The Frontiers of Science
Reporting from the Frontlines of Scientific Research
Japan’s cutting-edge technology is the result of healthy competition and cooperation between researchers in the government, industrial, and academic sectors. We visit some of the country’s leading research laboratories to bring you a first glimpse of Japan’s latest technological innovations.
- Hokkaidō’s Space-Age Strawberry Factory
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The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Hokkaidō, has developed a state-of-the-art plant factory that is the first in the world equipped to cultivate transgenic plants and convert them into drugs, all on the same premises.
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- Nursing Care Robot Lends a Helping Hand
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The research institute RIKEN has developed the world’s first nursing care robot. This cute, cutting-edge robot, named RIBA, is capable of gently lifting up and moving care recipients, adjusting its posture to suit each person’s physique. RIBA will help Japan cope with its nursing care crisis stemming from a rapidly graying population.
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- SACLA X-ray Free Electron Laser Facility
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Ground-breaking scientific work is underway at the SACLA facility at the RIKEN Harima Institute. The facility has produced an X-ray free electron laser with the world’s shortest wavelength, making it possible to observe matter at the atomic and electronic level. The practical applications of XFEL-based research are enormous.
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- Other series
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Symposium ReportsThe world faces pressing problems that call for a united response. Venues for international debate and discussion are more important than ever. This section reports on symposiums held in Japan and other countries, drawing on the expertise and insights of specialists to shed light on the issues facing the world and efforts being made to address them.
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Reflections on Japan’s Post–Cold War Foreign PolicyThe end of the Cold War 20 years ago, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, brought enormous changes in international affairs. How has Japanese diplomacy responded to these new challenges? This series of articles, authored by experts in a range of different fields, will address this question.
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Politicians to WatchJapan has been changing its prime minister annually. Will it be possible to recover international trust? Are there people capable of achieving a breakthrough? Takenaka Harukata of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, interviews politicians with promise from both the ruling and opposition parties.
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