After delivering supplies, this spacecraft became a space lab. 🛰️🔬 Japan’s HTV-X1 spent about 2.5 months testing new equipment after leaving the ISS, from solar cells to a deployable panel. One flight supported life in orbit—and technology for future missions. 🌏

Once protected by the mountain, this castle is now protected by its community. ☁️🏯 Bitchu Matsuyama is Japan’s only mountain castle with an original keep. Locals restored it after years of decay; and later generations continued the work. It now rises above a sea of clouds. ✨

One glass sponge. Two new worm species. 🏰🌊 Found during a JAMSTEC–Ocean Census expedition, the worms aren’t close relatives, yet share the same sponge. Their symbiotic lifestyles may have evolved independently—offering new clues to how symbiosis evolves in the deep sea. 🔬

Emergency food was available. But there wasn’t enough water to eat it with. Born from lessons of Japan’s 2011 earthquake, LIFE STOCK is a jelly needing no water, power or gas, with a six-year shelf life. 🥫💧 Disaster lessons can shape better design for the next emergency. 🌱

#PhotoOfTheMonth: Why build a shrine gate on a summit this hard to reach? ⛩️ Takaya Shrine in Kanonji, Kagawa is famous for its "Sky Torii." Moved down for daily convenience, locals chose to rebuild it on the steep summit in 1831—prioritizing faith over convenience. ⛰️✨

Help us #PickaHeader for October! 🍂 1. Kochia in autumn colors 2. Harvesting rice in golden fields 3. A colorful autumn harvest 4. Swaying susuki grass Comment with your number by September 29. We'll announce the winner on September 30 and use it as our October header.

From local craft to global ties.🪵 Tendo’s “Human Shogi” found a counterpart in Marostica, Italy, home to “Human Chess.” Their shared tradition helped spark exchanges, and they became sister cities in 1989. Today, citizen visits and friendship ambassadors keep those ties alive.🤝

How do you make coastal structures safer? Start by learning how they fail. 🌊 Japan’s Port and Airport Research Institute uses a 184-meter-long channel to study how waves affect the ground and damage structures. The findings can help improve coastal protection. 🔬

A levee can hold back water. But what if water gets through? 🌊 In Japan’s Kiso Three Rivers region, people paired “waju” levees with raised “mizuya” refuges and emergency “agebune” boats. 🏡 One defense was never the whole plan. Preparedness also means asking: what next? 🌿

An airport you visit without flying. ✈️🌌 At Japan’s Kushiro Airport, younger staff brought stargazing and a 10 km race to the runway. Hundreds of places filled quickly in 2025; the race returned in 2026 with room for more. New ways to connect with the region. 🏃✨