Japanese rocket launches manga drawings and weather satellite into orbit
The manga-decorated Himawari 9 satellite is the second of two third-generation weather satellites sent into orbit by JAXA.
Toyota plans to build 100 fuel-cell buses in time for the 2020 Olympics
The Toyota FC Bus hydrogen fuel-cell bus will go on sale in Japan next year. Toyota hopes to have 100 buses on the road in time for the 2020 Olympics.
Want a smaller version of the LG V20? It's called the LG V34 Isai Beat
LG released a new version of the V20 in Japan, called the V34 Isai Beat. But what makes the device special? It's waterproof.
Sharp's Aquos Xx3 Mini may give the Xperia X Compact a run for its money
Known more for making televisions than smartphones, Japanese company Sharp has unveiled the Aquos Xx3 Mini.
A Japanese firm has started selling a tiny one-person smoking room for the office
Heavy smoker? Fed up with having to leave the office every time you want a ciggie? In that case, you might want to get yourself this one-person smoking room launched recently by a company in Japan.
MegaBots team scraps Kickstarter-backed Mk.II robot, now building Mk.III
Head on over to Kickstarter, where you can help American MegaBots and their robot in the quest to defeat Japan's Kuratas robot in their upcoming duel.
Cocorobo: Japan’s emotionally needy answer to the Roomba now plays J-pop
f there was one thing missing from the Roomba, it was emotional interaction. Thankfully, developers at Sharp have amended that issue with the Cocorobo.
Toyota is going to sell a very small ‘buddy robot’ for $400
Remember Kirobo? The robot spent 18 months on the International Space Station in 2013 as part of an experiment to help improve robot-human interactions. Now a smaller version has been produced for buddy-seeking humans, and it's going on sale for $400.
Game over: Tokyo man put in handcuffs for selling jailbroken iPhones
Tokyo resident Daisuke Ikeda was arrested on suspicions of trademark violation after he was alleged to have sold jailbroken iPhones.
Apple's troubles in Japan continue as antitrust watchdog may spring into action
Japan's Fair Trade Commission looks to make some noise by taking action against Apple and three of the country's top carriers.
Japanese kitchen manufacturer unveils minimalist units for the city dweller
Sanway's Japanese-manufactured kitchen unit collection offers a combination of flexibility and style, designed for those with small living spaces.
Reports: Apple hit with $118 million fine for underreporting income in Japan
Apple is finding more trouble when it comes to taxes -- the company has been slapped with a $118 million fine for underreporting its income in Japan.
First Japanese Evo tournament will take place early in 2018
Look out Japan, the Evo world championships are coming to you, but not for a while. The first ever Japanese Evo tournament will take place in 2018.
Humanoid robots are helping travelers at a Tokyo airport
Visit Tokyo's Haneda international airport anytime soon and you might run into one of its humanoid robots. Built by Hitachi, the EMIEW machines are trundling about the terminal buildings guiding and assisting travelers as part of a two-month trial run.
Cat fans, here’s a version of Street View just for you
"Cat Street View" is exactly what it sounds like – a kitty-centric version of Google's popular Street View tool that lets you explore a couple of towns in Japan from the perspective of a cat.
Using public transportation? Just whip out your iPhone if you're in Japan
According to a new report from Bloomberg, a "future iPhone" will let Japanese commuters pay for their subway rides with the iPhone.
Japan has just reported its first ‘Pokémon Go’-related death
Earlier this month Japanese cops said they'd handed out more than 700 tickets for traffic violations involving people playing Pokémon Go while operating a vehicle. On Wednesday it revealed its first death related to the game, caused by a distracted driver.
Japan’s prime minister became ‘Super Mario’ at the Olympic closing ceremony
It's not every day you see a world leader dressed up as a famous video game character, but that's exactly what happened during the Rio Olympics' closing ceremony on Sunday night.
Japan’s Horinouchi House makes 600 square feet seem like a bona fide mansion
Located in west Tokyo, Japan's Horinouchi House sits on just 600 square feet of land but was constructed to make the home feel much bigger than it is.
Samara is Airbnb's new project to take on the challenge of urban planning
Airbnb is taking on a new challenge by starting a brand new division called Samara. It's first project is to reinvigorate a small Japanese town.
Japanese cops are handing out hundreds of traffic tickets to ‘Pokémon Go’ players
Cops in Japan have revealed that in just a couple of weeks they've so far ticketed more than 700 individuals for playing Pokémon Go while operating a vehicle, motorcycle, or bicycle.
False smartphone alert of major quake leaves millions in Japan sweating
Millions of smartphones across Tokyo started beeping in unison on Monday after a quake-alert app warned them that a huge tremor was about to strike. It was, however, sent in error, sparking unnecessary panic among those expecting the worst.
Forget foldable: Japanese researchers develop a display you can cut to pieces
Flexible displays are set to play a big part in future devices, but displays you can cut could be even more important.
The Sharp Basio 2 is a peculiar beast that packs physical call and message buttons
The Sharp Basio 2 is one of the stranger-looking Android phones out there, with the handset featuring physical call and message buttons.
‘Pokémon Go’ officially launches in Japan following delay
Pokémon Go has launched in Japan, following a delay reportedly caused by the leak of an email between developer Niantic and launch partner McDonald's.
‘Pokémon Go’ takes aim at Japan, with some help from a Big Mac
Android N lets users know where their apps really came from, the U.S. Army may outfit every soldier with a small drone, Pokemon Go heads to Japan.
After four years, Lenovo finally unveils its first Windows 10 Mobile phone
Lenovo took the wraps off the SoftBank 503LV, the company's first Windows 10 Mobile phone made in partnership with Japanese tech conglomerate SoftBank.
The Sharp 507SH is the first Android One phone for the Land of the Rising Sun
Sharp unveiled the 507SH, the first Android One phone to be released in Japan, and first to be both dust- and water-resistant.
Suzuki takes its expertise to the Moon in seeking the Google Lunar Xprize
Through the partnership, Suzuki will provide technical support to help develop Hakuto’s lunar rover to compete for the Google Lunar XPRIZE.
First Japanese VR porn festival ends prematurely, due to overcrowding
Japan's first attempt at running a virtual reality porn festival ended before it could start, as too many people showed up to enjoy its varied technology.
Bezels? What bezels? The Sharp Aquos Mini (almost) gets rid of them
Sharp unveiled the Aquos Mini, the latest phone in the company's line of nearly bezel-less handsets.
Sony’s mobile division decides to ‘defocus’ efforts in the US and India
During its investor day, Sony Mobile reportedly announced it will shift its focus away from the U.S. and certain other markets.
With masses of hazardous space junk orbiting Earth, Japan offers a solution
Right now there are countless fragments of space junk orbiting Earth that are big enough to cause serious damage to working satellites or even the ISS. Japan's space agency is close to testing an innovative solution it hopes can make space safer.
Google’s $300M undersea Internet cable between US and Japan is now live
Back in 2014, Google teamed up with five telecom and communications firms to install an undersea cable network between the US and Japan. That cable is live.
Autonomous machines may help Japan colonize Mars
the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) commissioned construction company Kajima to build autonomous, extraterrestrial construction machinery.
After many false starts, could Uber finally be making headway in Japan?
Uber may have finally found a foothold in Asia, as Japan begins to climb aboard the bandwagon.
Japanese phone manufacturer Freetel introduces 2 devices in the U.S. and Canada
Freetel, a Japanese mobile device manufacturer, is bringing its budget and midrange phones to the U.S. and Canada.
This incredible hyper-lapse showcases the beauty and bustle of Tokyo
Cinematographer Christoph Gelep shows off the beautiful intricacies of the world's most populated city with an incredible time-lapse.