News

Toyota Motor Corporation has postponed the construction of a lithium-ion battery factory in Fukuoka Prefecture due to sluggish demand for electric vehicles in the global market. The company is also considering pushing back the release date of its first next-generation EV model to ensure the quality of new technologies involved.

Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander successfully touched down on the Moon on Thursday, but its exact orientation remains unclear due to issues with its laser navigation system. Despite the uncertainty, the lander is communicating with controllers and generating solar power, and mission managers are working to assess the situation and determine whether its scientific instruments can be deployed.

A sociable ocean sunfish at Kaikyokan Aquarium in Japan began exhibiting signs of distress and weight loss after the aquarium closed for renovations and visitors stopped coming. Aquarium staff, suspecting the fish was feeling isolated, set up human cutouts outside its tank, which proved effective in restoring its normal behavior and appetite.

Japanese investors sold a record amount of foreign bonds in the week through March 8, turning cautious due to concerns about the Eurozone debt market. Meanwhile, they took advantage of a stronger yen to boost their position in foreign shares, which are available at reduced prices following a recent global selloff in equities.

Researchers were granted rare access to the Daisen kofun, a keyhole-shaped imperial burial mound dating back to the fifth century, marking the first time scholars have been allowed on the sacred site since World War II. This unprecedented opportunity allows researchers to study the mound and its secrets, potentially shedding light on the "golden age" of burial mounds in Japan.