Ryosuke Matsuzoe

Sep 20, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Kazunari Hanawa |Ayaka Otaka |Ryosuke Matsuzoe

TOKYO -- The removal of melted fuel rods at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant has run into another round of difficulties from equipment malfunctions and delays, threatening to push back the 2051 full decommissioning time line even further. "From our perspective, we have only paused work," an official from Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, which operates the plant, said at a news conference Thursday. "We want to proceed with the work with safety as our priority."

Apr 3, 2024 | asia.nikkei.com | Kazunari Hanawa |Ryosuke Matsuzoe

TOKYO -- The Japanese government plans to start field testing clean hydrogen production using nuclear power as soon as 2028, Nikkei has learned, with the move following a successful safety test of a next-generation reactor last week. The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) tested the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) in Ibaraki prefecture on Mach 28. The trial was conducted in conjunction with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Dec 24, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryosuke Matsuzoe

TOKYO -- Japan and the U.S. are finalizing plans to send the first Japanese astronaut to the moon as part of the NASA-led Artemis lunar exploration project. The two governments are expected to sign a document as soon as January that covers cooperation regarding activities on the moon's surface.

Nov 4, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryosuke Matsuzoe

TOKYO -- Japanese businesses and universities are setting up test sites that simulate conditions on the surface of the moon, such as its gravity and communications delays, spurring hopes for Japanese contributions to lunar exploration. The moon is about 380,000 kilometers away from Earth, with around a sixth of its gravity. Lunar exploration requires technologies suited to its environment.

Sep 16, 2023 | asia.nikkei.com | Ryosuke Matsuzoe

TOKYO -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plan to develop a methane-fueled engine for a next-generation rocket whose first flight is slated for around 2030. Methane, the main ingredient in gas distributed to households in Japan, is easier to handle and is less prone to explosions than hydrogen -- qualities that will help lower launch costs. China and the U.S. are ahead in the development race.