Japan

In 2011 Japan promised herself not to bet on nuclear energy. Until he ran into reality

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In April 2023 the Japanese government approved a new legislation in nuclear energy that allows to extend the operation of nuclear plants beyond the current limit, which It is established in 60 years. In practice this simply means that if a nuclear plant can operate safely beyond those six decades, the regulation allows you to do so. In this new context the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant has ahead A promising future. And it has it because in December 2023 the Japanese nuclear organism, the NRA (Nuclear regulation authority), he raised the veto he imposed on this installation in March 2011, shortly after the accident of Fukushima Daiichi’s nuclear power plant. If we stick to the installed power this plant housed in the town of Niigata, northwest of Tokyo (Japan), it is The largest nuclear power plant on the planet. It is managed by the Tepco company (Tokyo Electric Power Company), which is the third largest electricity company on the planet, and incorporates seven boiling water reactors that are able to jointly deliver more than 8,200 MWE. Security is the most important thing, and after what happened in Fukushima, the NRA decided to withdraw the operation license until Tepco could implement in this installation the new security measures derived from what you learned in 2011. Japan is contemplating nuclear energy with very different eyes The Japanese government is determined to get Japan measured from you to you with the main powers of The semiconductor industry. And of course it is not an unattainable ambition. In fact, some of the companies with the greatest specific weight in the industry of lithography equipmentlike Tokyo Electron, Canon or Nikon, they are Japanese. “We are working with our clients to develop technologies that teach four generations in the future.” This Declaration of Nobuto DoiVice President of Tokyo Electron, is a declaration of intentions. Japan’s strategy does not only require reinforcing its presence in the integrated circuit industry; It also bets on tuning a large number of data centers for artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, Jensen Huang, the general director of Nvidia, has confirmed that your company will put about in Japan a network of specialized data centers in AI. In addition, Huang has anticipated that this infrastructure will deploy from the hand of Japanese companies. All this sounds very good, but it has a high cost in energy terms and the Japanese government has not overlooked it. In 2050 Japan will need to have increased its electricity generation capacity between 35 and 50% In fact, its current electrical infrastructure would be unable to serve semiconductor factories and data centers for AI that will arrive in the future. The Japanese administration has recognized that in 2050 it will need to have increased its electricity generation capacity between 35 and 50%. It is not negligible, of course. In addition, your plan also has to face the decarbonization of your energy system to which you have committed. Today Japan’s fossil fuel supply depends largely on the Middle East, which led to the approval of a law that promotes investment in decarbonization by a total of a total of some some 962,000 million dollars. The Japanese government has confirmed that its strategy to solve the energy needs that it will have within two decades requires betting on the latest photovoltaic cells that They incorporate Perovskitasby floating wind turbines that are installed in the sea, and also for nuclear energy. In fact, during the next few years many of the nuclear power plants that were deactivated after Fukushima will return to operation, and, in addition, Japan will build new nuclear power plants equipped with fourth generation reactors. The project of this closest type in time is led by the Kansa Electric Power company because plan to resume studies They precede the construction of a new nuclear reactor in its Mihama plant, housed in Fukui prefecture, west of Tokyo. If this project will be consolidated as the first nuclear reactor that is built in Japan after Fukushima disaster in 2011. Image | Tepco More information | Interesting Engineering In Xataka | Enmity with China is approaching Intel, TSMC and Samsung to an increasingly valuable partner: Japan

In Japan, a young man has devised the best way to leave at his time and not make extra hours: found his own religion

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Work overload is one of Japan’s most serious problems, taking employees to collapse due to exhaustion. Despite the numerous measures that have been launched To protect workers, thousands of people are pressed to extend your workday Without compensation. In many cases, these eternal days generate physical and mental consequences They can be fatal. A Japanese young man has found an unexpected and legally protected form of getting rid of the so feared extra hours: founding his own religion. One that prohibits working beyond their working hours. The only commandment of Hista: You will go out at your time. In 2018, Motohiro Histano, tired of the workload and culture that surrounded him, decided to found a new religion he called Motohiro to Peoplealso known as MTOP. This was not going to be a religion like any other: it does not promise eternal life or demand penance for its faithful. Only offers a clear commandment: to refuse to work hours, arguing “religious reasons” not to do so, Point out on the webof the cult. He said In several statementshis main objective was to offer a valid (and legally respected) excuse to get out of work at his time. “The ‘religious reasons’ are the most powerful reasons in the world of reasons. I do not do miracles or have super powers. I only grant the power of the ‘religious reasons’ to those who follow me,” said Hista in Your message Foundational THE SACRED BOOK OF HISAN. If Judaism has the Torah, Islam the Qur’ Japan Labor Standards Law. The Japanese labor legislation provides strong protection against discrimination For reasons of sex, race or religion to its workers, so it is expressly forbidden to impose rules or retaliate against them for these reasons. That diligence in the protection of religious feelings was the one that gave the idea to Hista to found his church. If a religion dictates that “Nége to work overtime overtime, because it is bad to spend your time on things you do not want to do”, as faithful, the employee must follow those precepts. So the company will have no choice but to accept it, or assume a demand for religious discrimination. Pray to x. To make this religion the only thing that is needed is to follow An X account and join the followers of “Free Lance God“(The God free of responsibilities). As reads in his bio, religion has as many faithful as followers marks the accountant. At the moment, 17,100 faithful to the God that allows you to leave work at your time. Hista’s religion is laughing, reality does not. As with others Parodic religions like that of pastefarism, or the insumiso pussy, Motohiro to People adopts humor as a tool for denounce work injustices present in the daily life of Japanese society in the form of satire and social criticism. The work overload and eternal working hours have plunged Japan into a Demographic winter with Birth for soils and an aged labor market. Authorities and companies are promoting labor conciliation measures oriented not only to improve birth rate allowing families to compatible working life With the care of childrenin addition to Improve productivity promoting him employee welfare. Hista’s religion is a complaint to all this culture of toxic work that prevents people from having a life beyond work. In Xataka | In Japan there are parents named “Pikachu” to their children. We do not blame them, but the Japanese government yes Image | Motohiro Hieno

Japan is reconquesting at full speed the chips industry. He has just manufactured his first 2 nm transistor

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Rapidus corporation It has just officialized A very important achievement: it has successfully manufactured its first 2 nm transist. It is very unusual for a company based just three years ago already stepping on the heels to the three giants of the semiconductor production industry: TSMC, Intel and Samsung. These companies plan to start Large scale manufacturing of 2 nm chips During the second semester of 2025, and, although Rapidus is not yet ready to manufacture this type of integrated circuits, the speed with which it is reaching intimidated milestones. This last company is with Tokyo Electron and JSR Corporation the best option in Japan for recover relevance which he had in the semiconductor industry in the 80 They monopolized in 1988 Nothing less than 50% of the chips industry. However, today none of these companies is positioned among the leaders of a sector dominated with iron fist by Taiwanese, American, Chinese, South Korean and German companies. Rapidus is fulfilling its promises one by one The latest generation semiconductor production plant that this company has put up in northern Japan, in the city of Chitose (Hokkaido), started the wafer processing tests in a pilot line. The directive plan of this factory is to start large -scale production of 2 Nm semiconductors in 2027, and is perfectly credible. In fact, the milestone that has just announced invites us to anticipate that they could even manufacture these chips massively before the end of 2026, although it is only a conjecture. Rapidus is a very young company. It was founded on August 10, 2022 by the Japanese government with an initial capital of 7,346 million yen (Something less than 46 million euros) contributed by, and here comes the interesting, Sony, Toyota, Nec, Softbank, Kioxia, Denso, Nippon Telegraph and MUFG Bank. The initial capital invested in the constitution of this company is not very bulky, but there is no doubt that the companies that participate in it They have an indisputable relevance in the sectors of technology, automotive and telecommunications. The purpose of Rapidus is to tune an automated production line that will be specialized in the manufacture of 2 Nm chips for AI applications The relevance of this organization, in any case, lies in the role entrusted to him by the government currently led by Shigeru ishiba. And, as I mentioned a few lines above, this is the company with which Japan aspires to recover competitiveness in the semiconductor manufacturing industry that had three decades ago. Its economy is at stake. In fact, this Asian country began to deploy its strategy to reinforce its integrated circuit industry more than two years ago, so the first results begin to see the light. What is causing the new Rapidus factory to monopolize the looks of the semiconductor sector is that, According to Atsuyoshi Koikewhich is the president of the company, will be completely automated. Its purpose is to resort to robots and artificial intelligence (AI) to set up An automated production line which will be specialized in the manufacture of 2 Nm chips for AI applications. Its plan consists, in short, to produce integrated circuits faster, with a lower and more quality cost. To manufacture these semiconductors, equipment of extreme ultraviolet lithography (UVE) produced by the Dutch company ASML, and practically all manufacturing processes are automatic. However, the tests of test and validation, interconnection and packaging of the chips are still largely carried out manually in most manufacturing plants. According to Rapidus, its automation technology of all these processes will allow you to reduce the delivery time of your chips by 66% compared to the times they usually offer TSMC and Samsung. More information | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | Japan takes the initiative with nuclear fusion and sets an extremely ambitious date: the 2030s In Xataka | Japan has taken the carrier to dominate the chips industry. Prepare a 325,000 million dollar plan

The answer was on the other side of the Pacific, in Japan

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It is not enough to promise that a plane is less noisy. You have to prove it. That is what NASA proposed with its X-59an experimental plane that wants to change The future of supersonic flight. To achieve this, I needed data. Very precise data. And therefore, although the project is American, a key part of validation was carried out in Japan, in one of the supersonic reference facilities in Asia. The X-59 Quesst is an experimental plane created with a very specific mission: demonstrate that it can be flown at supersonic speed without that meaning a rumble on land. What NASA wants to eliminate is not speed, but noise. The classic boom Sonic, that dry burst that rumbles when an plane overcomes the sound barrier, remains one of the great obstacles for supersonic flight Return to commercial aviation. The X-59, on the other hand, promises something different: A slight THUMPbarely noticeable from the ground, thanks to a design that controls – and disintegrates – the shock waves before they are based on an acoustic explosion. But it is not enough to design a stylized and elongated form. It is not enough to simulate it on a computer or anticipate its behavior with computational models. What defines X-59 is not only its silhouette, but the sonic firm that projects When flies to Mach 1.4. That firm, that acoustic footprint should be measured with surgical precision. And that’s where Japan enters the scene. NASA did not do everything at home: key part of the validation was done in Japan Although the epicenter of the project is located in Palmdale, California, under the direction of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, part of its most delicate validation was carried out on the other side of the planet. Instead of limiting yourself to try your model in your own facilities, NASA decided to repeat the trials In a supersonic wind tunnel of the Japanese space agency (Jaxa), located in Chofu, Tokyo. There, researchers from both agencies They exposed a plane modelreduced to 1.62 % of its actual size – 50 centimeters from tip to tail – to conditions that simulated its cruise speed. The objective was clear: to verify how the air flowed around the aircraft and, above all, register with the highest possible precision level its sonic signature. Japan’s choice was not symbolic. As NASA itself detailsthis was the third round of wind tunnel tests carried out with that same model: one was made in Ohio, at the Glenn Research Center; another, in the same Jaxa tunnel years before; And the latter, also in Chofu, was raised as part of a cross validation strategy. Even if you put the model in another wind tunnel, a slightly different version of the data is obtained, that is something good, Melissa Carter explainedresponsible for the NASA Supersonic project. “By using the same model in both tunnels, we can increase the certainty of the data and our understanding of the X-59 design.” The measurement of the pressure profile – the acoustic footprint that leaves the plane when it breaks the sound barrier – does not admit errors. And the best way to reduce any margin of uncertainty is to verify that, under different conditions And with independent instrumentation, the results remain consistent. That is what allows collaboration with Jaxa. As part of an agreement signed in 2020both agencies pledged to share data, compare methodologies and repeat essays in both countries, thus reinforcing the solidity of the entire experiment. The wind tunnel where the tests were performed is not any. It is a supersonic installation operated by Jaxa, with a section of just over a meter by one meter. Although their dimensions may seem modest, they are ideal for working with very small models such as X-59. In it, the air flow can reach sufficient speeds to simulate real flight conditions, which is just what NASA engineers were looking for. For Jaxa, the opportunity was also key. The Japanese agency has been developing its own “silent” supersonic flight program for years, With projects like Sky Frontier. Sharing information with NASA allows you refine your own designs, Learn from different approaches and validate your simulation tools with real data. In return, it offers experience, equipment and infrastructure that complement those of the United States. Images | NASA (1, 2, 3) | Roméo A. In Xataka | Ryanair’s new competition does not come from any European airline: it comes from India and has an ambitious plan

Japan destroys the data transmission record again with 1.02 petabits per second. The impressive has been the distance

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Japan has established A new record World Cup in data transmission per fiber optic, sending information to 1.02 Petabits per second through 1,808 kilometers away. The achievement, achieved by a joint team of Electric Industries Summit and the National Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (NICT) From Japan, it marks a new milestone in long -distance optical communications. And best of all: it has been achieved with fiber optics compatible with any device. The key technological jump. The advance does not reside solely in speed, but in the distance traveled maintaining a standard cable diameter. The previous records in speed Pure had reached 1.7 Petabits per second, but only covered 63.7 kilometers. This new brand multiplies by 28 the distance without increasing the thickness of the cable, bringing technology to real commercial applications. Image: Ispreview How it works. The system uses an optical fiber of 19 nuclei integrated in a cable with standard coating diameter of 0.125 millimeters, the same as the current fibers. Instead of a single beam of light, the fiber transports 19 parallel signals taking advantage of both the C and L bands of the optical spectrum. Electric Sumitomo optimized the structure and disposition of the nuclei to minimize losses, while NICT developed amplifiers capable of simultaneously enhancing the signals of all nuclei. Dimension of achievement. To contextualize the magnitude: 1 Petabit is equivalent to 1,000 terabits or 1 million gigabits per second. Compared to The average broadband speed in Spain (which is usually around 250 Mbps), this record is approximately 4 million times faster. At this theoretically, 10 million 8K video channels could be transmitted simultaneously. Or download the entire Netflix library in seconds. Practical implications. The record establishes a new standard within the framework of “capacity-duty” (1.86 exabits per second-kilometer) using standard diameter fiber. This means that future networks could exponentially multiply their ability without changing the existing physical infrastructure. Intercontinental submarine cableslike those that connect Europe with America, they could benefit from this technology, although at greater distances (more than 5,000 kilometers) the speeds would be lower but still impressive. The way to commercialization. Although these advances will not immediately reach domestic connections, they do mark the future of long -distance communications. The team now works on improving the efficiency of amplifiers and signal processing to bring technology closer to its real implementation. Global Internet traffic grows, but it’s nice to know that the optical fiber and the form of the cables we use today, they are still enough to evolve in this field. Cover image | Kirill Sh In Xataka | Mobile’s internet is going wrong: what can you do when you don’t have a connection

The strange buzzing that you can only listen to at an age. The frequency that Japan, the US and Europe uses against young people

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In 2009 IHe listened to listen for the first time in the streets of Tokyo. For years, the Kitikahama Parkin the district of Adachi, he had been recurring white of acts of vandalism, especially in public facilities such as bathrooms and urban furniture. Damage, mainly attributed to groups of adolescents who frequent the area at night, had meant a significant cost for local authorities. And since then, a Imperceptible noise For much of the population has been recurring. A sound that has its origin in Europe. The mosquito. Years before, in 2005, the New York Times spoke of the arrival of an invention to the United Kingdom. What began as a child auditory discomfort was transformed years later into an unusual solution for a persistent urban problem. Howard Stapletona British engineer, he remembered how, at age 12, upon entering a factory with his father, he was forced to go out immediately by an unbearable sound that adults did not even perceive. Decades later, that experience led him to create The mosquitoa device that emits a high frequency buzz perceptible only by young ears (mainly around twenty) and practically inaudible for those who have passed thirty. Its purpose was as direct as controversial: drill teenagers that congregate in noisy in front of stores, generating discomfort, intimidations and even episodes of theft and violence, without the need for direct confrontation. Personal idea to experiment. The first real mosquito test took place in Barry in 2005, a town in southern Wales, in front of a spar grocery storemanaged by Robert Gough and his family. Before the installation, the place suffered daily La presence of adolescents They smoked, drank, insulted customers and broke into the establishment. Gough had considered resorting to classical music to large volume, but never implemented it. It was Stapleton who offered to install the device testing. In a matter of little time, the usual congregation of adolescents disappeared. Some tried to resist, entering the store with their fingers in their ears and asking to turn off the buzz. Gough, ingenious, told them that the device was to scare birds due to avian flu. The result was a Radical transformation: Before conflicting teenagers now entered, bought, and they went without causing problems. Mosquito installation in a Philadelphia store It hurts, but it doesn’t exhaust. We talk about a device that emits a kind of chirp pulsating by Above 17 kilohertzup to 75/80 decibels, comparable to a noise of tinnitusIt is not painful, but very irritating. Stapleton said he tested different frequencies with the help of his own children to formula That “I did not harm, but it would bother enough to want to leave.” His intention was never punishing, but Simply dissuadecausing an discomfort that pushes the adolescent to retire on its own. While some adults can still perceive the sound, the device is designed thinking about behavior patterns rather than strict age ranges: hardly a 30 -year -old person is around the entrance of a store for hours. Professor Andrew King, an expert in neurophysiology at Oxford University, I recognized years ago To the Times that although the hearing of high frequencies decreases with age, that loss is gradual and, therefore, some adults could also hear it. Stapleton will consider it irrelevant: “The mosquito is not for them.” Cross borders. After its appearance, the mosquito It generated great interest. Stores, railway deposits, shopping centers and British local authorities They requested units. Stapleton, at that time, already contemplated more powerful versions Activable by panic button, designed to repel crowds that enter into mass to steal, which in the United Kingdom is known as Steaming. Its logic It was simple: “It is difficult to steal with the fingers in the ears.” From Europe and the US to Japan. Four years after the invention was established in different cities from the United Kingdom, then Europe, and finally the United Statesthe mosquito made the leap to Japan. Given the numerous acts of vandalism, the district of Adachi decided to resort to the controversial technological solution, but growing in popularity. Pilot test In Japan, some shops and They had implemented Previously after receiving complaints about garbage, noise and concentration of youth groups, but 2009 was the first time it was installed in A public park. The Adachi administration, which had hired the device to the Melc Co LTD company, based in Chiyoda, installed it in the area as part of an essay that would last until March 2010. Background: Vandalism costs in the 470 parks and public areas of Adachi in the previous years had overcome the 3 million yenso any solution that could reduce non -invasive figures represented an attractive option. According to Melc representatives, the objective It was clear: generate an environment uncomfortable for offenders without altering the tranquility of the rest of citizens or provoking neighborhood complaints. And in the trains. Although today the number of facilities of this type is unknown in Japan, in the social networks They abound videos and comments of young people alluding To this type of sounds. Bloomberg had that even a version of the mosquito has also been installed in trains stations. In many of them ultrasonic devices had been placed that emitted a high frequency sound only noticeable for children under 25 years. The devices, designed to discourage merodeus without confrontations, caused obvious reactions In students: discomfort faces, accelerated steps and complaints, without most knew where the sound comes from. Meanwhile, older adults walk imperturbable, unable to hear the signal. The technology, originally from Wales, had found in Japan its most systematic and culturally accepted use. Between defense and stigma. Counted in a long NPR interview to Stapleton that the mosquito has generated a debate about the Technological intervention limits in public space. While some celebrate their ability to restore tranquility in commercial and school areas without violence or clashes, others consider that their indiscriminate use It can be equivalent to criminalizing the default youth. Stapleton responded That the true enemy is not adolescence, … Read more

The aging of the population and a poor pension system has a new symbol in Japan: grandmothers are rented

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During the last months, the great drag crisis Japan with the aging of its population has been expressed in multiple formats. For example, in the field they are becoming Schools in hotels And more and more elderly for living in jail. In fact, the situation is such that the shortage of young labor has turned retirement into an aspiration of the past, with a large group of over 70 years keeping your work life Active The latest: the nation has begun to rent grandmothers. Grandmother for hours. As we said, in the context of a society that ages quickly and where loneliness and isolation They have become structural phenomena, Japan has witnessed the emergence of a unique and deeply revealing service: Ok obaachanan initiative that allows rent grandmothers For hours to fulfill as varied functions as teaching to cook, take care of children, accompany a loving break or simply provide emotional support. Behind this phenomenon, which might seem picturesque at first sight, underlies a series of economic tensions and social that clearly draw the fragility of the social contract in the Third Japanese age. With More than 9.3 million of people over 65 years old still active (That is, one in four elders continues to work after retirement age), many are forced to seek new forms of income against pensions that are barely enough to meet basic needs. For these older women, OK Obaachan represents not only an economic way, but also a form of Keep feeling usefulpresent and linked to society. A human catalog. The service, offered by the Client Partners companyis presented as a multifunctional female personnel (a kind of task and company company) and offers grandmothers to a cost of 3,300 yen per hour (More transport). The current template includes about 100 women between 60 and 94 yearswith diverse profiles and skills that cover From the kitchen, calligraphic writing or family mediation, to the simple ability to listen, advise or do affective presence. What began as a practical project has become an experience deeply human: Some grandmothers accompany people who want to leave the closet in front of their parents, others participate in academic research on social evolution in Japan, and there are those who simply help cope with everyday life. Some of the “rental grandmothers” Grandmothers of all colors. He Customer profile It is as wide as that of the grandmothers themselves: young people without family, lonely adults, people looking for a maternal figure, or even couples in the process of rupture that require a conciliatory presence. The range of services covers from functional to emotional, and in many cases the symbolic. Social reactions. What’s doubt, the appearance of the service has generated reactions found In Japanese society. While some value the possibility of receiving advice and affection from an experienced person, others express discomfort Before commercialization of human ties. In fact, they have appeared comments on networks social ranging from praise to the idea of ​​”feeling needy” to irony about the physical risk for the elderly or even the complaint about the lack of an equivalent service for men. Because, in effect, ok obaachan is exclusively feminineboth in its template and in its parallel services of “rental friends” or “rental relatives”, all managed by a company that It is defined as “Manitas company only for women.” They counted the media premises that, although there is a male version called Ossan Rental (Centered on middle -aged men, between 30 or 40 years), its approach is different and more informal, and does not reach the level of visibility or sophistication of the service focused on grandmothers. Grandmothers as a symptom. The proliferation of this type of services cannot be analyzed without attending the demographic backdrop that makes them possible. We have gone counting: Japan is one of the countries more aged of the world, with an inverted population pyramid, rates of minimal birth rate and a longevity that exceeds 85 years on average. Traditional family structures are They have eroded: Unipersonal households They multiplyintergenerational links They weakenand community fabric It is fragmented. In this scenario, older people not only face economic uncertainty, but also an existential vacuum. Initiatives like OK Obaachan They workas well as a kind of emotional economy, in which rent affection (either On the contrary), listening and the human heat that was previously given in the family. Far from being a marginal curiosity, the phenomenon embodies an adaptive response (and, of course, commercial) to a deeply structural need. Radiography of the present. If you want, although the boom Ok obaachan Point to the endearing, functional or even ingenious, deep down it is a sign of cultural transformation. The figure of the grandmother, traditionally associated with the home, the transmission of values ​​or the emotional refuge, has become a professionalized resourcenegotiable and temporal. What was previously free and spontaneous is now organized, is invoiced and reserved for hours. A RARE Av of professionalization of tenderness that speaks both of the spirit of resilience of older women and the void left by a Hyperravalized societywhere every need (even affective) must be covered For a transaction. Japan, as in so many Other trendsit is possible that anticipating a phenomenon that could be reproduced in other industrialized societies. In an increasingly individualistic world and agedperhaps the question is not why there is a grandmothers service for rent, but why the hell we need so much. Image | Miki YoshihitoClient Partners In Xataka | The aging of the population in the field has taken Japan to an unprecedented proposal: converting schools into hotels In Xataka | The aging of the population is causing Japan to make an unprecedented decision: welcome digital nomads

Some scientists have rowed 225 kilometers in 45 hours between Taiwan and Japan. It seems absurd but there are good reasons

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In 1947 the Norwegian explorer and ethnographer Thor Heyerdahl He had an idea To demonstrate that the former inhabitants of Peru were able to navigate to the coasts of Polynesia in pre -Columbian times: to manufacture a rudimentary raft and cover the journey himself. Sounds crazy, but experience went well and seems to have created school, like He has just demonstrated An anthropologist determined to reveal how humans were managed to travel between the coasts of Taiwan and the islands of southern Japan. Along with the rest of his colleagues he has chosen to follow the footsteps of Heyerdahl, manufacture a cedar canoe with tools from the Paleolithic and then launch to the Pacific waters. When, where … and how. Researchers who are dedicated to studying the first human settlements in East Asia have a rather accurate idea of ​​when and where the first migrations were made, but there is a question that still takes away their dream: how noses they moved? How did they travel through sea, raffling waves, winds and currents, with hardly any resources? How did the first settlers manage to arrive for example do 30,000 yearsTo the island Yonaguniin the archipelago of The Ryūkyūcurrent Japan? After all, Taiwan is more than 100 kilometers and the distance is even higher from the continent. “Simple questions”. That kind of questions are what the anthropologist was asked a few years ago Yousuke Kaifufrom the University of Tokyo. During his investigations in the deposits of the Okinawa Islands he found vestiges that give away that there were already humans in the region 30,000 yearsbut nothing that clarifies how they got there. “There are stone tools and archaeological remains, but they do not answer those questions,” confesses to The Guardian. That there were no evidence did not mean that Kaifu and his colleagues could not raise hypotheses … and demonstrate them. “We started this project with simple questions: ‘How did the Paleolithic peoples arrive at islands as remote as Okinawa?’ ‘How was your trip difficult?’ ‘What tools and strategies did they use?’ ” remember The Japanese anthropologist. “Archaeological evidence, such as vestiges and artifacts, does not offer a complete vision, since the sea, by nature, drags them. So we turn to experimental archeology, in a line similar to The Kon-Tiki expedition of 1947 of the Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl “. In the skin of the ancestors. Like Hayerdahl and his mythical expedition Kon-Tiki, Kaifu and his colleagues assumed the complicated task of putting themselves into the skin of their ancestors of thousands of years ago. How did they travel? How did they guide themselves? What materials did they use for their vessels to draw the currents of the region? First they tested with Juncos balsas and bamboo, but ended up ruling out the idea. With these materials they obtained too slow ships to overcome The Kuroshioone of the strongest sea currents and that conditions navigation in the northwestern Pacific. His next option was to try a canoe made with Japanese cedar, such as those used in the area thousands of years ago. In order for the experiment to be as faithful as possible to reality, the researchers talled a cedar one meter thick with stone axes and then carved it until opening a cavity inside and giving the shape of a canoe of 7.5 meters of length. The result was ‘sugime’, a boat not very different from those used thousands of years ago. In 2019, after waiting for the sea to calm down, a team of five crew (in which scientists and remakes were included) rose on board and tried it. And how did they do it? As the Paleolithic men, without GPS or any other modern navigation device, would have done only by the stars, the sun, waves and instinct. The expedition started from Taiwan Rumbo Yonaguni, in Kyūshū. The island is not visible from the Taiwanese coast (and in fact it was not for much of the journey, when it was hidden from the waves), but the scientists verified that on clear days it is not difficult to contemplate it from the mountains of Taiwan. Hence the populations of 30,000 years ago they met her. The raft left in July 2019 and its crew had to row more than 45 hours and cover a journey of 225 kilometers before reaching its destination. It was not easy, but the team reached Yonaguni to the second night, reinforcing the theory that thousands of years ago the first Okinawa settlers were able to travel in Canoas from neighboring Taiwan. During the syglura, yes, They suffered crampspain and hallucinations and even were forced to Browse water Often to prevent the raft from getting causing. “They achieved something extraordinary”. The experiment was completed in July 2019 thanks to the support of several institutions but has not achieved authentic impact so far, when the University of Tokyo He has revealed The experience. The reason? A few days ago there was a documentary about the trip and two academic articles published in Science Advances. In one the experts report the 45 -hour experiment between Taiwan and the island of Yonaguni. In the other they share virtual recreations hundreds of possible routes to know which could be the “most plausible”. “The general public usually considers the Peoples of the Paleolithic as ‘lower’, mainly due to their ‘primitive’” culture and technology, ” collect the report. “In marked contrast, our experiment has shown that they achieved something extraordinary with the rudimentary technology they had.” The experiment also confirms the growing interest in archaeological reconstructions and tests with boats that copy old models, something that (in addition to the case of Hayerdahl) we have seen in Indonesian research, France either United Arab Emirates. Images | © 2025 Kaifu et al. CC-BY-AR In Xataka | In 1973 a scientist wanted to find out why we fight. So he crossed the ocean in a mini raft full of strangers

Japan believes to have the largest deposit of rare earths hidden on a tiny island. And it is already date to extract them

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The Rare earth They are an element of great economic and geopolitical value and China stands as the greatest power. To its Japanese neighbors He didn’t make any grace have to depend on them and, after an exhaustive search, a year ago they found the treasure: A huge site of rare earths at the bottom of the ocean. Japan has already set date to start extracting them. January 2026. It is the date on which Japan will begin with the first test extraction, according to Nikkei Asia. They expected to start this year, but the delivery of the necessary duct to reach the deposit did not reach last May and delayed the project for a year. The duct, manufactured in the United Kingdom, has cost 12,000 million yen (about 71 million euros) and will allow them to reach a depth of 5,500 meters. The Chikyu. The Japanese Marine-Terrestrial Science and Technology Agency or JAMSTECfor its acronym in English, will use the chiichyu, the name received by the Japanese drilling boat with which these valuable minerals will extract. In 2022 they already did a test at 2,500 meters deep In front of the coast of the Ibaraki Prefecture, but the challenge they face now is to drill more than double deep: 5,500 meters. If they get it, it would be the first time that rare earths are extracted to so much depth. In the first phase, Chikyu will extract 35 tons of mud. It is estimated that a ton of mud contains about 2 kilos of rare earths, so, in the best case, we could be talking about 70 kilos of rare earths. A key discovery. As we said, Japan found the site almost a year ago in front of the island of Minami-Torishima, located about 1,900 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. The site is located in the exclusive economic zone of Japan, so their extraction corresponds to them. Among the minerals it contains, one of the most abundant would be gadolinio, used in the nuclear industry, and the disposium, used mainly in magnets for electric vehicles. It would also be rich in manganese, cobalt and nickel nodules, key components in the creation of batteries. The amount is not clear and is decisive. At first there was talk of a site of 16 million tons, which would place Japan in third place behind China (44 million) and Brazil (21 million). However, a Analysis of the University of Tokyo He pointed to the loot would be much more juicy: 230 million tons. If confirmed, Japan would overcome China and be placed as the largest reserve of rare earths in the world. Independence. Japan’s efforts to find rare earth date back to 2022 and had a clear goal: to be independent. Currently, Japan depends on imports to meet their needs of rare metals, with 60% of them from China. The Japanese government invested 6,000 million yen (about 42 million euros) in the first extractions and have made it a priority since then. Friction. As we said, China currently has the largest reserve of rare earth and that gives it A huge power. Just a few weeks ago something unusual happened: A combat fleet, headed by two Chinese aircraft carriershe entered the Japanese ZEE near the island of Minamitori. Japan He did not confirm If he presented a formal protest and just declared that he had sent “the appropriate message.” It is not the first time that China enters the Japanese area, nor are the friction between the two countries, But it is certainly a somewhat controversial maneuver given the economic importance of the area. Image | TNFSA In Xataka | Yonaguni’s Japanese island was known for its beauty and Bad Bunny. Now it is a military strength because of Taiwan

Japan looks for the person who built a road on the largest lake in the country. Does not lead anywhere

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Japan It usually fascinates by The unknown and sometimes inexplicable From our western culture (also It happens to them with us). In a country where many words They don’t even have a translation To our language (or They need a phrase), there are countless situations that cause us curiosity. Then there is another set of stories that not only fascinate us, but also. This is one of them, and it started when someone saw something certain. The road. We are in one of the most famous places in the Japanese country. Located in the center-west of the island of Honshu, in the prefecture of Shiga, northwest of Kyoto, is the monumental Biwa Lakethe most extensive in Japan occupying an area of ​​670 square kilometers. Well, the country lives immersed in a mystery that hardly has a logical explanation: someone has built without permission A road on the lake. And it does not carry anywhere. Lake Biwa from space The Chivatazo. The story began last year, when the Anonymous report He arrived at the Civil Engineering offices of the city of Takashima, Shiga Prefecture. This document reported a strange sighting in Biwa. Someone had built what seemed like a road on the largest lake in Japan. An investigation not only verified the track, but also the measures of that mysterious construction. It was a road about 70 meters long and 3 meters wide made of compacted ground that connected two geographical accidents in the Delta del Río Ado. In addition, you could see tire footprints, which clearly indicates some type of use. Google Maps. The satellite tools like Google Maps gave another track of the antiquity of the road. The satellite shots taken three years ago showed nothing similar to a embankment or road, nor of sediments that indicated some kind of natural formation, and Shiga’s prefecture claimed that “until May last year, the road nobody had confirmed the road.” Location of the “road” on Google Maps Visible. From Google Maps Today it is appreciated that the road has suffered considerable wear, probably due to the water rise. In fact, the area close to the site in question is a wetland that even the locals can access. Takashima residents have no idea, since no one ever goes to that area, “there is nothing to do except that hornets or wild boars,” The premises point out. Television travels. The ball became bigger. If nothing and no one used to approach the surroundings of the construction, who and why the hell did such a work? History has taken such a traction that up there local televisions have been displaced. One of the reporters indicated that when he arrived, he observed that the poor condition had made several areas, which betrayed pieces “that looked like asphalt, iron and concrete.” The last track. After the initial notice, the Department of Civil Engineering reported on the road to the Police. Three days later, the authorities received a call from an anonymous person who told them that he had been the author, and that he had piled up land to make the way. The Civil Engineering Department ordered the person to return the area to their original state. A mystery without logic. If you have come here it is possible that you want to know the reason or reason that led whoever was going to build a road on the most extensive lake in Japan. We talk about a work of days and a lot of work for a single person, one who, apparently, makes no sense. That data Police have not given itand it is only known that there is an accusation for unauthorized development, although the person after the call has not appeared so far. Meanwhile, a year later since the Prefecture instructed those who filled the area to restore it to its original state, but the path that leads to nowhere is still there. Image | A-GIâuYomiuri TV, GLCF In Xataka | The city where it is most snow in the world is in Japan and lives buried under a white mantle: this is Aomori In Xataka | The cities of Japan have begun a fierce struggle to lift their economy. THE KEY RECIPE: Ramen *An earlier version of this article was published in July 2024

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