Japan-based YKK, the global leader in zipper manufacturing (producing roughly half the world’s zippers), developed an innovative self-propelled zipper prototype primarily for industrial applications, not consumer apparel.
Japan’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) has been developing an electromagnetic railgun, and it’s been tested aboard the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) test ship JS Asuka. This prototype, weighing 8 tons with a 6-meter barrel, achieved a muzzle velocity of around 2,230–2,500 meters per second (Mach 6.5–7.2) using 5 megajoules (MJ) of energy.
JR West, a train company in Japan, teamed up with Serendix, a company specializing in 3D-printed construction, to build the world’s first 3D-printed train station at Hatsushima Station in Arida City, Wakayama Prefecture.
Unlike humanoid robots, the Kawasaki Corleo gets around on four independent robotic legs that move on their own, each with rubber “hooves” to grab onto stuff like rocky hills or muddy paths. It doesn’t have wheels—it walks or hops instead, using AI to check out the terrain and stay balanced.
Japanese toy manufacturer MegaHouse, in collaboration with Iriso Precision Company, has created the world’s smallest functional Rubik’s Cube, and it measures just 0.50 cm tall. Why? This creation celebrates the 3D combination puzzle’s 50th anniversary.
Fujitsubo’s Snowkel might be the strangest exhaust system we’ve seen yet, but it does serve a specific purpose. It was designed to route exhaust fumes through the layer of snow and into the atmosphere during a blizzard, or worse, an avalanche.
You’ve seen Max Verstappen’s old Civic Type R, now one of the earliest examples could be yours for the right price. This showroom condition 1998 Honda Civic Type R was imported from Japan with 53,000-miles on the odometer, and has already reached $40,000 USD at auction, with 2-days left on the listing.
Komatsu Global unveiled an autonomous underwater bulldozer with an all-electric powertrain at CES 2025 this past week. This isn’t just a prototype either, as several are already in use building showcases for Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai, Japan.