Japanese

“Karoshi” is the scourge that has been undermining the health of Japanese workers for decades. And the Government does not know how to stop it

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It is not a new or unknown phenomenon, but he karoshi (illnesses or even deaths due to overwork) is gaining ground in Japan. This is suggested by at least the latest data from the Ministry of Health, which reflects that last year the Government recognized a record number of those affected with the right to compensation: 1,310. If we take into account all the requests, the figure is 6,212, another record. State records are only one indicator of a much broader problembut they suggest that Japan is a long way from solving it. And that sets off alarm bells. What has happened? That data from the Ministry of Health reveal that Japan is far (very far) from solving one of its thorniest social challenges: illnesses or deaths from karoshithat is, due to work overload. The latest official balance reveals that the number of employees who received government compensation for this reason rose to a level never seen before during fiscal year 2025. That is alarming in itself, but beyond the numbers what is truly worrying is the trend. As remember The Japan Timesit is the fourth consecutive year that the record has been broken and the flow of applications (whether approved or not) is also at historic levels. What do the figures say? The report of the Ministry of Health reveals that in Japan there are hundreds and hundreds of people for whom the Government recognizes the necessary conditions to receive compensation for excess workload. Specifically, during fiscal year 2025 the record of 1,310 was reached. There are only five more than in 2024, but what is relevant is that the number has not stopped growing in recent years. In fact, it is not the first time that alarms have gone off. At the end of 2024 Nippon I already warned of the escalation in the number of documented cases. As if that were not enough, the ministerial report throws out another figure: perhaps there is 1,310 compensatedbut the number of requests is much higher. During the same period it rose to 6,212, another record figure that exceeds that of 2024 by 1,402. Probably not all meet the requirements demanded by Health, but the Japanese press does not clarify whether the difference between both figures (indemnified and applicants) is due to this disparity or a simple administrative issue. Do we know anything else? Yes. The vast majority of compensated people (1,086) had work-related mental disorders, including depression. The remaining 224 suffered strokes and heart attacks. All attributable to his professional work. In 145 cases the outcome was the most traffic: it ended in deaths or suicides, although this is 14 less than in 2024. Among the applications received at the Ministry of Health, the majority (4,958 out of a total of 6,212) are also related to psychological problems. Not only are they the most common, but their incidence is clearly growing: the Government registered 1,178 more than during fiscal year 2024. Their report also reveals that after many cases of karoshi There are problems with bosses, workplace harassment and sudden changes that affect the workload and quality of the work entrusted to the affected person. Does the sector matter? Yes. Those who are most at risk are professionals in sectors in which overtime regulation is less developed. The Japan Times specific quote to bus and truck drivers, doctors and construction workers, trades that have seen their legal framework gradually improve, but in some cases still have certain exceptions. For example, a driver can work up to 960 overtime hours a year, a workload that is also exceeded 15% of doctors that are used in hospitals in Japan. In 2016 they were 39.2%but even so the data is worrying and there are certain specialized profiles in which overtime hours skyrocket. Why is this something worrying? Because illnesses and deaths related to karoshi They are nothing new. The discipline of strenuous work is very rooted in Japanese culture, although it hardened especially after the Second World War. For a time it helped the country advance, but in the 60s it began to pay its price: heart attacks, strokes and even cases of suicide due to stress, the karojisatu. In recent years there have also been very high-profile cases, such as that of a young girl who took his own life in 2015 after sleeping only 10 hours a week due to his work overload and accumulating around 100 overtime hours a month. How do they face it? Against that backdrop, Japan has begun to regulate issues such as overtime and the maximum number of consecutive days that can be linked. However, the results just released by the Ministry of Health reveal that the problem is far from being solved. In the country there are also those who fear the impact that the conservative government may have. Sanae Takaichiwho does not hesitate call meetings team at three in the morning and brag about not sleeping more than four hours. Images | Beth Macdonald (Unsplash), Vien Dinh (Unsplash) and Joris Beugels (Unsplash) In Xataka | Faced with labor shortages, Japan has taken an unprecedented measure in the last two decades: paying women the same

The Japanese technique to dry clothes in closed spaces in a more efficient and faster way

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It doesn’t matter that we are in winter, with short, cold and wet days, or in the middle of summer heatthere is a household task that is always complicated: dry clothes. If you don’t have a good outdoor clothesline, a balcony or a dryer can become a real nuisance. In winter they do not dry the sweaters. In summer, beach towels and swimsuits. Or at least that’s how it is in homes in most of the planet, where to get by, solutions are usually used that either require too much space or increase the electricity bill: dryers, radiators, dehumidifiers… In Tokyo they have another way to solve it. Learning from Japan There they have found a way to dry clothes in rainy seasons efficiently, quickly and without bad odors. In the Japanese capital, a city of climate humid subtropicalgenerous in rainfall and where there are also abundant small apartments —so many and so small that sometimes it is necessary to talk about “microhousing”— have developed a technique to keep their clothes clean and well ventilated all year round. And without the help of dryers. The system is called “hanging rainbow”, and while it sounds a bit poetic it is actually a graphic description of how the clothes should be arranged. The first step is to find a well-ventilated room in the home, through which the air circulates and, if possible, is warmed by the sun during part of the day. There we will install our clothesline, bar or rope, on which – and this is a key part of the technique – we will arrange the garments. in the shape of a rainbow. As? Trying to make the clothes draw an inverted “U”, so that the longest garments would be at the ends and the shortest ones would be distributed in a staggered manner towards the interior. In it Apts real estate portalaimed at leasing in Tokyo, even include a graph on how clothes should be arranged for efficient and quick drying. “When hanging clothes, leave enough room for air to circulate. Japan’s humidity can make the air seem heavier, which means clothes will take longer to dry —platform abounds—. A good trick is to hang the clothes in the shape of a rainbowhooking the longest ones at the ends and the shortest ones as you move inward. For towels, hang one side longer than the other for better air circulation.” According to their calculations, the technique allows considerable time savings. If drying a load by arranging the clothes in a V shape can take four and a half hours, arranging it as an inverted U can reduce that time to just four hours. It is not the only thing you should take into account. If you want a good drying and prevent your clothes from taking on a musty smell, Apts also advises not leaving them in the washing machine for longer than strictly necessary. And that means removing the clothes “immediately”, without waiting, once the washing cycle has concluded. “Even leaving clothes in the machine for 10 minutes can cause odor,” he warns. Other tricks involve placing the clothes perpendicular to air circulation and in opposite direction at the entrance of the room or use hangers to avoid that, once distributed on the clothesline, the fabrics are close to each other. Ideally, they should be as far apart as possible. For smaller socks or underwear, you can use an octopus. The goal: to make drying clothes in autumn and winter less of an ordeal… …without having to dedicate space and money to a dryer. A previous version of this article was published in November 2024. Images | Leroy Tan (Unsplash) and Atul Vinayak (Unsplash) In Xataka | Japan has reopened a nuclear reactor affected by the Fukushima accident. It is only the first of 33 in the entire country In Xataka | Japan has one of the youngest automobile fleets in the world. Their secret: an absurdly expensive ITV *An earlier version of this article was published in November 2023

The greatest Japanese railway dream is a train that would connect Madrid and Barcelona in 75 minutes at 600 km/h. It’s also your biggest nightmare

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Year 2027, Japan prepares for the first trip of its new Maglev. The train that works by magnetic levitation runs at a speed of 505 km/h and has exceeded 600 km/h in its testing phase. It will barely take 40 minutes to travel between Tokyo and Nagoya, cities that are currently separated by more than an hour and a half of travel. If we move it to Spanish soil, the new Maglev that is about to leave Tokyo station would link Madrid and Barcelona in 75 minutes. Today, the fastest train takes 182 minutes and work is being done to reduce travel time to less than two hours. But all this is a dream. A nightmare, more like. And it is that Japan has been dreaming for years with once again taking the initiative in high-speed rail worldwide. Despite being the pioneers in offering trips on what are known as “bullet trains” and demonstrating to the world in 1964 that they were decades ahead of any competitor, China has surpassed them. A project aims to return them to the top. It is the Chuo Shinkansen line operated by a Maglev. But that project is taking hold and, at the moment, things are not looking too good. A decade of delay and shovelfuls of money When in 2015 the Maglev exceeded 600 km/h We thought that today we would travel by train much faster than we do. Japan then presented a seven-car prototype known as the L0 Series. It was one of the first steps to connect Tokyo and Nagoya in just 40 minutes. He calendar projected the dream described above. In 2027, Japan would have a line operated by trains capable of reaching 505 km/h. It would be a punch on the table on a board, that of high speed, which China dominates right now. The neighboring country and great rival has managed to establish itself as the place where the trains travel the fastest, move more people and They have more kilometers of roads available. But all these plans have been delayed and the new date points to 2036. They explain in the specialized media Japanism that the Chuo Shinkansen was designed as a fast route to link the large cities located on the Pacific coast. Currently, Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka are already linked by the Tokaido Shinkansen, but this new line would serve to decongest roads that circulate at their limits and, at the same time, offer the fastest route possible. So much so that Tokyo and Osaka, today separated by a trip of at least 202 minutes, would become connected in just 75 minutes. That is, an hour and a quarter. This alternative obviously requires the construction of an entire railway infrastructure that is encountering a multitude of problems. One of the big secrets why trains in Japan are so fast and punctual is that they use different infrastructure for their high-speed trains and conventional ones. With the Chuo Shinkansen it would be even more necessary since the train works by magnetic levitation. The Maglev is an old Japanese railway dream that has its roots in the 70s when research began on whether a train could operate using magnetic levitation. The idea is that the train “floats” on the tracks traveling at a very high speed, held by powerful magnets. This way friction against the tracks is eliminated and the ride should be smoother and quieter. Obviously, this prevents the current roads from being reused. To carry out this new infrastructure, Japan has proposed launching its trains underground for about 250 kilometers. Tokyo and Nagoya are separated by 286 kilometers and the project involves burying 90% of the route. And to reduce travel times, the train would go underground in the interior of the country, instead of continuing near the coast like the current Tokaido Shinkansen. High-speed trains have a problem: tunnels. The speed of trains in Japan is limited by the numerous holes that the country has had to make in its mountains to carry out its high-speed lines. With each entry into a tunnel there is a change in pressure that generates discomfort for passengers and enormous noise outside, as well as challenges for the movement of the train itself. The idea with Maglev is to eliminate these entrances and exits with a train that almost always runs underground. In this way, it can also work in vacuum conditions, which reduces the energy needed to reach speeds of more than 500 km/h. This idea has faced countless problems, they explain in Japanism. The project began to take shape in 2011 but has experienced constant delays and setbacks. First there was an important political struggle to decide what the final itinerary of the line was and it was not until 2015 when the ground began to be excavated. The problem is that the new tracks circulate, in some sections, next to current high-speed tracks. They explain in the middle that in the Shinagawa area the conventional train tracks are being replaced by magnetic levitation sections but that they can only advance 12 meters a day because there are only four hours of work left free, which is the interval between the last train of the day and the first of the next day. All this, added to the fights with the land owners and the technical difficulties, has increased the cost of the project. It was estimated that the line between Tokyo and Osaka would cost 9 billion Japanese yen, of which 5.52 billion yen would have to be spent between Tokyo and Nagoya. However, cost overruns have skyrocketed the final figure and in 2025 JR Central, in charge of the project, already estimated the cost of this last section in 11 trillion yen. All these cost overruns and technical problems (barely 2% of traffic will move on land, 86% of the time will travel underground and the rest on viaducts and bridges) have caused interruptions in construction and, as we have seen, an increase … Read more

The Japanese “johatsu”, when life is so unbearable that you erase your trace from the Earth

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When we Westerners observe the Japanese people, their habits and cultural solutions that clash with our way of life, we usually come up with an explanation: shame. If Christianity has been based on the management of guilt, the East draws on shame and honor as a motor of action. The literature has made us believe that the code bushido or “path of the hero” that marked the life of the samurai in the 11th to 14th centuries is found buried in many of the behaviors which, seen from thousands of kilometers and 700 years later, seem amazing to us. We have previously talked about karoshithat involuntary suicide of many of its workers due to work pressure out of a feeling of duty towards the company and society. We also know their tendency towards seclusion and detachment, as practiced by otaku or the hikikomoris. Today it is the turn of the johatsu (蒸発), or “evaporated people”, as the Government describes them. It is a solution that many of us have thought about applying at some point, and have even dared to explore certain works popular. Become a johatsu is to lose your identity. Your family, your job, your name. All. You become a ghost for the State, all your trace is erased and you renounce your previous life to embrace a new and marginal one as you can no longer endure the pressure that presses you. According to estimates, 100,000 Japanese a year have become johatsu in the last 40 years. How to collect a report from the Japanese policethe “faded” became a social problem starting in the 70s that had to be regulated. Some cases had already been known since after the Second World War, and following a famous event in the 60s that found a film adaptation in 1967 and a ballad performed by Ken Yabukithe term, the idea, became popular. And what pressure leads these people to leave everything? According to the statistics and testimonies collected, a good part of them succumb to work overwhelm or the shame of having been fired, something that they are unable to communicate to their loved ones. Also in many cases they are members of families who have contracted big debtseither due to gambling addiction or ruinous businesses. There are people who mysteriously, and without any justification, decide to sacrifice themselves socially. An important part of the disappearances, approximately one in five cases, has to do with gender violence: since the State was not committed (nor does he commit) to fight against these abuses (until 2001 the law dictated that the most that could be done was ask husbands to be more respectful with their wives) many women began to leave their families to live in poverty. Because that is the new life that many of its protagonists must face. The neighborhood of Kamagasaki Osaka and San’ya of the outskirts of Japan no longer appear on maps. In fact, their nomenclaturesand, if you ask for their address, many Japanese pretend to be Swedes. It’s not that they don’t know what you’re talking about, but it is an unpleasant reality that is better not to face. Men and women who disappear because of the shame they carry on their shoulders. Families who, in turn, and when they suspect that the member who has disappeared has done so of his own free will, do not report it to the authorities because they feel the same fear of being criticized by society. This is confirmed when it is verified that according to official Government statistics, only 2,000 people disappear a year without leaving a trace or without returning after a few months of his journey. According to the Japan Missing Persons Search Support Association, these figures are strongly under-representative of reality, closer to those 100,000 disappearances annuals that we pointed out at the beginning. Those close to a johatsu They do not usually warn the authorities. But, if they have sufficient funds and a genuine interest in regaining contact with the person, they do request the services of companies or private detectives. Since Japanese laws strongly guarantee the privacy of citizens (they require keeping someone’s whereabouts secret even in front of their families unless criminal complaint), it is easier to go to these agents. In practice, many spouses, children, siblings or parents let it be. They do not want to hear from the person who has left their life again. So, to the particularity of that administrative silence that characterizes Japan, is added that structure that protects the “ghosts“. The existence of these neighborhoods allows them to find a way to survive. “There, the Johatsu They live in tiny hotel rooms, often without Internet or private bathrooms,” as Léna Mauger, journalist and writer for a book focused on the lives of these people. Back in the years of the Japanese miracle, between the 60s and 80s, San’ya was the home of thousands of day laborers in industrial and mechanical jobs. The blue-collar workers who were eclipsed in terms of State recognition by their white-collar compatriots. They were informal, masculinized jobs, without great pay but that in most cases allowed these citizens to survive and sometimes, if the person affected was skilled, save a little money with which to return to society. As masculinized communities that they were, alcoholism, gambling and homelessness began to proliferate. Many never managed to overcome their addictions and harmful behaviors. The mafias began to take sides, owing their people. Today some NGOs enter the district daily to distribute food. Many residents live so precariously that they were considered dead in life. The “ghost” life that is about to fade away As technology advances, the jobs that support its population become scarcer. Added to this are two other problems: for tax purposes, and so that the debts incurred do not become a burden, since 2015 the country has been starting to track more harshly to its members. As real estate pressure increases, less well-regarded neighborhoods begin to gentrify. It is possible … Read more

The greatest Japanese military taboo after the Second World War has just been blown up. China and North Korea are to blame

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In 1945, Japan emerged from World War II with a new Constitution that, in practice, prevented him have again offensive aircraft carrier. Eight decades later, one of its largest ships is once again preparing to operate fighter jets from the deck alongside the US Marines. Japan leaves its historical limits behind. Japan is entering a military phase that for decades avoided describing openly. He “Kaga”officially classified as a helicopter destroyer, will operate in June F-35B stealth fighters of the US Marine Corps in joint exercises that definitively bring the country closer to a light aircraft carrier capability. The gesture is much more important than it seems because it breaks a deeply rooted political and historical barrier since World War II: the idea that Japan should strictly limit its offensive capabilities. Tokyo continues to avoid the term “aircraft carrier,” but operational reality is beginning to look more and more like classic shipborne aviation. The Kaga and a return. The transformation of the “Kaga” and its twin “Izumo” It has been underway for years, but now it is entering the truly decisive phase: operate fighter aircraft fifth generation from deck in real conditions. The planned exercises with the US F-35B will include “cross-deck” maneuvers, where Marine aircraft take off and land from a Japanese ship. all this requires modifications depth in the deck, thermal resistance to withstand vertical landings and new coordinated procedures between pilots, sailors and technical personnel. Although Japan has placed the F-35Bs under the control of its Air Force and not the Navy, the practice brings the country enormously closer to having fully functional small aircraft carriers. A US Marine Corps F-35B lands aboard Kaga during training exercises in 2024 China and North Korea behind. The great driver of this transformation is the deterioration of the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific. China multiply your pressure naval around Taiwan and the East China Sea as North Korea maintains a constant capacity of military destabilization. In this context, Tokyo needs to disperse its air capacity and reduce dependence on vulnerable ground bases. There the F-35B enters: a fighter capable of taking off over very short distances or landing vertically from relatively small decks. For Japan, this offers enormous flexibility in an archipelago full of islands and long sea distances. Each converted ship expands the number of platforms from which the country can project air power. USA as accelerator. The direct involvement of the US Marine Corps makes clear the extent to which Washington is acting as an accelerator of Japanese military transformation. The Marines already made the first historic landings on the “Izumo” in 2021 and since then they have accompanied practically all phases of the program. The “Kaga” even traveled to the United States for specific tests with F-35B and has already operated alongside British and American aircraft linked to the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. More than simple maneuvers, these exercises serve to integrate allied doctrines, logistics and procedures in a possible regional crisis scenario. The Indo-Pacific is filling up. The change also reflects a broader trend: the proliferation light aircraft carrier and ships capable of operating F-35Bs throughout the US allied network. United Kingdom, Italy, South Korea and potentially Spain sfollow similar paths to maintain embarked aviation without the need for gigantic nuclear supercarriers. He F-35B It has thus become the centerpiece of a new generation of medium navies capable of projecting air power from relatively compact platforms. Japan fits that model perfectly, especially in a scenario where war in the Pacific could force aircraft, ammunition and fuel to be dispersed across multiple moving points. The real test begins now. Until now, much of the Japanese program had still been experimental or symbolic. The real test begins with regular operations, long deployments and the ability to sustain stealth fighters on deck for weeks. That is where it will be measured if the “Kaga” It definitively ceases to be a “helicopter destroyer” to become, in practice, a a light aircraft carrier fully operational. And there, too, the most profound change is perceived: Japan is gradually leaving behind the defensive military culture to adapt to an increasingly Indo-Pacific more militarizedcompetitive and unpredictable. Image | hunini In Xataka | Japan has just crossed a line unprecedented since World War II: China has responded with supersonic missiles In Xataka | Japan has made a historic decision in the face of US uncertainty: deploy missiles that reach North Korea and China

neighborhoods with more Chinese than Japanese

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At the beginning of 2025 there was any clue in various enclaves of Japan. It is true that the nation is going through a tourist period as is not remembered in the country, and that the Lunar New Year had increased the volume of travelers a little more, but among the hordes, one flag stood out from the rest: China. And not only because of the number that arrives in Japan, but because of the number that is staying, in principle, forever. A life without Japanese in Japan. It Nikkei counted. Japan is experiencing a demographic transformation and notable cultural development with the proliferation of new neighborhoods with a strong Chinese presence, in which migrants are the majority and can live, work and socialize practically without need to speak japanese. One of the epicenters of this phenomenon is the area northwest of Ikebukuroin Tokyo, where a kind of “New Chinatown” which has supermarkets, restaurants, technology stores, pharmacies and services designed especially for the Chinese community. Over there, residents like Tangan editor who has lived in Tokyo for three years, claim that they can do everything from their mobile phone with the help of compatriots, without facing linguistic or bureaucratic barriers. This environment, which some call the “Chinese economic zone” within Japan, allows migrants to maintain cultural and social ties without disconnecting from its origin. From the center to the suburbs. The phenomenon is not limited to the center of the Japanese capital. Communities like that of Kawaguchiin the saitama prefectureshow how this network has expanded to the suburbs. In the housing complex Kawaguchi Shibazono Danchihalf of the 2,454 units are inhabited by chinese families. The surrounding area has been transformed into an environment completely adapted to the needs of this population: with children’s schools, shops, restaurants and drugstores operated by Chinese, all labeled in their language. In this regard, residents as Zhang Min and Wang Youkun They highlight how the growing presence of compatriots has made mastery of Japanese unnecessary, making daily life easier and fostering roots. Even former residents, like Liu Baocai, who started in these complexes, are acquiring single-family homes in the same city, a sign that many migrants are choosing to settle permanently in Japan. Demographic replacement and aging. One of the nation’s current problems is we have been counting for months: the aging population. Therefore, the social reconfiguration we are talking about is being especially notable in areas where the Japanese population has decreased due to this aging and low birth rate. In Kawaguchi, once-full schools have closed, and the remaining, mostly elderly, Japanese residents watch their neighborhoods transform in Chinese communities. He Tetsuya Mashimo casean 86-year-old man who has lived in the complex since it opened in 1978, illustrates this transition: he says that his neighborhood “has completely become a Chinese housing complex.” Still, the city faces a growing tension between Japanese residents and foreigners, related to non-compliance with coexistence rules, lack of knowledge of the language and precarious housing conditions that make it difficult for official notifications to reach their recipients. Mihama and Warabi: new “Chinese”. Other areas such as Mihamain Chiba, and Warabihave also seen a notable increase in their Chinese population, driven by accessibility to central Tokyo and the low cost of living. In Warabi, the Chinese already represent 8% of the total populationthe highest percentage in the country. Mihama, with about 5,700 Chinese residentshas large housing complexes such as Takasu Daiichi Danchi and Saiwai-cho Danchi, both managed by the Urban Renaissance Agency (UR), which actively promotes the arrival of foreigners with incentives such as the elimination of guarantees, renewal fees or key money. National phenomenon: China in almost all of Japan. At the national level, the phenomenon has spread overwhelmingly. According to one Nikkei researchChinese citizens today reside in 1,603 of the 1,741 municipalities of Japan, which is equivalent at 92%. There are 128 municipalities where their number exceeds a thousand inhabitants, concentrated mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, but also in rural areas. In Shimukappu (Central Hokkaido), the Chinese represent 5% of the 1,600 residentsmany attracted by ski tourism. In Sarufutsunorth of Hokkaido, 3.4% are training technicians working in scallop processing. Similar cases are recorded in Tobishima (Aichi) and Kawakami (Nagano), where they integrate into local agricultural and industrial sectors. Permanent residence in 2025. It is the other leg that explains the phenomenon and that we discussed recently. Japan is currently home to about 930,000 Chinese citizensand the sustained increase in those with permanent residence began a year ago (in addition, had become more flexible): almost 350,000 in 2025an increase of 100,000 in just eight years. In addition, Japan has surpassed 4 million total foreign residents for the first time, registering 4,125,395 by the end of 2025, representing an increase of 9.5% over the previous year and marking the fourth consecutive year of record numbers. This change not only reflects numerical expansion, but also a clear trend toward long-term settlement. New generations are being born, growing and building their future in Japan, consolidating a silent but profound integration process. Changes in 2026. Yes, because the political context has taken a radical turn. Since April 1 of this year, they have come into force new evaluation criteria for naturalization that, without formally modifying the Nationality Law, substantially change its practical application: the required residence time goes from five years to approximately ten years. In addition, the Japanese authorities have extended the tax review period: if previously it was enough to prove the payment of taxes for the last year, now it will be necessary to present certificates for the last five years. This represents the opposite change to what the article pointed out. New demographic milestone. Plus: for the first time in nearly 50 years, the number of foreigners of Chinese origin who obtained Japanese nationality exceeded those from South Koreamarking a turning point in the demographic and migratory evolution of Japan. Specifically, more than 3,000 people of Chinese origin obtained Japanese citizenship, topping the list for the first time, … Read more

Japanese scientists have discovered what the clouds of Venus have to do with your kitchen sink

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In 2016, the Japanese Akatsuki mission detected a massive disturbance on Venus which left scientists baffled. For a long time, its origin has been a mystery. However, now a team of researchers from the University of Tokyo has found the answer. An answer that, curiously, has a lot to do with your kitchen sink. Simulations. Through atmospheric simulations and fluid dynamics models, scientists at the University of Tokyo have discovered that a phenomenon takes place in the atmosphere of Venus, called hydraulic jump, which also happens in your sink every time you turn on the tap. You have surely noticed that, right at the point where the water hits the sink, it moves quickly and in a very thin layer. However, a circle is formed whose outer layers are thicker and move much more slowly. In other words, rapidly flowing liquid abruptly slows down and increases in height. The reasons. Initially, when water falls into the sink, its speed is greater than the local speed of the waves that are generated. However, friction with the sink surface slows down the waterso just the opposite happens. As a result, water begins to accumulate, forming a deeper layer that also moves more unstablely. What was seen on Venus. In 2016, a massive disturbance was detected moving 6,000 kilometers wide around the equator of Venus. This, in addition, was moving through the clouds, leaving behind a dark patch of denser clouds. These images taken on August 18 (left) and August 27 (right), 2016, by the near-infrared camera of Japan’s Akatsuki Venus probe, show the clear line of denser (darker) clouds moving across the planet. Special clouds. The clouds of Venuscomposed mostly of sulfuric acid, are an interesting mystery. They are known to rotate very quickly, with a speed 60 times greater than the planet’s own rotation. This, as explained in Universe Todaywould be more or less equivalent to a Formula 1 car circling a bicycle. They are made up of 3 layers, of which only the outermost one is well known. The two innermost ones harbor many mysteries, which is why these scientists have searched there. An unstable wave. In one of these internal layers, something known as a Kelvin wave is formed. It moves east very quickly, but there comes a time when it becomes periodically unstable. At that point, the wind speed slows down, like tap water, and the atmosphere builds up into a thicker layer, like water over a sink. This drastic change causes a powerful upward current of air, which pushes sulfuric acid vapor into the atmosphere, where it condenses and forms that broad wall of clouds that was detected in 2016. other planets. This is the largest hydraulic jump that has been detected in the solar system. However, these scientists believe that, using similar models, perhaps something similar could be detected on other planets. For example, they believe that Mars is a good candidate to host this phenomenon. It would be interesting to check, since Venus is too inhospitable a planet to colonize, but science Yes, he has his sights set on colonizing Mars in the future. Knowing perfectly the mysteries that its sky houses is necessary for the success of this type of missions. Image | MIT/Zeimusu | T. Imamura, Y. Maejima, K. Sugiyama et al., 2026 In Xataka | A green beam illuminated Venus in the night sky. It is not an unknown phenomenon, but it is very difficult to see

“Japanese walks” are much more effective than your daily hour-long walk

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For years we have heard the mantra of 10,000 steps a day as the magic number to stay in shape and keep chronic diseases at bay. However, science has been pointing elsewhere for some time now, such as the need to do strength training, and when it comes to walking, it no longer takes into account how many steps are taken, but rather how are they made. And this is where the “Japanese walk” comes into play. A new system. For friends, ‘Japanese walk’ and for the more technical, known as ‘Interval Walking Training’. A walking system that has been developed by different Japanese researchers and is based on intervals and also on how positive it can be to integrate with the environment that surrounds us. How to do it. The formula to test it is quite simple, since you simply have to alternate 3 minutes of fast walking at 70% of our maximum aerobic capacity with 3 minutes of slow walking at 40% capacity. Although three minutes seems very little, the point here is that we are going to repeat this same thing a total of ten times, until we reach at least 30 total minutes of exercise, changing as we go. And the recommended frequency to obtain results is 4 days per week. There is science behind it. Although it is a technique that is gaining quite a bit of strength in recent months, the reality is that science has been analyzing the impact it has on our health for many years. In this way, in 2024, a study concluded that this method improves glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes through greater glucose effectiveness, and not only due to insulin sensitivity. In 2025, a review also noted that this type of interval exercise prolongs healthy life, preventing chronic diseases, dementia and bone loss, which is especially beneficial in people with low initial levels of bone mineral density. His secret. For us to really see these benefits, the most important thing behind it is adherence. Here technology plays a fundamental role, such as mobile applications that make it easier for the population to follow this routine without depending on in-person supervision by third parties. Something that is ideal especially for older people. Images | pressfoto In Xataka | We have been debating for years whether it is better to go to the gym in the morning or in the afternoon. Physiology finally has the answer

A Japanese store begs its customers to sell it their used equipment.

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Building a computer today is more complicated and more expensive than it was just a few months ago. It is not just that some components are in short supply, but that the market balance has shifted and is directly affecting availability and prices. Memory is one of the best examples of that pressure, and what is happening in that market It’s starting to have knock-on effects.. What seemed like a problem limited to certain user profiles has been gaining scope and can no longer be understood as something isolated. The scene that explains everything. In Akihabara, one of the great electronics and computing centers in Tokyo, a store has decided to do something unusual: ask its own customers to sell it their used computers. Sofmap Gaming posted a message on his X account in which he openly acknowledged the situation: “Gaming PCs, even second-hand, are really out of stock right now.” Next, they launched a direct request: “Please, if you are going to buy a new one, sell us your gaming PC…”. The scene was completed with practically empty shelves and another revealing detail: the store itself assured that it is buying back quite expensively and that it buys practically any PC, whether gaming or not. Click to see the original message in X It is not an isolated case. We are facing the visible consequence of a tension that has been accumulating in the hardware market for some time. First it affected those who assembled their own equipment, with increasing difficulties in finding certain components or assuming their price. Then it began to be noticed in manufacturers and assemblerswho have had to adjust configurations and rely on previous stock to keep up. Now, that pressure has ended up being transferred to the point of sale, where it is no longer just about selling, but also about getting the product. What’s behind the shortage? To understand what we are seeing we have to look at a clear change in the industry’s priority. The explosion of AI has skyrocketed the demand for memory for chips and systems intended for that businessespecially in the data center environment, and that is altering how production is distributed. Part of the problem arises in the most advanced memory used for AI, but its impact ends up spreading to the rest of the market. From Micron they summarized it this way in statements to CNBC: “We have seen a very strong and significant increase in demand for memory, and it has far exceeded our ability to supply it.” Consequences. The pressure on memory ends up trickling down to the devices we buy, whether in the form of higher prices or less ambitious configurations. As we have said, it has already put in the computer industry, but it is also threatening the smartphone sector and the consoles. Without going any further, Sony recently announced an increase of 100 euros on the PlayStation 5. And everything seems to indicate thatCars are not going to escape this crisis either.. Old hardware that is revalued. In this context, what until recently we considered old hardware begins to have a different value. Not because its performance has changed, but because the market around it has. What we have seen in Akihabara is not an isolated anecdote, but a sign of the extent to which availability has become a real problem. When a store asks its customers to sell it their own equipment, what it is showing is that something does not fit into the usual supply chain. Images | Andrey Matveev In Xataka | The price of RAM has skyrocketed and the best example to see the debacle is a 100 euro PC: the Raspberry Pi

Larry Ellison promised them very happy with his new luxury yacht named after a Japanese goddess. Made a rookie mistake

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In the world of technology, there are more or less discreet billionaires and then there is Larry Ellison. He millionaire founder of Oracle has made ostentation his watchword: has a private island (where he wanted to feed the world with a sophisticated 500 million dollar irrigation system), a long list of properties distributed throughout the United States and other countries such as Japan, an exclusive private jetand is also investing in the search for eternal youth. Of course, he also has boats: he currently owns the Musashi, which is his fourth superyacht. Love for ships and Japan. Ellison’s love for the sea dates back to at least the 90s, at which time he even became a sponsor of the BMW Oracle Racingwinner of the 2003 America’s Cup. His current superyacht is 88 meters long, cost him about 160 million dollars in 2011 and its name is clearly of Japanese origin. In fact, it is a tribute to one of the most famous samurai. Its interior also shows Japanese influences. In addition to the Musashi, in its history of boats with Japanese names there is the Sayonara sailboat, with which won several world championships racing, or the 75-meter superyacht Katana. But his first motor superyacht was the Ronin and it cost him some headaches. Ronin It means lordless samurai, but that was not his original name. It was conceived as Izanami. The impressive Izanami. In the late 90s Ellison set his sights on a superb second-hand superyacht called Izanami. Designed by none other than Norman Foster in the early 90s, built at the German Lurssen shipyard and commissioned by a mysterious Japanese businessman, it stands out for its defined geometric lines and its aluminum hull. It combines modernist architecture with great performance: at 59 meters in length, it was capable of reaching an impressive maximum speed of 34 knots. Inside, five cabins to accommodate up to 10 guests and 14 crew members in total. The mistake that no one saw coming. The name chosen by its original owner, Izanami, comes from Japanese Shinto mythology: the goddess of creation and death, consort of Izanagi. On paper, it fits like a glove: it is cultured, it is evocative… it fits for such a superb yacht. Larry Ellison paid 25 million dollars for it and was preparing to enjoy it when, docked in San Francisco Bay, in Sausalito, his name made a splash. If you read the name “Izanami” backwards you find a tasteless surprise: “I am a Nazi”, especially considering the German manufacturing and Ellison’s Jewish origins. Change of name and owner. The tycoon tells it in his authorized biography “Softwar: An Intimate Portrait of Larry Ellison and Oracle” from 2003: “When local newspapers started pointing out that Izanami was ‘I’m a Nazi’ spelled backwards, I had to choose between explaining Shintoism to reporters at the San Francisco Chronicle or renaming the ship.” He did the latter: Izanami became Ronin. Ellison enjoyed the Ronin until 2013, at which time He sold it to the Venezuelan banker Víctor Vargas and this one would later be sold to the Italian businessman Alessandro Del Bonothe CEO of the pharmaceutical company Mediolanum Farmaceutici. Today is for sale for 28.5 million euros. In Xataka | In 1988, Larry Ellison rented a Concorde and filled it with journalists just to say that Oracle 6 was going at supersonic speed. In Xataka | Larry Ellison has overtaken Mark Zuckerberg as the second richest man in the world. Their secret: building a home for AI Cover | Flickr and Lidija Jakovljevic

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