Japan’s king of cute wants to develop a lovable A.I. you can’t live without
Messaging app Line found success as smartphones took off in Japan, and now it hopes to do the same with its ambitious and exciting plans for artificial intelligence.
Nissan follows GM with plan to test robo-taxis in early 2018
Driverless taxi services have emerged as the main focus of companies developing self-driving cars, and Nissan is the latest to unveil a plan.
Is Japan’s fabled Akihabara district still a gadget Mecca? You better believe it
Has Akihabara in Tokyo, Japan been completely overtaken by all things manga and anime, or is it still a tech-fan’s dream? We visited to find out.
Adorable robot puppy faints if your feet are really smelly
Not sure if your feet smell? Too embarrassed to ask a friend? Then this robot puppy will tell you in no uncertain terms.
Japan focusing on a curious demographic with driverless cars — senior citizens
Japan has begun experiments involving self-driving buses in rural communities to help its aging populace stay mobile and connected.
Watch the 'Uneekbot' shoe-making robot stitch sandals on demand
Keen Footwear brings its Uneekbot robot to Tokyo to create custom versions of its Uneek shoes in a fraction of the typical time.
Pepper the robot to work as a Buddhist priest for cut-price funerals
Pepper has taken on a few jobs in its short life, but working as a Buddhist priest at funerals in Japan is surely its most unusual role yet.
Before robot soccer players can beat humans, they’ll need to stop toppling over
Judging by some of the footage from the recent RoboCup contest, the organizer's ambition to build a top team by 2050 looks somewhat hopeful.
Japan's RoboCup 2017 sees soccer robots compete to beat humans in 2050
With the goal of developing humanoid robots to someday compete against actual humans, RoboCup 2017 in Japan has a long road ahead.
Woman uses foot massage machine on her shoulders with tragic consequences
A foot massage machine reportedly strangled a woman to death in Japan last week when she tried to use it on her neck and shoulders.
Japan wants to staff its train stations with friendly robots
Japan is looking to develop teams of robots to staff busy train stations and help travelers find their way.
Japan reveals its plans to send a manned mission to the moon
According to a new report from CNN, Japan is looking to put a man on the moon by 2030, perhaps putting the nation in competition with China
Sony will press its own vinyl records for the first time since 1989
After nearly three decades of licensing out record-pressing duty, Sony will begin pressing its own vinyl records.
Japanese Super Famicom Mini trades 'Castlevania' for 'Fire Emblem' and others
Te SNES Classic plug-and-play retro mini console will come loaded with 21 classic titles, covering a lot of the platform's essentials.
You wouldn’t want to meet these robot sumo wrestlers in a dark alley
You wouldn't want to get in the way of a robot sumo wrestler. Check out this compilation video showing some of their most ferocious moves.
Self-navigating cargo ships are coming to an ocean near you
More companies are becoming interested in building self-navigating cargo ships, with several Japanese shipping firms now working on a design.
Watch two high-tech pizza delivery scooters battle it out on the racetrack
F1's Lewis Hamilton has nothing on these pizza delivery riders. Just look how they take the bends in their leaning Honda Gyro scooters.
Here are 15 weird Japanese toys that should’ve never existed in the first place
Japan is no stranger to bizarre products. Check out our list of the weirdest Japanese toys for a quick look at what you mind find.
These ridiculous robots can match Japan’s best volleyball players
Japan has turned to a team of robotic players to help its best volleyball players improve elements of their game.
Would you spend a night in a hotel room ‘pod’ floating in the ocean?
If you like the idea of unusual hotel stays, then how about a pod-like room that sails a four-mile course in the night?
Report: Nikon in early development stages for new mirrorless system cameras
It appears that Nikon is set to join Canon with its own serious mirrorless camera following poor financial numbers.
Nintendo is going after Tokyo’s Mario-inspired go-kart tourist attraction
Nintendo's not happy with Tokyo's Mario-inspired go-kart tourist attraction and has launched a lawsuit accusing it of copyright violations.
2016’s funky Windows 10 Mobile phone has evolved into 2017’s funky $440 Android phone
Japanese manufacturer NuAns announced the Neo Reloaded, a slightly improved version of 2016's Neo that eschews Windows 10 Mobile for Android.
Watch this amazing dog-drone help to promote a small town in Japan
A town in Japan has attached a set of propellers to its mascot dog for a marketing video promoting local sights.
Mobile Pokémon game all about Magikarp is coming in the spring
A new mobile game based on everyone's favorite underpowered Pokémon, Magikarp, is set to debut in Japan in the Spring.
Go like a pro: A day in the life of BMX bad-boy Nigel Sylvester
Professional BMX rider Nigel Sylvester’s “Go! 3” continues the tradition of providing a little something for everyone.
Medals for Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics will be made of recycled smartphones
All the gold medals presented to athletes at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 will be made entirely with metal recovered from old tech gadgets.
Google secures appeal victories in Japanese ‘right to be forgotten’ cases
Google won a number of ‘right to be forgotten’ cases this week in Japan preventing businesses and individuals from censoring damaging details.
Japan’s high-tech space junk collector isn’t doing what it’s told
Japan is trying out some new technology in space to help clear up dangerous space junk orbiting Earth. Trouble is, it's not working properly.
Legendary game designer Hideo Kojima gives peek at extravagant Tokyo studio
Veteran game designer Hideo Kojima gave a rare public glimpse at his new Kojima Productions office in Tokyo this week.
Out of battery and on the go? Charge up at Japan's mobile charging stations
Japan is debuting something decidedly within the realm of reason -- USB charging stations within public transportation.
Japan’s bid to launch world’s smallest satellite-carrying rocket ends in failure
Japan's unique "mini rocket" is built with parts from gadgets like mobile phones and is touted as the world's smallest satellite launch vehicle. It could slash the cost of sending small satellites into space, though clearly there's still work to do.
Panasonic’s autonomous robot may have your job someday
Panasonic's testing HOSPI(R), an "autonomous delivery robot" designed to help us clueless humans.
A potty break for your iPhone 7? Toilet paper for smartphones is now a thing
Several surveys have suggested that our smartphones often hold more bacteria than a typical toilet seat. This uncomfortable reality has prompted a Tokyo airport to start offering travelers toilet paper designed specially for your handset.
Japan’s Kounotori has docked at ISS, and the junk collector will soon be deployed
Japan sent a cargo ship to the International Space Station that has a "space junk" collector made in conjunction with a fishnet company, and it just docked.
Ferrari transformed its 488 Spider into this stunning special edition
The Ferrari J50 is a special edition built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ferrari in Japan. It's based on the 488 Spider.
Domino's Japan testing reindeer for pizza delivery.
Snowy weather conditions make pizza delivery in Japan difficult, and Domino's reindeer may solve that problem.
The fastest supercomputer in the world may soon come out of Japan
Japan is looking to cement its position at the forefront of digital innovation by building a new supercomputer that aims to be the fastest in the world.