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More than 1,000 people have applied to run as candidates for the new regional political party Saisei no Michi in the Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, with the party aiming to field up to 60 candidates across all 42 electoral districts. The party, founded by Shinji Ishimaru, a former mayor of Akitakata in Hiroshima Prefecture, will not set specific policy goals for the campaign and will limit its assembly members to two terms in office.

AIREC, an AI-driven humanoid robot, demonstrates its potential as a future caregiver for Japan's aging population, offering hope for alleviating the chronic shortage of care workers. However, challenges remain in terms of cost, safety, and the need for robots to understand individual needs and work alongside humans.

Japan Airlines has become the first airline to operate an international flight with a riblet-shaped coating on its aircraft, inspired by shark skin, to reduce air resistance and carbon emissions. This innovative technology is estimated to cut fuel consumption by 119 tons and CO2 emissions by 381 tons over a year, equivalent to the annual CO2 absorption of around 27,000 cedar trees.

Intuitive Machines' Athena lander touched down on the Moon, but encountered difficulties and may have tipped over. This marks the second successful lunar landing within a week under NASA's commercial lunar delivery program, highlighting the agency's efforts to utilize private companies for lunar exploration and scientific research.

The average price of a new condominium in Japan soared past 60 million yen ($402,000) for the first time in 2024, marking an unprecedented eighth consecutive year of record highs. This surge is primarily driven by escalating construction and labor costs, propelling property prices upwards across the nation.