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New tide of innovation addressing social challenges

Akira Suzuki, who headed the Mie Prefectural Child Guidance Center through March, discusses prefectural efforts to address cases of child abuse.

Utilizing AI to better protect children, anticipate child abuse risks

04/26/2019

From left: Masayo Tokuhiro of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yumiko Kajiwara of Fujitsu, Narie Sasaki of Nagoya University’s Graduate School of Science and Eriko Komiya of METI.

Experts believe that seeds of innovation are rooted in diversity

04/19/2019

Digital tech opens up plants’ future

Drones, AI, sensors help preservation of aging petrochemical plants

03/13/2020

Circular economy to likely change society

Multinational, cross-industry efforts aim to address plastic waste

10/25/2019

Domestic companies need to further disseminate information

10/11/2019

Japanese companies see growth via niche markets

Microfine machining under a constant temperature takes place at Roku-Roku Sangyo Ltd.’s showroom.

Expansion strategy in age of IoT aims for ultra-precision processing

11/27/2020

Sanshu Sangyo Co. contributes to food safety with equipment that is indispensable for quarantine inspections on fruit before it is shipped from its country of origin.

Kagoshima company’s equipment ensures tropical fruit safe to eat

11/13/2020

Kohoku Kogyo Co. President Futoshi Ishii

Kohoku Kogyo’s components support submarine fiber-optic cables

10/23/2020

Nikkari Co.’s farming-use monorail system has contributed to reducing the workloads of farmers who would otherwise have had to transport produce over steeply sloped land.

Japan’s ‘global niche top’ companies lead across global markets

10/09/2020

Fukushima after 10 years

A ceremony is held in the town of Futaba, Fukushima Prefecture, to jointly celebrate the opening of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, the Futaba Business Incubation and Community Center and the prefectural Reconstruction Memorial Park, which straddles Futaba and the adjacent town of Namie. The ceremony signified that Fukushima’s recovery is underway.

Fukushima’s recovery a work in progress

03/26/2021

The JR Joban Line, which runs between Tomioka and Namie stations, symbolizes the recovery of the transportation infrastructure in Fukushima.

Fukushima faces business reconstruction, reactor decommissioning

03/12/2021

The universe within reach

Businesses involving space development have been active in Japan, with many startups aiming for outer space.

The days to come: Science fiction’s transition to everyday reality

11/23/2018

Private-sector companies have entered the space industry, prompting the expansion of businesses aiming to capitalize on outer space. The potential value gained through analyzing satellite data could bring about innovative businesses.

Varied private sector goes galactic, government boosting efforts

11/09/2018

Time for the aviation industry to leap forward

The Matsusaka Cluster Joint Plant in Matsusaka, Mie Prefecture.

Companies bridge borders of respective fields to join growing market

10/26/2018

The domestically made regional passenger jet Mitsubishi Regional Jet flies over British skies at the Farnborough International Airshow.

New horizons mark next chapter of Japanese aviation industry

10/12/2018

Artisans adding color to the modern age

Artisan carves new territory through traditional Hakone woodcraft

12/13/2019

Kyoto school’s TASK is fostering next-generation craft creators

11/29/2019

Traditional crafts an inspiration for next-generation appliances

11/15/2019

A future realized by the ‘air mobility revolution’

Electric power set to bolster the future of global aviation industry

07/26/2019

Municipalities strive to implement next-generation transportation

07/12/2019

Living and learning in the Reiwa Era

Business sector to combine employee growth and problem solving

05/29/2020

Businesses aim to nurture workforce capable of creating new value

05/22/2020

‘Unicorn’ president believes passion, obsession drive innovation

04/24/2020

AI startup co-founder, expert discuss 20 years of MITOU Program

04/17/2020

Addressing energy security

IEA expected to play major role in increasing global energy security

01/10/2020

Essential skills of a working adult in the era of the 100-year life

Hosei University professor emeritus Yasuo Suwa stressed the importance of the right to a career to enable individuals to work on their own terms.

‘Right to a career’ serves as compass for economic and social changes

08/24/2018

METI’s Study Group for Enhancing Human Resource Capability held sessions until March, which saw active discussions in relation to the theme.

100-year-life era enhances motivation to carve out skills, careers

08/10/2018

Cashless payments changing Japan

‘Time has come’ to promote and standardize cashless payments

12/28/2018

A major experimental project on cashless payments has been underway at Fukuoka’s yatai food stalls, which accept such payments.

Playing catch-up, Japan forges ahead with cashless payments

12/14/2018

The expanding world of standardization

Rulemaking challenges amid industrial structural transformation

12/27/2019

Digital transformation makes business stronger

Komatsu drives the digitalization of Japan’s construction industry.

DX Grand Prix 2020 award winners offer models for digitalization

01/29/2021

Takefumi Tanabe, the head of METI’s IT Innovation Division and Digital Transformation Promotion Office

Newly introduced code aims to promote digital transformation

01/15/2021

Japan as a major player in health

Left: ExaWizards President and CEO Ko Ishiyama is striving to resolve social issues through utilizing artificial intelligence. Right: NeU CEO Kiyoshi Hasegawa has long focused his attention on industrial applications of brain science.

Amid aging society, latest technology utilized for dementia care

05/24/2019

Many individuals hope to lead healthy and vibrant lives. As a country with an advanced aging society, Japan is tasked with finding measures to help people achieve this. | GETTY IMAGES

Toward an ageless society where people can be active for life

05/17/2019

Paving the way for the future with intellectual property

Members of the Startup Support Team launched by the Japan Patent Office in July 2018.

Intangible assets, including IP, become driving force of competition

03/29/2019

Self-driving cars are being tested on the public roads in the town of Namie, aiming to boost the return of residents.

Nurturing the future of Fukushima with intellectual property

03/15/2019

Learning innovation

Japanese ‘ed tech’ firms look to change education at home, abroad

01/24/2020

Japanese startups moving onto international stage

Venture capitalist James Riney, who is managing partner and head of 500 Startups Japan, talks about his views on the future prospects of Japanese startups with the METI Journal.

Forgoing early IPOs in favor of pursuing a larger market share

03/01/2019

Japan and France jointly held a July event in Paris to support startups develop their businesses overseas.

Creating a Japanese role model to be effective on a global scale

02/15/2019

‘Future Classroom’ nurturing those creating change

Two division chiefs from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology discuss the future of education.

Ministries discuss future of artificial intelligence and education

09/28/2018

The push for introducing information technology in education has been playing a large role in transforming the educational landscape.

Future of education: Startups eye programming, custom learning

09/14/2018

A future led by MaaS

Autonomous driving tests advance the future of transportation

09/27/2019

Competitors come together in effort to boost mobility innovation

09/13/2019

Charging for disposable bags and the future ahead

CLOMA chair encourages more sharing of recycling technologies

07/24/2020

Japanese businesses join hands to tackle marine plastic waste issue

07/10/2020

Japan working on development of marine biodegradable plastics

06/26/2020

Curbing disposable bag usage only first step in reducing plastics use

06/12/2020

New strategies for African business

Rapidly growing African startups ready for investment from Japan

08/23/2019

Coping with changes in an ongoing digital revolution across Africa

08/09/2019

Get to know the world expo

Kansai-style communication helps further mutual understanding

02/28/2020

Pursuing more than profit at Dubai and Osaka world expositions

02/14/2020

Innovation front line: Tackling decarbonization challenges

A test blast furnace uses hydrogen reduction and carbon dioxide separation-collection technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions produced in iron smelting.

Age of iron-making using hydrogen may be just around the corner

12/25/2020

Akira Yoshino takes part in the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum 2020 in Tokyo.

Japan works to lead global community in fighting climate change

12/11/2020

Aiming to become unicorns for society

Polar Star Space Co. founder Takahiro Nakamura says he wants to create a space business whose benefit can be felt by many people.

Startup working to solve problems using satellite, drone data

09/18/2020

Fermenstation Co. CEO Lina Sakai discusses her vision for the company.

Startup pursues ultimate resource recycling through fermentation

09/11/2020

A matching event was held in February for Sony Corp. and engineers from companies selected for the J-Startup program. Relevant parties have sought ways to embody innovative technologies and ideas.

Growth path diversity needed as startup ecosystem takes off

08/28/2020

Societal shift from pandemic creates opportunities for startups

08/14/2020

Current situation in Fukushima

Tomioka Mayor Koichi Miyamoto speaks about the town’s reconstruction efforts.

Recovery is progressing step by step in Tomioka, Fukushima Prefecture

07/27/2018

Mitsufuji Corp. showcases its “smartwear” products at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. | MITSUFUJI CORP.

Companies’ Fukushima branches hope to reinvigorate healing region

07/13/2018

‘Digital first’ shift transforming society

Deputy Commissioner of The Small and Medium Enterprise Agency Yasuhiro Maeda talks about his expectations on digital transformation efforts at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Public administrative services look to streamline to new platforms

01/25/2019

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry aims to promote digital transformation for its administrative procedures.

Leading administrative reform under premise of digitalization

01/11/2019

G20: More than just a summit

Japan’s global contributions on TCFD, hydrogen, carbon recycling

06/15/2019

Minister to take the helm in realizing, promoting free flow of data

06/08/2019

Connected Industries

The fundamental policy of Connected Industries aims to create added value through connecting various data. | GETTY IMAGES

Connected Industries cooperative business endeavors underway

06/29/2018

Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko

Minister hopes shared data will transform Japanese corporate culture

06/22/2018

Shaping the future with vibrant small and midsized enterprises

Estorage President Katsunori Yajima poses at the company’s Ginza showroom.

Estorage captures consumers’ hearts with custom-built furniture

02/26/2021

Metran’s ventilators boast the technology to care for the delicate respiratory systems of premature infants.

Metran boosts ventilator production to save COVID-19 patients

02/12/2021

Introducing noteworthy topics and relevant efforts concerning economic and industrial circles

MOST POPULAR

Japan’s ‘global niche top’ companies lead across global markets

Fukushima faces business reconstruction, reactor decommissioning

Japanese ‘ed tech’ firms look to change education at home, abroad

Age of iron-making using hydrogen may be just around the corner

Japan working on development of marine biodegradable plastics

LATEST ARTICLES

Fukushima’s recovery a work in progress

Fukushima faces business reconstruction, reactor decommissioning

Estorage captures consumers’ hearts with custom-built furniture

Metran boosts ventilator production to save COVID-19 patients

DX Grand Prix 2020 award winners offer models for digitalization

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