Once a driving force behind Japan’s economic growth and a key industry, the textile sector is now referred to as a “declining industry” due to fierce international competition from countries like China and other parts of Asia, as well as a shrinking domestic market. Symbolic news also broke that Unitika (predecessor of Dainippon Spinning), which had supported the textile industry as one of the three major spinning companies, has decided to withdraw from the textile business, bringing down the curtain on its 135-year history. Meanwhile, the textile industry has come under fire for its significant carbon dioxide emissions. To understand the current state of the textile industry, Japan’s efforts to address those issues, and how consumers can contribute to tackling environmental issues moving forward, we spoke with Professor INOUE Mari from the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment. She has been researching textile materials for nearly 40 years and collaborating with industry leaders.

The recent LA fires drove home how dangerous wildfires can be when they encroach on urban areas. So-called 'wildland-urban interface' fires are on the rise. However, building codes and standards have long been based on fires that spread from building to building. To address this, a Tohoku University professor has updated international standards for large outdoor fires.

Thanks to their special iridescence and unmatched beauty, pearls have been highly sought after throughout history. Due to their rarity and demand, the development of pearlescent pigments to mimic the natural beauty of a true pearl became inevitable. Here, researchers utilize plate-like particles to create substrate-free pearlescent pigments, a low-cost and straightforward solution to the issue of substrate-based pigments which can be complex and expensive.

Sixth-generation, or 6G, cellular networks are the next step in wireless communication, and electromagnetic terahertz waves are seen as crucial to its development. However, terahertz waves, with their higher frequency and shorter wavelength, are subject to greater interference from electromagnetic noise, making clear and secure transmission a challenge. Researchers from the University of Tokyo, as part of a multi-institution team, have now created an electromagnetic wave absorber for waves between 0.1–1 terahertz (THz). This greatly expands the range of the terahertz frequency which could be commercially used in the future. The ultrathin film is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and can be used outdoors, as it is resistant to heat, water, light and organic solvents.

Tokyo, Japan – Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have elucidated how hydrogen and carbon monoxide is adsorbed into solids containing a crown-motif structure of platinum and gold. Using quick-scan X-ray absorption measurements and theoretical calculations, they studied a solid of [PtAu₈(PPh₃)₈]-H[PMo₁₂O₄₀] called PtAu8-PMo12 and found that gas adsorption is affected strongly by the dimension of nanoscale voids in the structure. This highlights the importance of engineering voids in materials for next generation sensors and gas separation.

A research team led by Professor Hajime Monzen and Dr. Hiroyuki Kosaka from the Department of Medical Physics at Kindai University has developed the world's first non-contact system for monitoring respiratory motion during X-ray and CT imaging procedures. This breakthrough technology, developed in collaboration with SMK Corporation, uses millimeter-wave sensors to precisely track patient breathing patterns without physical contact, offering a significant advancement in medical imaging accuracy.

An international collaboration led by Nagoya University in Japan sheds new light on the relationship between quantum theory and thermodynamics. The research group demonstrated that while the laws of quantum theory alone do not inherently prevent violations of the second law of thermodynamics, any quantum process can be implemented without actually violating the law. This surprising result suggests a peaceful coexistence between quantum theory and thermodynamics, despite their logical independence. This discovery could have profound implications for understanding the thermodynamic limits of quantum technologies, such as quantum computing and nanoscale engines. 

AI transformational impact is well under way. But as AI technologies develop, so too does their power consumption. Now, researchershave developed a new spintronic device that can potentially revolutionize AI hardware through higher efficiency and lower energy costs.