Japan elects Taiga Ishikawa as first openly gay male lawmaker
Taiga Ishikawa made history on July 21 when he became the first openly gay male lawmaker in the country’s history.
Japan
This archive collects solutions-journalism stories and milestones from Japan — covering advances in health, technology, environment, community resilience, and public policy. Each entry highlights real progress and the people and systems behind it.
Tokyo unveils 2020 Olympic medals, made entirely from recycled cellphones
The Tokyo 2020 organizing committee unveiled its Olympic and Paralympic medal designs. They are all completely made of over six million recycled cellphones.
Scientists make ‘landmark’ discovery synthesizing anti-cancer molecules found in sea sponges
Their new strategy has already helped speed up research into these molecules, including a planned clinical trial in humans.
Thousands of Japanese women join campaign to ban workplace high heel requirements
More than 19,000 people in Japan have signed a petition to ban office dress codes which force women to wear high heels to work.
Honda to electrify 100% of its European sales by 2025
Honda revealed their ambition to make 100% of its European sales electrified by 2025. This has built on the vehicle manufacturer’s previous goal of two thirds electrified by 2025.
Japan to add 17 GW of new solar by end of 2020
The Japanese solar sector grew from 13.6 GW at the end of 2013 to 48.6 GW by the end of 2017, making it one of the fastest growing solar sectors in the world.
Japan’s Marubeni to halve coal-fired power capacity by 2030
Japan’s Marubeni Corp said it would no longer start new coal-fired power plant projects and will halve its net coal power generating capacity of about 3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.
Japan is having its own #MeToo moment
The #MeToo movement captured the nation’s attention after a top-ranking Finance Ministry official was accused by a female reporter of repeated sexual harassment.
Renault-Nissan aims for next generation battery car in 2025
The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance is working to produce an electric car that uses solid-state batteries as early as 2025, in a move that puts it amid the frontrunners in the global race to launch the next generation of electric vehicles.
Eight nations launch the International Coral Reef Initiative to protect reefs globally
The International Coral Reef Initiative launched in December 1994, when eight nations — from Jamaica to Japan — met in the Bahamas and pledged the first global partnership devoted entirely to coral reefs. Reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor but shelter roughly a quarter of marine species, and until then, no international body had spoken for them alone.