback made the top-ten sales ranking list for February with monthly sales of 

4,906 units. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association attributed the five-door, gasoline-electric hybrid's entry into 

the list to its high fuel economy and affordable sticker price. The main customer bases of the Insight were middleaged 

and senior drivers as well as people with families. In contrast, the Prius hybrid hatchback of Toyota Motor 

Corp. fell to 12th from January's fifth place with sales of 4,524 units, down 22.2%. Association officials traced the 

Prius' descent to competition with the Insight as well as to the Japanese economic deceleration. 








World’s First Rear-Seat Center Airbag 

(March 11, 2009) 

Toyota Motor Corp. has developed what it called the world's first rear-seat center airbag to better protect rear-seat 

passengers from a side-on collision. When a vehicle is hit side-on, the new airbag deploys from the top of a rearseat 

center console to act as a barrier to lessen injuries caused by rear-seat passengers colliding with each other. 

The airbag will be available from a model to be launched in Japan in the near future. 

Lower Price For New Hybrid Car 

(March 14, 2009) 

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to set the price for the base model of its new Prius gas-electric hybrid at ¥2.05 million, or 

nearly ¥300,000 lower than its current counterpart. It also plans to launch a small new hybrid in Japan priced at 

less than ¥2 million. In a bid to retain its leadership in the global hybrid market, Toyota has decided to make the 

popular Prius more affordable in light of the sparkling sales Honda has been racking up with the ¥1.89 million Insight. 

The new Prius will have a 1.8-liter engine instead of the 1.5-liter engine driving the current model. 

Old Car Powered By Electricity 

Engineers and university students inspect an electrically powered DeLorean DMC-12 at Hiroshima 

Kokusai Gakuin University. The converted car is one of only about 8,600 units ever produced by the 

DeLorean Motor Co. between 1981 and 1982. Another was featured as a time machine in the 1985 

U.S. sci-fi movie "Back to the Future." Tomoyasu Fujii performed a reincarnation of sorts on the exgas 

guzzler with help from 15 tech experts. The car, which passed inspections and is licensed, is 

now ready to rumble. 

(March 14, 2009) 

Japan Still Represented In Formula One 

(March 17, 2009) 

Toyota Motor Corp. plans to keep racing Formula One and NASCAR cars. Toyota is forecasting its first loss and 

seeks loans from the government. Automakers including Honda Motor Co. and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. have 

pulled out of auto racing and off-road rallies to cut costs. Following Honda's departure, the nine remaining teams 

agreed in December to slash costs by 30% by banning testing during the racing season and sharing data on tires 

and fuel. Brawn GP will replace Honda Racing in the 2009 Formula One world championship. 

Female Humanoid Robot 

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and latest model in its humanoid robot project 

- a machine based on a young woman - features a repertoire of facial reactions and fashion-model 

movements. The HRP-4C stands 158cm tall and weighs 43kg. Eight motors in the face, three in the 

neck and 42 overall give the robot the ability to move. With its speech-recognition system, the HRP- 

4C can respond to simple questions and smile on demand. It can function for 20 minutes with fully 

charged batteries. 

(March 17, 2009) 

Environment Friendly Construction Machinery Equipment 

(March 18, 2009) 

Major construction machinery manufacturers such as Komatsu Ltd. are stepping up development and production of 

environmentally friendly equipment such as diesel-electric hybrid excavators. The companies are focusing on one 

of the few growth areas as domestic and foreign demand for construction machinery weakens amid the global economic 

downturn. Output may reach 100 units a month as early as October, which is 10 times the April figure. Hybrid 

excavators can help save 25% in fuel costs. Energy recovered as the turning upper structure slows down is 

used to charge a capacitor, making it available for reuse. 

Reknown Scientist Humanoid Robot 

(March 20, 2009) 

A robot model of famed bacteriologist Hideyo Noguchi (1876-1928) has gone on display at the Hideyo Noguchi 

Memorial Museum in Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture, which is his birthplace. The robot is modeled on Noguchi 

at age 38, and shows him working in his laboratory in the United States. Using hand gestures created through air 

pressure technology, the robot also "talks" to visitors, saying "Never give up!" and "Dreams will come true if you 

work hard." The robot even sneezes. Among other things, Noguchi is remembered for identifying the bacteria that 

causes syphilis. 








Automated Recycling Technology For Vehicle Fenders 

(March 23, 2009) 

Mazda Motor Corp. has developed an automated recycling technology to enhance the process it uses to recycle 

used fenders into raw plastic resin for the manufacture of new fenders. The new technology is the first to enable 

the recycling of fenders made by different manufacturers at the same time and it significantly increases recycling 

efficiency by automating processes to remove metal attachments. The new technology employs a machine similar 

those used for processing chemicals such as rubber and plastics and foodstuffs such as grain. 

New All-Electric Vehicle Tested In San Diego 

(March 24, 2009) 

Renault-Nissan and San Diego Gas & Electric Co. announced a deal to deploy Nissan's new all-electric vehicle on 

the roads in San Diego before it hits the consumer market. The utility plans to lease 15 to 20 and urge its customers 

-- private, public and military -- to consider switching to electric vehicles. Nissan has reached similar agreements 

with Sonoma County, Oregon, Tucson and Tennessee. San Diego G&E is also exploring the idea of building 

charging stations at convenient spots. At the moment, charging the lithium-ion battery from a standard 220-volt line 

takes between four and eight hours. The goal is to bring the battery to 80% capacity in 26 minutes. 

Two Redevelopment Projects In Tokyo 

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government approved two large redevelopment projects. In the Kita 

Shinagawa district, seven high-rises, including a 143m office and condominium tower, will be 

built along the Meguro River east of JR Osaki Station. This is one of the largest projects approved 

in a specially designated Tokyo redevelopment area. Mitsui Fudosan Co., Taisei 

Corp. and other contractors will take part in the project. In the Otemachi district, Urban 

Renaissance Agency and Mitsubishi Estate Co. plan to build a 177m, 35-story building on a 

site now occupied by Keidanren Kaikan and JA Building, both of which are relocating. 

(March 25, 2009) 

Security Standards For Nursing Robots 

(March 26, 2009) 

Robots providing day care and nursing services will be in Japanese households in five years' time. Based on the 

projection, the government and the private sector will accelerate their efforts to formulate common safety standards 

for nurse robots. To create a new robot market it is essential that a neutral third party establish those standards. 

The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, a government-backed entity, will launch a 

new five-year project strongly focused on improving safety technology and standards of the next-generation robots. 

A report recommended the government make efforts adapting envisioned domestic standards internationally. 

Hybrid Car With Better Efficiency And Solar Panel 

(March 26, 2009) 

The newest version of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius hybrid car comes with an engine that is both brawnier and more 

fuel-efficient, as well as rooftop solar panels to charge the battery when the vehicle is parked. This next-generation 

Prius is equipped with a 1.8-liter engine, 300cc bigger that the current version's. It can travel 35km or so on a liter 

of gasoline, giving it a 10% advantage in fuel economy. The solar panels can power the air conditioner and other 

equipment. Other changes include energy-saving LED headlights and a lighter frame. Toyota is in a pitched battle 

with Honda Motor Co. in the hybrid market. 

All-Around Vehicle Safety System 

Toyota Motor Corp developed the "Front-side Pre-crash Safety System", which can detect 

vehicles in front. The system is installed in combination with a system that is capable of 

detecting objects ahead of and behind the vehicle. The Front-side System was realized by 

mounting two millimeter-wave radars inside the front bumper. The system does not automatically 

activate the brakes when it detects an obstacle, but it alerts the driver, increases 

the brake force, tightens the seatbelts, prepares the airbags for deployment and hardens the 

damping force of the suspension to prevent a nose dive. It is effective for preventing head-on collisions. 

(March 30, 2009) 

Nursing Care Robots Get Governmental Support 

(March 30, 2009) 

The Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry will implement measures including possible legislation mandating support 

for efforts to ensure robots can be used to help provide nursing care and welfare services. The support measure 

would cover such robots as those designed to fetch items ordered for people needing nursing care, and wheel- 








chair-type robots that can help people move from one place to another. Japan has about 70% of the world's market 

share of industrial robots. Anticipating the domestic robot market will grow to about 6.2 trillion yen in 2025, the ministry 

plans to use financial incentives to encourage manufacturers to focus their technologies on nursing care fields. 

9. Nuclear Development 

Nuclear Fuel Recycling Program Delayed 

(March 03, 2009) 

Technical failures, responsible for another delay to launch the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant conceived as a major 

link in Japan's nuclear fuel recycling program, could shake the program to its foundations. Plant operator Japan 

Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) would postpone the end of testing. When in operation, the Rokkasho plant will reprocess 

spent fuel from nuclear power stations in Japan to extract plutonium, which will be burned again to generate electricity. 

The process is performed with technology designed in Japan. 

Agreeing To Strengthen Japanese-US Nuclear Cooperation 

(March 04, 2009) 

At the regular meeting of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) of Japan AEC Chairman Shunsuke Kondo reported 

on his talks with Secretary Steven Chu of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) during his visit to the United 

States. At his meeting with Secretary Chu, the chairman emphasized the importance of the United States and Japan 

to play a responsible role in promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, carrying out technological development 

via international cooperation, and reforming and continuing bilateral cooperation in the area. Chu agreed, 

saying that U.S.-Japan cooperation was destined to become even stronger – never, in any circumstance, weaker. 

Japanese French Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Shareholder Agreement 

(March 04, 2009) 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Ltd., Mitsubishi Materials Corporation (MMC) and Mitsubishi Corporation - all 

members of the Mitsubishi Group - have signed a shareholders' agreement with AREVA of France to establish a 

joint venture in the nuclear fuel fabrication business. 

Delivery Of Two Replacement Steam Generators To US 

(March 04, 2009) 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) had completed the delivery of two replacement steam generators (RSGs) 

for use in the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) of the Southern California Edison Co. (SCE) in the 

United States. The RSGs measure 7m in diameter, weighing 480t, and house some 10,000 heat-transfer tubes. 

Compared with similar components developed for domestic Japanese usage, the ones intended for SONGS are 

50% bigger in both size and weight, with about triple the number of heat-transfer tubes, making them some of the 

largest such components in the world. 

First Pluthermal Power Operation 

(March 07, 2009) 

Kyushu Electric Power Co. unveiled plans to fire up the nation's first plutonium-thermal, or pluthermal, power operation 

using mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel. The power utility serving southern Japan is looking to load MOX fuel into the 

No. 3 reactor at its Genkai nuclear power station during its regular inspection. Kyushu Electric's announcement 

came shortly after two ships carrying MOX fuel for the firm, as well as for Chubu Electric Power Co. and Shikoku 

Electric Power Co. left Cherbourg/ France. Pluthermal power generation is a key part of the government's nuclear 

fuel recycling program because it uses MOX fuel, which is produced by processing spent nuclear fuel. 

Troidal-Field Coils For ITER 

(March 11, 2009) 

Land preparations are moving into full gear at the site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor 

(ITER), located in Cadarache, France. In Japan Toshiba Corporation has been selected to be the primary manufacturer 

of huge troidal-field (TF) magnetic coils, which is a key technology and one of the major components of the 

ITER. 

Nuclear Power Plants Capacity Factor At 67% 

(March 11, 2009) 

The Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (JAIF) has released the results of its survey of the operating records of 

Japan's 53 nuclear power plants (NPPs) for the month of February 2009. The overall capacity factor stood at 67%, 

with total generated electricity reaching 21.572 billion kWh (up 11.6% year-on-year). 








Prefectural Government Considers Radioactive Waste Site 

(March 17, 2009) 

A mayor in Fukushima Prefecture is considering allowing his town to host a disposal site for highly radioactive 

waste. The central government has been accepting applications from local governments willing to host waste sites 

since 2002. In 2007, Toyocho offered to host such a project but withdrew its application in 2007 following a campaign 

against the project. The government has not so far found any local government willing to accept a site. Fukushima 

No. 2 nuclear power plant's No. 1 and No. 2 reactors operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co., fall within Narahamachi's 

jurisdiction. 

Nuclear Reactor Operation Subject To Court Decisions 

(March 18, 2009) 

The Nagoya High Court overturned a lower court's ruling which ordered an electric power company to shut down 

the country's second-largest nuclear reactor in Ishikawa Prefecture due to the reactor's lack of resistance to major 

earthquakes. The high court branch in Kanazawa in the prefecture rejected the argument of the plaintiffs residents, 

living in the vicinity of the reactor and others, that they could be exposed to radiation in the event of an accident 

triggered by a major earthquake as the reactor's quake resistance is not enough. The plaintiffs will appeal to the 

Supreme Court. 

Advanced Boiling Water Reactors For Texas 

(March 19, 2009) 

Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation had signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) 

agreement with South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Co. for the construction of two advanced boiling water reactor 

nuclear power plants in STP Units 3 and 4 in Texas. 

Change To Digital Control At Existing Nuclear Power Plant 

(March 19, 2008) 

Shikoku Electric Power Co. has launched work to convert the current analog main control boards and reactor control 

systems used at its Ikata-1 and -2 NPSs to the latest digital systems.This will be the first time that the controls 

at an existing nuclear power plant in Japan have been comprehensively modified to be digital. The conversion is 

expected to be finished by mid-July, and will cost approximately JPY20 billion. 

Mixed Uranium-Plutonium Oxide Fuel Left France For Japan 

(March 19, 2008) 

Two transport ships carrying mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel that was made in the Melox Plant operated 

by the French company AREVA, and commissioned by three Japanese electric power utilities - Chubu Electric 

Power Co., Shikoku Electric Power Co., and Kyushu Electric Power Co. - left the port of Cherbourg in France on 

March 5 for Japan. 

Member In U.S. Nuclear Plant Designer Category 

(March 19, 2008) 

Mitsubishi Nuclear Energy Systems, Inc. (MNES), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. in 

the United States, was recently qualified by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) of the United States as a member in 

the nuclear plant designer category. This is the first time that a Japanese company operating has received such a 

qualification as a business on its own merits. 

Agreement To Use MOX Fuel In Hokkaido 

(March 19, 2008) 

Governor Harumi Takahashi of Hokkaido conveyed her preliminary agreement to the program proposed by the 

Hokkaido Electric Power Co. to use mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel at its Tomari-3 NPS. 

Agreement To Start MOX Reactor Project 

(March 21, 2009) 

Matsue will let Chugoku Electric Power Co. start a plutonium-thermal power generation project involving the use of 

uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel at its nuclear plant there. The central government agreed last October to let 

Chugoku Electric carry out the MOX fuel power generation scheme at the Shimane nuclear power plant's No. 2 

reactor, an 820,000-kW boiling water reactor, in Matsue by the end of fiscal 2010. The local municipality and the 

prefectural government urged the utility to ensure the quake resistance of the plant because it sits close to an active 

fault line. 

Nuclear Plants Stagnant At 60% Efficiency 

(March 25, 2009) 

Facility utilization rates were stagnant at about 60% at the nation's nuclear plants in fiscal 2007, the Japan Atomic 

Energy Commission said in an annual white paper. Nuclear energy has failed to live up to society's expectations 








citing the suspension of the trial operation of a spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho. But utilization 

rates at Japan's atomic plants stood at only 60.7% in fiscal 2007. The paper also proposes reorganizing the structure 

of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency and strengthening its technological foundation for an early resumption of 

the Monju prototype fast-breeder nuclear reactor. 

Proposals For Nuclear Energy Policy Framework 

(March 25, 2009) 

The Advisory Committee on the Evaluation of Framework for Nuclear Energy Policy, the Atomic Energy Commission 

(AEC) of Japan, issued a draft evaluation of activities related to nuclear energy utilization. Recognizing progress 

in efforts to promote nuclear generation and the nuclear fuel cycle, based on the Framework for Nuclear Energy 

Policy, the Advisory Committee made a proposal consisting of nine items. 

Assessments On Nuclear Power Generation Effects 

(March 25, 2009) 

At a meeting of the Atomic Energy Commission of Japan the secretariat of the Commission reported on the justfinished 

10th Coordinators Meeting of the Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA). It had been decided at 

the forum meeting that countries interested in introducing nuclear power generation would conduct quantitative assessments 

(in the form of case studies) of economic effects, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in order to 

support the inclusion of nuclear generation in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) at COP15 and onward. 

Seven countries have offered to carry out the research. 

World’s First Data-Collecting Accelerator Driven System 

(March 25, 2009) 

The world's first experiment using an Accelerator Driven System (ADS) was begun at the Kyoto University Research 

Reactor Institute (KURRI), utilizing the Kyoto University Critical Assembly. The experiment was conducted 

as the final step in ADS-related technological development using the Fixed Field Alternating Gradient accelerator 

complex at KURRI. The research project was selected as an innovative project to develop nuclear-energy system 

technology by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. 

No Decision On Next IAEA Director 

(March 27, 2009) 

Both Yukiya Amano of Japan and Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa failed in an election to pick the next chief of 

the International Atomic Energy Agency, according to sources. The IAEA held a session to hold a fourth vote to 

select the successor to IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei. Voting was carried over from the previous day 

after neither of the two candidates won the required two-thirds majority. Amano led in three rounds of voting by the 

IAEA's 35-nation governing board in Vienna but could not secure a two-thirds majority. ElBaradei's third four-year 

term as IAEA chief will expire in November. 

Approval To Restart Nuclear Reactor 

(March 28, 2009) 

Hokuriku Electric Power Co. got government approval to restart a nuclear reactor in Ishikawa Prefecture two years 

after it was ordered to shut the unit for covering up safety breaches. The government ordered the closure of the 

540MW Shika No. 1 reactor in 2007 after learning the utility, with more than 2 million customers, didn't disclose a 

"critical accident" in 1999. The cover up came to light when the government's nuclear safety agency demanded that 

utilities reveal any unreported breaches to allay public concerns as Japan, already the world's third-biggest nuclear 

generator, sought to build more reactors. 

White Paper On Nuclear Energy 

(March 31, 2009) 

The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) of Japan has presented a "White Paper on Nuclear Energy 2008," to a 

Cabinet meeting. The White Paper outlines how many countries are expanding their use of nuclear power. 

Worldwide, more countries have come to agree with the idea that nuclear energy can be effective in combating climate 

change, according to the AEC. It goes on to describe Japan’s current nuclear activities, including the use of 

mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel in nuclear power plants (NPPs). The AEC also calls for the promotion of 

nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle, reinforcing basic/fundamental efforts in Japan. 

New Presidents With Power System Background 

(March 31, 2009) 

Toshiba Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. have both appointed new presidents to lead their organizations. Norio Sasaki is to 

become the new president of Toshiba. He has held various posts in the company, including general manager of the 








Nuclear Energy Systems & Services Division, and president of the Power Systems Company. Meanwhile, Takashi 

Kawamura, currently chairman of the board of both Hitachi Plant Technologies Ltd. and Hitachi Maxell Ltd. is to 

become representative executive officer, chairman, president and CEO of Hitachi. 

Positron-Imaging To Observe Substance-Movement In Living Plant 

(March 31, 2009) 

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) and Niigata University have jointly developed a plant positron-imaging 

technology that can observe the movements of various substances in living plants through the use of radioactive 

tracers. The Agency newly produced a radioactive nitrogen gas and established a method for purifying the gas 

promptly and administering it to a plant. This was the first time in the world that soybean root nodules had been 

successfully observed absorbing nitrogen in their natural condition. Based on the image data, JAEA has been able 

to find a practical use for the measurement of the nitrogen fixation ability of soybean root nodules. 

10. Physics 

High Efficient Method To Extract Light From Semiconductors 

(March 17, 2009) 

Research Institutes discovered that more than 50% of the spontaneous emission light generated 

in semiconductors with microscopic V-grooves is emitted into the air and have 

succeeded in explaining the mechanism. Semiconductor light-emitting materials are formed 

on substrates with microscopic V-grooves. When the light produced in the semiconductor 

material is totally reflected at the semiconductor-air interface, evanescent waves are 

generated. Due to the V-shaped surface structure of the material, evanescent waves 

originated from different crystal surfaces interfere with each other, and are transformed into light propagating in air 

with an efficiency of greater than 50%. 

Silicon’s Giant Magnetoresistive Effect In High Electric Field 

(March 18, 2009) 

Kyoto University has discovered that silicon exhibits significant changes in its electrical resistance in a high electric 

field. The phenomenon is called a 'giant magnetoresistive effect' and has contributed to radical improvements in the 

performance of PC hard disks and magnetic sensors. The discoverer of the effect won the Nobel Prize in Physics 

for 2007. As a semiconductor material, silicon has been studied intensively for more than 50 years, but its magnetoresistive 

effect had not been known. This may help the development of magnetic memory devices made of silicon, 

an inexpensive material. 

Secondary Beam Line In Hadron Experimental Hall Completed 

(March 31, 2009) 

The Nuclear and Particle Physics Facility (Hadron Experimental Hall) inside the Japan Proton Accelerator Research 

Complex (J-PARC) at Tokai Village recently completed work on constructing the secondary particle beam 

line "K1-8BR," using it to successfully produce and transport secondary particle beams. The facility is co-owned by 

JAEA and the High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and will use proton beams of great intensity 

to produce secondary particle beams containing large amounts of K mesons, π mesons, antiprotons and muons for 

use in research in such fields as subatomic physics and nuclear physics. 

11. Intellectual Property Rights / Technology Transfer / Alliances 

DRAM Technology And Patents For New Governmental Taiwan Firm 

(March 09, 2009) 

Taiwan will set up a company to attract overseas technology, including from Japan, for the manufacture of dynamic 

random access memory chips in a bid to rescue the island's DRAM industry. The Ministry of Economic Affairs' plan 

to establish the ''Taiwan Memory Co.'' The company's primary goal will be to solicit overseas DRAM technology 

and patents -- especially from Elpida Memory Inc., Japan's biggest chipmaker, and U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology 

Inc. -- in exchange for aid or financing from Taipei. With overseas patents and technology from Elpida and 

Micron in its possession, the company would be positioned to share those assets with local chipmakers. 








German-Japanese Joint Development Of Emergency Auto Call System 

(March 18, 2009) 

A prominent Volkswagen shareholder will meet the president of Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan to propose the joint 

development of an emergency auto call system. Christian Wulff, who holds a 20% stake in the German carmaker, 

will meet President Katsuaki Watanabe to suggest cooperating on the call device, which the European Union will 

eventually require to be installed in new vehicles. In the event of a serious accident, the device would automatically 

report the location to emergency responders via GPS. 

12. General Interest 

Early Retirement At Companies Increase 

(March 10, 2009) 

A total of 81 listed companies have either announced voluntary early retirement plans or have started soliciting interest 

in such programs since the start of the year, already exceeding the 68 firms that did so in all of 2008. According 

to data by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd., 70 of these businesses have disclosed the exact numbers of employees 

they have asked to retire early -- a total of 6,665. Seeing this trend growing further among major manufacturers, 

Tokyo Shoko Research expects a record number of employers to offer early retirement packages this year. 

Science Students Change Future Employment Perspective 

(March 12, 2009) 

Sony Corp. replaced Toyota Motor Corp. for the first time in six years as the most popular company among science 

and engineering university students in Japan in a recent annual survey by Mainichi Communications Inc. Toyota 

fell to seventh place in the latest survey of science students who are looking for companies to employ them upon 

their graduation in the spring of 2010. Other automakers also saw their popularity dwindle, including Honda Motor 

Co. that dropped from 10th place last year to 11th and Nissan Motor Co. from 39th to 57th. 

Skeleton From Lately Stranded Whale For Museum 

Museum staff and students excavate the skeleton of a sperm whale that became stranded 

on a beach in Minami-Satsuma four years ago. The 16-meter, 48-ton male whale died 

shortly after the crew of a fishing boat found it here in July 2005. It was buried where it lay. 

The excavators unearthed more than 100 bones, including a 4-meter jawbone that required 

several people to carry away. The whale’s entire skeleton will be preserved by the National 

Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, and shown at a marine life exhibition in summer 

2010. 

(March 13, 2009) 

Only Third Find Of Life-Size Dinosaur Skeleton 

(March 20, 2009) 

Researchers have unearthed enough fossil fragments from a previously unknown carnivorous dinosaur to create 

only the third life-size skeleton of a prehistoric animal in Japan. The dinosaur is likely a new member of the genus 

known as Dromaeosaurus. The fragments were found at Katsuyama in 120-million-year-old rock from the Cretaceous 

period. The team unearthed 160 fragments--including leg and head bones--comprising roughly 60% of the 

animal's skeletal structure, estimated to be about 1.7 meters long from head to tail. The unusually large size of the 

discovery will enable the researchers to create a full-scale model. 

Record Decline Of Women Because Of Emigration 

(March 23, 2009) 

The number of females in Japan fell for the first time on record as of October last year. The female population was 

estimated to be 65.44 million as of Oct. 1, down 20,000 from a year earlier to mark the first decrease since 1950, 

when comparable data were first recorded. More Japanese women are going abroad for extended periods, and this 

is thought to be one of the reasons. Japan's estimated total population was 127.69 million on Oct. 1, 2008, down 

79,000 from a year before and logging the first decrease in three years. There were 7,000 more female births than 

female deaths during the period. But the number of Japanese women going abroad surpassed the number of 

women entering Japan by 27,000, accounting for the shortfall of 20,000. 








Chewing Gum Scented Shirts For Men 

(March 24, 2009) 

Riding high on the success of a chewing gum marketed to men, Kracie Holdings Ltd. is giving guys new ways of 

flaunting the snack's distinctive rose scent. A scalp tonic has already hit stores, to be followed by polo shirts that 

give off the smell of "Otoko Kaoru" gum. Kracie's target market is the growing number men aged 30-50 who are 

concerned about how they smell. The shirts will be available for a month starting in mid-May at supermarkets and 

other retailers. 

O-Hanami: Sakura-Viewing A Centuries Old Tradition 

Cherry blossoms have begun blooming all over Japan, and once again, people are rustling 

up their coolers and buying bottles of sake, getting ready for "hanami" cherry blossomviewing 

parties. Though some may see hanami as just another excuse to drink, the ritual is 

steeped in old-time tradition, beginning in the Edo period (1603-1868). The capital city of 

Edo, now known as Tokyo, flourished as a commercial and cultural hub. To provide jobs for 

rural people flooding into the city shogun Tokugawa decided to plant cherry trees as a public 

works project. 

(March 31, 2009) 

Record Fall Of 21.7% Over Time Work 

(March 31, 2009) 

The average amount of overtime worked in Japan in February fell a record 21.7% year on year to 8.8 hours, the 

Labor Ministry reported. The figure covers companies with five employees or more in all industries. A major contributor 

to the fall was the 47.7% plunge in overtime work at manufacturers, where employees put in an extra 8.9 

hours on average. Significant production cuts sent the industry's figure to a new record low for the third straight 

month since comparable data became available in 1991. 

Upcoming Science and Technology Related Events in Japan 

> Swiss Innovation Booth @ Innovation Japan 2009 [Innovation, Hightech], September 16-18, 2009 

Organized by the Swiss Science & Technology Office 

If you wish to participate, please contact felix.moesner@eda.admin.ch 

> Swiss Biotech Pavilion @ BioJapan 2009 [Biotechnology], October 7-9, 2009 

Organized by Swiss Biotech Association and OSEC, www.osec.ch 

www.osec.ch/internet/osec/en/home/export/trade_fairs_events/trade_fairs_abroad/bio_japan_2009.html 

>> More events on the Japan Science and Technology Office homepage: 

www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/reps/asia/vjpn/ref_livfor/livjpn/scteve.html 

Disclaimer 

The information in this newsletter is an opinion excerpt of news material from Japan and gathered to the best knowledge of the 

writer. The newsletter tries to provide information without any news preferences, and takes no claims, promises or guarantees 

about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information. No legal liability or responsibility can be taken. The information 

is provided for informational purposes only. No part of the newsletter may be used for any commercial or public use. Open 

disclosure of this newsletter is not permitted.

Science & Technology News from Japan - International Relations

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