cool japan
This Little Robot Acts as a Real-Life 'Avatar' for Humans
Yuutu Banda, who is paralyzed, uses the telepresence bot to go to work.
A Japanese AI Almost Won a Literary Prize
The short-form novel hints at a computer’s desire to acquire selfhood.
Death Is a High-Tech Trip in Japan's Futuristic Cemeteries
Japan's techno-cemeteries replace tombstones with LED Buddhas and conveyor belts.
Japanese Researchers Want to Row to Taiwan on Rafts to Solve an Ancient Mystery
In the age of high-speed transport, Japanese researchers are turning to some vintage methods to find the origins of the Japanese people.
This GIF Artist Imagines What Edo Japan Would Look Like If People Had Computers
Even the people of the Japan of old are addicted to their computer devices in this GIF artist’s world.
The Woman Who Makes Prosthetic Pinkies for Ex-Yakuza Members
In Japan, a missing pinkie brands you as a yakuza member. One prosthetist is trying to help them move on from their past.
This Disaster Simulator Prepares Tokyoites for the Next Big Earthquake
The threat of earthquakes is so high in Japan that preparation is key.
I Met a Japanese Meteorite Dealer Who Believes in Space Healing
Hachiro Kageyama is an amateur astronomer with a massive predilection for meteorites.
The Buddhist Monk Who Uses Space to Teach Spirituality
Ryo Kasuga has a planetarium next to his temple.
This Japanese Band Makes Music With E-Waste
Reel-to-reel tape recorders, cathode ray tube TVs, and ventilator fans are all instruments for Open Reel Ensemble.
Japan's 87-Year-Old Patent King Is Trying to Invent Treatment for His Own Cancer
Since being diagnosed with cancer in 2013, prolific inventor Dr. NakaMats hasn't stopped working.
I Went to a ‘Forget the Year’ Party With a Japanese Robotics Lab
Hiroshi Ishiguro and his humanoids saw out 2015 with a bōnenkai party.