Japan

We all know that green is to advance traffic lights. Less Japan, defending that green is actually blue

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A long time ago We count A fascinating story that had the traffic lights and China as protagonists. It turns out that Beijing tried to change the color of these key traffic devices because use red to “stop” It was “anti -communist”. Of colors and traffic lights also goes the following story. In Japan they have no problem with red, but with green. The blue traffic light paradox. In most of the world the traffic signal that invites us to advance is unequivocally green, but in Japan that same light It’s called blue And, in some cases, it even seems bluish in the eyes of those who visit the country. This peculiarity He has baffled to generations of foreigners, but for the Japanese it is a convention as natural as saying that the sky is blue. The explanation is not found in lamp technology or in an arbitrary decision of the road authorities, but in a Cultural and linguistic background that sinks its roots in centuries of history. The linguistic origins of “year”. In ancient Japanese, they only existed Four basic words To designate colors: red, white, black and blue. The term AO served to name a much broader spectrum of shades than we associated with blue today, including what we consider green and cyan. This linguistic heritage lasted until the Heian periodwhen the Midori word to specifically refer to vegetation and the vitality of green color. However, the force of custom kept alive The use of AO In situations where, for other languages, green nuance is evident. Thus, it is not strange that a Japanese speaks of blue apples, mountains or blue vegetables, although in the eyes of anyone they are green. The conflict. When Japan introduced traffic lights in the 1930s, the progress light was described as green, following the global convention. But in 1960, with the entry into force of the Road Traffic Lawthe term AO Shingō, the “blue signal” was officially adopted. The clash with international standards was exacerbated after Vienna Convention of 1968which set the green as the reference color. Japan did not ratify that treaty, and with it the right to continue using its own denomination was reserved. In 1973, to reconcile customary and external demands, the government decided that the lights should be of a green With a bluish enough nuance As if I could continue to be called Ao. The result was a curious balance: greenish appearance traffic lights, but culturally blue. Beyond the signals. The persistence of AO It is not limited to traffic lights. Common expressions such as aoringo to designate the green apple, Aonori for the green algae that is sprinkled on dishes such as the okonomiyaki, or Aoba for the young leaves of the trees, show how blue overlaps green in the Japanese tongue. In addition, AO acquired a symbolic value associated withor new and the immature. To say that a person is AOI means that it is still inexperienced, a metaphor equivalent to that in Spanish or English we express calling someone “green.” This crossing of meanings reveals how the language not only names colors, but also organizes cultural perceptions and associations around them. Convention turned into identity. Today, although Japanese traffic lights are in green practice, they continue being called blue by millions of people who have inherited a particular way of seeing and describing the world. What for a foreigner is a rarity or confusion, for a Japanese is a tradition that does not need justification. If you want, the tongue has been imposedwork visual perceptionand the result is an example of how cultural conventions can challenge international standards and become part of national identity. Thus, Japan’s blue traffic light recalls that the way we name things influences how we understand them, and that even a traffic light can tell a story of centuries of history, language and custom. Image | Redoxkun In Xataka | That Japan has 100,000 people over 100 years explains a problem: they are running out of drivers, literally In Xataka | If the question is why there are so many Japanese with umbrella on the street, the answer is simple: for more than the sun

There is a national symbol that Japan has been invariable for generations: a very expensive school backpack

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No one forces them to use them. There is no decree, nor regulationnor order of any other type that requires your purchase. And yet every year (especially In May or August) The families of Japan with children about to start school are subjected to the same ritual: they travel stores to choose with great care the backpack that must accompany the child during their six years of primary school. They do it paying attention to colors, shapes, fabrics … but not to the model. That is taken for granted: the backpack must be a ‘raondoseru’. ‘Rondoseru’? Exact. The word may not tell you much, but if you usually read comics or watch Japanese series and movies it is likely that the article itself is familiar. THE ‘RANDOSERU’ (A style, not a commercial brand) are the backpacks used by Japan children during their early years in school, the equivalent of our primary. Large, rigid, usually of leather, they usually always share the same design: rectangular shape, straps and a huge flap. Where do they come from? The ‘Randosseru’ connects with its origins, at the end of the 19th century. The word is a kind of adaptation of the Dutch “Ransel”, which can be translated as “backpack” or “backpack.” And it is no accident. It is said that the first to use the ‘randoseru’ were the Japanese soldiers at the end of the EDO period, who used them for their luggage. The design must like the prestigious Gakushūininstitution created to train the children of the aristocracy, because Towards 1885 He decided to incorporate a similar model as an official backpack. Other versions They say that in those years, at the end of the 1880s, the Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi He gave the prince Yoshihito (eight years old) A backpack for the school made with leather and remembered the backpacks that the soldiers loaded behind the back. Whether or not, the ‘ramoseru’ ended up triumphing and established a tradition that has managed to survive the nineteenth to the twentieth and twenty -first century, with their wars, political swings and fashions included. A symbol of distinction? Today they are a community symbol. With the passing of the decades, the ‘ramoseru’ have become so popular, have extended so much by the schools throughout Japan, which have become almost a timeless icon. They were used by parents and use them children. In fact they are usually The grandparents Those who give them to their grandchildren and families spend time, resources and attention to choose the best backpack for their offspring. Mainichi Shimbunone of the most relevant newspapers in the country, defines it as something similar to “a rite of initiation” for children who are about to start at school. “Getting a backpack ‘ramoseru’ before the first grade is an important mile In June Moe Yamamoto. Maybe it sounds exaggerated, but families often choose backpack with a surprising anticipation, a year before the child is going to step on the classrooms (they get to work in May in the face of the course that will start in April) and pay attention to all the details. In the department stores Isetan It is even celebrated A special event with hundreds of models to choose designs, colors or materials. How common are they? In 2024 the reporter of The New York Times In Tokyo Motoko Rich He dedicated them A report It starts with an interesting experiment. Rich recounts the first day of the school year at a Koto school, in Tokyo, and then looks at how many of the elementary children carry the famous backpacks. His conclusion is resounding: “almost all.” “It is not a rule imposed by anyone, but a rule that we all comply with together,” confirms Shoko FukushimaDeputy Educational Administration professor at the Chiba Institute of Technology. But … what are the ‘Randoseru’? Although tradition has remained over the last decades, backpacks have not been alien to fashions. Before The usual It was that the boys carry black backpacks and the red girls, but that has changed. And we know it for sure because there is an association of ‘randoseru’ that Monitoring trends: Colors (L Lavender and Rosa triumph among the girls, more than red), sizes, materials or even dates and places of purchase. Unlike what happened a few decades ago, today the offer is wide and includes models of different shades and with cartoon characters, embroidery or linings of various fabrics. The objective: that each one has their ideal ‘raondoseru’. Comfortable and cheap? There are reasons to doubt the first. And objective reasons to deny the second. The ‘raondoseru’ are heavy. Vacuum, the classic model Round the kilo and a halfand Motoko Rich acknowledges that when books, notebooks, cases or even tablets are added to more than four kilos. In Your report He speaks, for example, of a student of the first course that one morning left for school carrying a three kilos backpack. It may not seem much, but it supposed more or less a seventh pass of his body weight. As for prices, Rich Explain That the average leather models is around $ 380, although that is just a reference. There are much more expensive versions, which go to more than 500 or even exceed The 1,000 barrier. Of course it is not necessary to resort to such heavy or expensive bags. Mainichi remember That manufacturers have created alternatives to traditional leather wallets, such as Nylon editions that weigh between 650 and 1,200 grams (far from the 900-1,500 g of the oldest models) and can be bought for less than 70 dollars. Another alternative is to pay for backpack subscription services that in exchange for a monthly payment allow the portfolio to be changed every so often. Are they used in Spain and Europe? The undeniable thing is that the ‘ramoseru’ have aroused interest outside of Japan, something that is found to see the amount of articles that the western press has dedicated to him in recent years. One of the … Read more

Sending this 320 dollar goal from Japan to Spain costs $ 29. Sending it to the US costs 2,000, and it is not a typographic error

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For international vendors, Sending certain products to the United States makes no senseso to avoid these sales they are going to a singular technique: not touch the price of the product, and instead raise shipping prices to absurd amounts. It is an infallible method and a curious response to Tariff policy restrictive imposed by Donald Trump. 2,000 dollars to send a product of 320. A Japanese eBay seller called Ninjacamera.japan sells an objective for Olympus cameras that It has a price of $ 319.99. So far everything is fine. The surprise is carried by those who want to ask for that product from the US, because sending it there costs 2,000 dollars, when shipping to countries like Spain costs $ 29. In Xataka we have checked the data, and it is indeed so. Because. The reason is simple. As soon as he started his presidency, Donald Trump initiated a tariff war with everyone, but also ended the exception “of Minimis”. This exception allowed packages with value below $ 800 could enter the US without paying taxes. It is something that Companies like Temu or Shein They took the opportunity to “exploit” commercially in the North American country, but now that commercial shortcut has disappeared. Result: Send “cheap” products to the US is too expensive. The US online buyers have it raw. This exemption ceased to be active for China and Hong Kong in May 2025, and for the rest of the world the exemption was definitively eliminated at the end of August. The change especially affects US online buyers, especially those who take advantage of foreign online stores to acquire all kinds of cheap products. Sellers have an easy solution. As they point out in 404 mediaFor foreign sellers it is much easier to raise the shipping price to absurd amounts – like those 2,000 dollars for the photographic objective – than to erase their inventory products to exclude them from their sale in the United States. Goodbye to negative criticism. Not only that: impose on buyers the theoretical cost overrun to which the new tariffs would make them see how that goal of 320 dollars would cost them much more expensive and the rest of the users do not. If they do not know the situation well with the tariffs, they would probably punish the seller with online criticism of all kinds. These sellers avoid this problem to a large extent with the simple technique of raising shipping prices. Another example. As indicated In The Wall Street Journala customer bought a 77 dollar shirt from a Swedish brand and in addition to the shipping costs of $ 30, another $ 42.35 were charged for tariffs. The shirt was actually manufactured in China: while Sweden products have 15%tariffs, If they come from China that figure rises to 54%. Another bought components from Canada worth $ 640 to fix an oven and charged him no less than $ 1,192.12 for “government charges”, in addition to an intermediation commission of $ 128.17. An unsustainable situation. For American buyers the situation is really complex, and buying products of all kinds that come from abroad can end up getting extraordinarily expensive. The big messaging companies operating in the US —Fedex, DHL and UPS – indicate in WSJ that US consumers are still confused by the situation Despite its FAQand they don’t just understand the implications of tariffs. At this step the confusion will become something else. Tariffs continue to negotiate. The commercial war between the US and China remains at a delicate point. After an escalation almost comical Of the tariffs that one and the other were going to activate, both countries They signed a truce At the end of May and special conditions were also granted for semiconductors and electronic products. All these terms still do not materialize, but China has many more assets to negotiate than Europe, whose agreement with the US was A disaster for EU countries. Spain (and the rest of the world) are fought for now. This type of extraordinary uploads of shipping prices or “government taxes” surcharges only affect US buyers. That is the reason that the prices we see in all types of electronic commerce platforms have not triggered at the moment, but tariff policies and the delicate commercial balance could cause Notable prices changes that consumers pay when buying products abroad. In Xataka | China has found the formula to avoid reciprocal tariffs with the US: “dropshipping” of semiconductors

His name is Run-ri, they come from China and they are transforming the capital of Japan

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Last February they were revealed Several graphics They found two things. What Japan is living a boom of “foreigners” arrivals As it is not remembered, and that this volume of travelers has triggered a flag above others: China. Then it was known that Japanese art schools had become In “Passport” For young Chinese, and who began to give them neighborhoods with Chinese than Japanese. Now the run-ri has landed. The birth of a phenomenon. I explained it a few days ago The Financial Times. The massive arrival of the Chinese middle class to Tokyo has resulted in an unexpected and deep phenomenon. What began as individual decisions, motivated by the search for stability, personal freedom and a safer life for their children, has become a migratory wave baptized as run-riterm that combines the idea of ​​prosperity and flight with the word Japan. Unlike previous migratory waves from China, these families arrive With considerable assetsa marked obsession with education and the firm conviction that Tokyo offers a more fair, rational and balanced environment than contemporary China. The 2020 pandemic and Shanghai’s confinement in 2022 acted as Psychological inflection point: Many discovered that the State could ignore the middle class, and decided to escape towards a perceived country as stable, safe and without extreme nationalisms. Tokyo as a refuge. Japan, despite his economic stagnation From decades, it offers social peace, reliable medical services, safe streets and an open education system in a context of Birth in collapse. That has facilitated the integration of thousands of Chinese children In public schools in Tokyoalthough he has also created an environment of fierce competition academic among newcomers. The epicenter of this transformation It’s bunkyodistrict that has become an educational and residential pole of this new diaspora. However, this concentration also generates tensions. The Times told Cases of some immigrants, such as CAO, an executive who sought to move again to escape the same rivalries and community dynamics that fled in China. Economic impact and effects. Chinese capital flow has caused a remarkable rise In real estate prices From Tokyo, especially in exclusive neighborhoods such as Azabu, Aoyama or Toyosu Bay. Real estate in luxury towers are sold up to 20% to buyers with Chinese names, and the Toyota Alphard It has become a status aspirational symbol among newcomers. For some, Tokyo is investment and second residencefor others, a definitive retreat. At the same time, a network of clandestine banks facilitates capital exit From China to Japanwith backpacks full of yen changed discreetly in improvised offices. This money circuit, in which families of High Chinese officialsunderlines the magnitude and complexity of the phenomenon. The cultural dimension. Plus: Run-ri is not limited to the economic. Together with high -level businessmen and professionals, a growing number of intellectuals and dissidents It is installed in Tokyo. Libraries Like Nowhere Party or One Way Street They have become spaces of freedom where prohibited books circulate in China and critical debates with Beijing are organized. Some, like him dissident jiathey find in the Japanese capital a shelter to live without fear, although they also feel the weight of having abandoned the political struggle in their country. The convergence of Chinese wealth and intellectual capital in Tokyo is configuring A unique community that mixes economic ambitions with cultural and political drives, to the point that analysts warn that Beijing could increase its surveillance on these networks. Japan, between opportunity and suspicion. For an aged country and in demographic declinethe arrival of these immigrants could become a revulsive, providing entrepreneurial energy and new innovation networks. Some economists even speak of the birth of Japan as a “migratory superpower”capable of integrating foreign talent without formally opening its doors. Of course, not everything is optimism: nationalist parties already They have warned of the risk of a real estate bubble caused by Chinese buyers, and sectors of the Japanese population perceive as humiliating that richer citizens of the neighboring country challenge the historical status of Japan as the most prosperous nation of Asia. Uncertain future. In short, the Run-ri phenomenonalthough incipient, its magnitude grows at a dizzying pace: it is estimated that in 2025 the Chinese in Japan They will reach the million. If the nation manages to manage this flow without becoming a cultural and economic shock, Tokyo could be consolidated as the largest integration laboratory of the new Chinese elite abroad. On the contrary, if it does not, the rise of social and political tensions could tarnish what for thousands of families has become the “Bolthole of the rising sun ”: a shelter to rebuild their lives away from a Beijing that they no longer feel like a home. Image | Pexels, Shankar s. In Xataka | A phenomenon that has already happened in New York is spreading throughout Japan: neighborhoods with younger than Japanese In Xataka | The Chinese are traveling in mass to Japan and not just for tourism. Many of them arrive so as not to return

In Japan, the average trains delay is 96 seconds. It is not magic, his secret is called “Paka-Yoke”

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We are not going to discover anything if we tell you that the high Spanish speed has not lived its best summer. To get an idea, Four out of 10 Renfe trains They have suffered some type of delay. We have had breakdowns, Lost trains during the night and the final tip of the fires. But beyond summer, the truth is that the Spanish road network is giving important symptoms of fatigue. Only last June, The birds arrived with a medium delay of 19 minutes About the scheduled time. In April the figure was almost 21 minutes. According to the published report by the company, of the 9,607 trains that circulated last June, only one in three arrived in time Or they were delayed less than five minutes. We know this because Renfe herself has published it but the breakdowns have also affected the trains of Iryo and Ouigo that have to circulate on the same ways. The data point to two possible reasons. First, Spain begins to give symptoms of having an infradimensive infrastructure to host the arrival of new operators (OUIGO and IRYO) and a Growth sustained in the number of trips. Second, the data warn that not enough has been invested in maintenance and modernization of the roads. It is very likely that the situation we are living is a mixture of both reasons. But a question overwhelm: if in Spain we have problems with three trains companies … how do they work in Japan where six different companies operate? 96 seconds Move by Japan, especially for Honshu (his main island in which cities like Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka are found) is very simple if you decide on the high -speed train. The frequencies are so bulky and the delays so exceptional that the reliability in the system is absolute. The known as Japan Rail It can, also, be chaos for those who visit the country for the first time, taking into account that even Six companies operate on their lines. However, each of them has its own reserved space so they do not compete on the same roads as it happens in Spain where Renfe has to deal with Iro and Ouigo. Despite this, four of those Six companies (JR East, JR Central, JR West and JR Kyushu) are completely privatized and only two (JR Hokkaido and JR Shikoku) are state -owned. There is, however, a fundamental difference. In Spain, following European orders, the management of the roads falls exclusively on Adif (which was public and also had to be privatized) that charges some canons to companies that want to operate in their railway framework. AND The roads are shared partly between medium distance and high speed trains. In Japan, however, companies manage infrastructure and maintenance of the roads in which they operate but the network of Shinkansenthe famous bullet trains, have a completely separated infrastructure from the rest of the trains and is managed by the Railway Construction, Transportation and Technology Agency of Japan (JRTT). This physical separation allows to reduce the risks (a fault of a slower train does not impact bullet trains) and install systems specifically designed for this type of trains. That has allowed them to evolve the acquaintance concept of Paka-Yoke which can be translated as “failure proof”, referring to the fact that all human decisions are supervised by an exahustive system monitoring system, which shields the network of those possible human errors. This has allowed Japan to be a reference in world high speed. Until Spain and China surpassed the country in railway kilometers of this type of trains, the Japanese country was a leader but it still is in punctuality. In 2024, The average delay in the Tokaid line was 96 seconds. However, systems are designed for trains to enter a margin of 15 seconds at the station. Most of them stop in the first 6 seconds scheduled. Japanese punctuality is an extremely valued quality. Culture forces to ask for public forgiveness when schedules are not fulfilled, sometimes reaching surreal extremes. Like the day that a railway company had to make its face because one of its trains He left the station 20 seconds earlier than expected. Photo | Henry Perks In Xataka | Japan asked its citizens what bothers them most about tourists on the train. The responses betrayed the nation

The most expensive sushi in the world that costs the same as the trip to Japan

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Japanese cuisine is one of the most extended in recent years thanks to a delicious ambassador: sushi. With Ramen’s permissionthe these rolling of seasoned rice accompanied with the most varied fish, meats or vegetables, has led to Japanese gastronomy to all corners of the planet. From fast food chains with home cast to the most exclusive restaurants. However, to eat the most expensive sushi in the world you will have to go to the Sushi Kirimon restaurant, in Osaka, and pay 17,500 yen (which are about 101 euros) for each piece of its Omakasewhich in Japanese cuisine represents the best culinary experience of each restaurant. A delicious bite … to your wallet The Guinness record Confirm that sushi kirimon holds the title to the most expensive sushi in the worldwith its individual Kiwami OMAKASE menu, composed of 20 unique and exclusive pieces that cost the a whopping of 350,000 yen, equivalent to about 2,025 euros according to the current contribution. Each piece in this menu has been elaborated following traditional techniques and with selected ingredients from both Japan and the rest of the world. Sushi Kirimon’s proposal is mainly based on fine cutting nigiri, Sashimi and two perfectly rolled maki, all presented with detailed gold details as a sample of opulence and sophistication. According to details the restaurantthis dish is designed as “tribute to Washoku“, the Japanese traditional cuisinefusing crafts and innovation to create an experience within the reach of very few pockets. The menu includes Matsutake mushrooms from China, black truffles brought from Italy and whale meat from the North Atlantic. All ingredients are prepared through traditional methods that reflect the Respect for gastronomy Japanese more ancestral. In the elaboration, the restaurant is committed to the “fusion of ancestral techniques and a contemporary presentation”, presenting delicate pieces decorated with 24 carat gold sheets, as well as Japanese rice of the highest quality and vinegar with aging of up to 12 years. This mixture of premium ingredients and classic procedures manages to further raise the exclusivity (and price) of the proposal. The legacy of Japanese haute cuisine and a record Before Sushi Kirimon achieved the Guinness record with his Kiwami Omakase, the most expensive sushi title was Filipino chef property Angelito Araneta Jr., who presented pieces wrapped in gold of 24 carats decorated with diamonds and pearls, reaching prices of up to 1,664 euros per complete ration. The most luxurious sushi competition has pushed chefs to explore unique products such as Norwegian wild salmon, French Foie and Palawan pearls as a complement to dress their rice preparations. The global recognition received by Sushi Kirimon and his Kiwami Omakase marks a milestone in the world of haute cuisine, establishing a new standard for excellence in Japanese gastronomy. He Menu is expensivebut at least you don’t have to fish your own dinner As you should do in other Osaka restaurants. In Xataka | The most expensive restaurant in the world is in Ibiza, dinner costs a salary and shares table with 12 people Image | Unspash (Mahmoud Fawzy)

McDonald’s has a problem in Japan with the dolls of ‘One Piece’ and ‘Pokémon’ of the Happy Meal: they sell too much

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McDonald’s is running in Japan with a reception of such caliber for his Happy Meals that he is being forced to cancel promotions early. First with letters from ‘Pokémon‘And then with dolls from ‘One Piece’the traditional gifts of their children’s menus are being grass of collectors that are generating A crisis not only foodbut also of image. What happened. This last August McDonald’s He has been forced to cancel a promotion: They gave cards Pokémon with his Happy Meal, but franchise collectors were presented at restaurants to buy large amounts of menus, interested in the cards and with the intention of reselling them, as collected a company statement. Then they got rid of food, which led to a “massive food waste”, only three days after the start of the campaign, on August 11. Some solutions. To solve the problem, before the definitive cancellation of the promotion, McDonald’s established a maximum of purchases per person, but the collectors raffled the ban on tail several times. The hamburger chain also asked the country’s online sale platforms that they did not accept, or at least they will limit the Pokémon cards to carry the McDonald’s seal. None of that was enough and forced the chain to suspend the promotion in record time. One Piece, again. The phenomenon It was repeatedin a very short time, with ‘One Piece’. The popular anime series was going to be subject to the next promotion of Happy Meal, but seeing what happened with Pokémon, the chain has momentarily canceled the campaign, which would have started on August 29. McDonald’s is facing a dilemma: to make toys attractive enough to sell hamburgers, but not so much to generate problems. It is not the first time. Pokémon may seem almost isolated (after all, according to experts, We talk about the object collectable more expensive in the world. But it is not the first time that this happens to McDonalds, which has already been seen in similar situations on other occasions: the K-Pop group BTSFor example, launched a menu in 2021 in 50 different countries. In some as Indonesia there were problems of minor stocks and disturbances. In 2015, on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Singapore, McDonald’s launched some hello kitty dolls in limited edition, dressed in typical costumes of the country, which caused very long queues and existent problems. Finally, and leaving Asia, in the United States in 2022 McDonald’s announced a menu In collaboration with the urban clothing brand Cactus Plant Flea Marketwith four characters dressed in firm’s clothes. On the same day of the launch the menu was already exhausted. China is guilty (says Japan). There is another example of frustrated promotions that has a lot to do with it: in May of this year, McDonald’s canceled a Happy Meal promotion where they included dolls from the ‘Chikawa’ manga series. They disappeared in hours And the chain detected that it could be due to the posterior resale among collectors, in fact also observed that it was organized purchase networks. According to Some clients came to comment on social networksthey were Chinese resellers who used the orders via mobile to exceed the maximum of four orders per person that allowed McDonald’s. Many of the Happy Meals items later appeared, in effect, on China’s sale and collecting websites. Header | McDonald’s In Xataka | ‘Pokémon TGC Pocket’ is breaking it and rightly: Pokémon’s card game is thought to the millimeter

We sensed that Japan was very serious. The first shot at the JS Asuka with its electromagnetic cannon has confirmed it

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In July Japan advertisement Something that surprised the world: he had physically mounted his riel cannon on the JS Asuka ship. In other words, the nation was already navigating with a science fiction weapon that the United States developed in the past, but had abandoned. A clear message that they were going very seriously. A message that has now taken full form. The Japanese milestone. Japan has achieved historical advance when performing the First documented test of a naval electromagnetic cannon fired at a real ship, installing a prototype in the Experimental ship JS Asuka. The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) He has just confirmed That between June and July 2025 this essay was carried out successfully, which marks a before and after in the global race for new generation weapons. As we said at the beginning, this achievement takes on greater relevance because the United States Navy, than He led the field between 2005 and 2022, He left the project Due to its technical difficulties, while Japan He has persevered in search of a capacity that could redefine the naval war in Asia-Pacific. Technology, remains and possibilities. The so -called Railgun, capable of launching projectiles at hypersonic speeds Up to Mach 6.5 With charges of five megajulaios, it offers decisive advantages: Broad ammunition than missile in front of hypersonic missiles. However, it continues to face great technical challenges: Huge electrical consumption, complex cooling systems, the need to reconfigure the internal spaces of the ships and the extreme wear of the cannons after tens of shooting, which compromises precision and safety. The use of Asuka as a test platform reflects the need for open space on deck, something difficult to replicate in operating ships without expensive modifications. From prototype to operational weapon. Japan has invested in this field since mid -decade of 2010shooting in land facilities and designing naval and land versions mounted on trucks. The Ministry of Defense has already shown more compact turret models, designed to integrate into futures 13DDX destroyers or even in the modern ships of the Mayan class. ATLA seeks to improve The useful life of cannons, reduce energy consumption and achieve a viable shooting cadence, objectives that will determine if Railgun goes from being an experimental prototype to a real weapon in the fleet. A weapon for the era of hypersonic threats. In a strategic scenario where China develops long -range missiles and Russia experiences with hypersonic projectilesJapan contemplates the Railgun in response to the saturation of aerial defenses. His speed of shooting, his low projectile cost and his ability to attack VeloS targets make him A possible alternative To interceptor missiles, whose replacement in the sea is almost impossible. This context explains Tokyo’s insistence on maintaining the project despite technical obstacles. Competition and cooperation. Plus: Japan is not alone in this effort. China has been experimenting with Railgunswith the appearance of a prototype on an EPL Navy ship In 2018although its current state is uncertain. Türkiye too He has shown advanceswhile the United States, despite closing its program, is Taking advantage of technology of ammunition developed for land applications. In parallel, Japan has sealed Agreements with France To collaborate in the development of this technology and maintain contacts with the US Navy, opening the door to future cooperation. Strategic reading If the Japanese Railgun exceeds its engineering injuries, it will emerge as the first operational case that converts a technological promise fleetrebalancing the cost-interceptor equation against saturations and rapid threats. The United States could be reached with less friction thanks to its inheritance and a possible cooperation with Tokyo. China would do the same if you see a clear advantage in area denial, and it is possible that Türkiye would capitalize on land and point defense applications. In terms of tendency, everything points to a coexistence: missiles for the long value, railguns for fire volume and shooting cost, and energy weapons directed for terminal/short range, each covering its niche in a multicapa defense architecture. Continuity of military ingenuity. In short, Railgun symbolizes both the attractiveness and difficulties of military innovation. As at other times in history, when gunpowder or guided missiles promised to transform war, the question is not only if technology works, but if can adapt to logistics, costs and strategy of each country. One thing is clear: Japan, with Your demonstration On board Asuka, it is placed at the forefront of a race that is not over, and that could define how naval wars are fought in the second half of the 21st century. Image | Maritime Self -Defense Force of JapanAtla In Xataka | The JS Asuka is already navigating with an electromagnetic cannon on deck. And that can only mean one thing: Japan is serious In Xataka | China is building an electromagnetic canyon of space airplanes, a project that NASA abandoned due to lack of funds

There is a renewable energy source that works 24 hours a day, and Japan has opted for it: osmotics

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Omnipresent wind and solar energies have the same problem: intermittency. The wind does not always blow and the sun does not always shine. This dependence on weather conditions It forces us to look for storage solutions OA depend on a 24/7 available source to have a constant supply. But what if that other source was also renewable energy? Japan bets on osmotics. In August, the Japanese city of Fukuoka launched the First osmotic energy center in the country. It is just the second installation of this type in the world and represents more than a pilot test for a technology that promises to revolutionize the energy mix. “I hope it extends not only in Japan, but throughout the world,” said Akihiko Tanioka, an expert in the field of the Tokyo Science Institute. The plant will generate about 880,000 kilowatts-Hora a year to feed part of the desalination plant that supplies fresh water to the city. Although it may seem like a modest figure, equivalent to the consumption of about 220 Japanese homes, its true value is that it works continuously. It is not affected by the weather or time of day, and does not emit carbon dioxide. The power to mix fresh and salted water. Osmotics is a new generation renewable energy based on A natural phenomenon that we all study at the institute: osmosis. When two solutions with different salt concentration are separated by a semipermeable membrane (which lets the water pass, but not the salt), the water of the less concentrated solution flows naturally towards the most concentrated to try to balance the mixture. Fukuoka’s plant places fresh water (treated wastewater) on one side of the membrane, and salt water (sea water) to the other. Fresh water crosses the membrane to the salt water side, increasing volume and pressure on that side. The conression is used to move a turbine that, connected to a generator, produces electricity. Therefore, this renewable source is also known as saline gradient energy or “blue energy”. From the initial promises to the first problems. This technology is not exactly new. Already in 2017, in Xataka we echoed its enormous potential: The studies suggested that it could generate up to 40% of the world energy demand if it would be used in the mouths of all rivers. The challenge was the efficiency of the membranes and the cost of the facilities. The first systems, such as delayed pressure osmosis, suffered bioincructing problems: bacteria blocked membranes, drastically reducing their effectiveness. Other systems, such as “inverse electrodialysis”, were more durable but generated very little energy. The Fukuoka plant, like the first in the world inaugurated in Denmark in 2023 by the Saltpower company, demonstrates that progress in membrane technology is allowing to overcome these obstacles. Nanotechnological membranes. In France, the company Sweetch Energy has developed Much more efficient nanometric size membranes, capable of generating between 20 and 30 watts per square meter. In comparison, the most advanced systems to date generate 12.6 watts. The company seeks to install its first real -scale generator, Osmorhône 1, at the mouth of the Rhone River. The potential of this unique river would reach 500 MW, equivalent to mid -nuclear reactor capable of supplying two million people. And it would be just the beginning. All deltas and estuaries in the world release 30,000 energy from each year, a figure similar to world demand of electricity. Salina bachata in Fukuoka. In addition to the friction of the membranes, the osmotics also loses energy in water pumping. But, as he explains The Guardianthe new Fukuoka plant uses the concentrated brine that remains of the desalination process to increase the salinity difference and, thus, the energy potential available. The inauguration of the Japanese plant and the advances of companies such as Sweetch Energy mark a turning point for the osmotics. They are the first steps to stop being a laboratory promise and become an industrial reality. In a clean, permanent energy, which does not depend on the climate and that can be integrated into existing infrastructures such as ports, desalination makers or locks. Japan has made its bet: the mixture of fresh and salted water will be part of its energy mix. Image | Umi-No-Nakamich Desalination Plant (Obayashi) In Xataka | Japan has just made a monumental bet for Perovskita’s solar panels: they are his best chance against China

After the demonstration of China’s force, the US moves a card sending its new missile platform to Japan

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China is celebrating. The country commemorates the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of the Second World War. Within that framework, on September 3, Beijing converted the Tiananmen Square In the center of a demonstration from outside as few have seen to date. More than 10,000 military personnel participated in a parade that lasted about 70 minutes and that the authorities themselves announced as something unpublished for a reason: they were going to present armament that the world had not seen until now. At least in his possession. On the margin of ballistic missiles, the vision of Chinese defense passes through drones, directed energy weapons, New generation combat fighters, Purtive aircraft and A great maritime power which served as a message to the world about the military self -sufficiency from the country and how They can change order in the Pacific. And so without taking into account what we have not seen. Being an extremely sensitive area, especially for Recent encounters with Japan And above all, TaiwanIt is something to take seriously. The United States response has not taken long to arrive: They have confirmed that they will deploy their avant -garde Typhon missile system on Japanese soil within exercises Resolute Dragon. And it is something that China has liked anything, but neither does Russia. Resolute Dragon and the Typhon missiles in Japan Allied forces perform joint exercises. In them they focus on the coordination for the defense of areas in the event of an open war, and those that the United States and Japan do jointly are called Dragon Resolute. The 2025 exercises will be held from September 11 to 25 and will focus on the defense of remote islands of the Japanese archipelago. Thus, the terrestrial self -defense forces of Japan and the United States marines will test their response capacity to an attack, and The great contribution of the United States for the year Resolute Dragon This year is the Typhon missile platform. Also called MID-RANGE CAPABILITY, or MRC, it is a mobile shuttle in standard containers, but that is able to shoot so much Tomahawk missiles like the SM-6. The Tomahawk are subsonic missiles with a flush flight profile capable of conducting precision attacks against terrestrial or naval objectives in a range of between 1,500 to 2,400 kilometers. SM-6 are less striking, since they have a range of 240 kilometers and are more focused on aerial defense, anti-man-and defense against ballistic missiles. The Typhon system can be deployed in heavy vehicles and can be transported by land, sea and air, and although it is not planned that any missile will be launched, its presence alone It has been taken as an attack by China. As we read in Reutersit was a spokesman for the Japanese forces who confirmed that the US will deploy Typhon during the exercises, and the response has arrived by Guo Xiaobing, director of the Center for Weapons Control Studies of China. In a releasesays that, although Japan and the US affirm that the deployment is temporary and will be removed after exercise, you must not trust. The reason? The same said when Typhon deployed In similar exercises in the Philippines during the past year and, according to China, the system has remained there since then. “These movements not only increase the surveillance of neighboring countries, but also represent hidden dangers for Japan’s own security – Guo Xiaobing The manager considers that it is a movement that “directly undermines the legitimate security interests of other countries and raises a real threat to regional strategic stability.” In addition, he affirms that, if a war against the United States explodes, it is likely that “The system becomes a tool that drags Japan towards turbulent waters”and he has not lost the opportunity to remember that “this year 80 years of the end of World War II, something that should cause a deep reflection and a good neighborhood policy, but Tokyo seems anxious to break the armament policy exclusively oriented to the defense.” This, by the way, is not new, since in 2023 we count how JApon broke with seven decades of demilitarization by considerably increasing your military budget. That China has not fun this announcement is a fact, but as we read in Business InsiderRussia does not see it with good eyes either. Maria Zakharova, spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the maneuver as “another destabilizing step within Washington’s strategy to increase the potential of short and medium -sized land missile missiles”, adding that Typhon’s presence in Japan “It represents a threat direct strategy for Russia”. Until now, as we say, Typhon had only been deployed in logistics maneuvers in the Philippines in April last year, as well as in Australia in July of this 2025. The particularity of the deployment in Australia is that Yes, a shot was done Real of an SM-6 against a maritime objective, demonstrating the anti-mock capacity of the system from the mainland. In Xataka | Something unprecedented in Ukraine is happening: combat drones do not need humans to coordinate and attack

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