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<ul class="summary-list"><li>Japan Airlines has offered free domestic flights to international tourists visiting Japan.</li><li>The initiative aims to promote travel to lesser-known destinations.</li></ul>Japan Airlines is giving <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-airlines-free-domestic-flights-us-international-how-to-book-2024-9">free domestic flights</a> to international tourists, making travel to smaller cities and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tips-for-going-to-japan-avoid-mistakes-travel-advice-2024-7">hidden gems</a> far easier.But travel experts say the initiative is likely to backfire, as it could exacerbate the country's overtourism problem.The initiative was announced in September and is available to people traveling to Japan from the <a target="_blank" rel="" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-american-wishes-she-knew-before-visiting-japan-mistakes-2024-9">US</a>, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, China, and Taiwan.In order to obtain the free tickets, passengers must book round-trip international flights with Japan Airlines and domestic flights within the same purchase.A spokesperson for Japan Airlines said no end date has been set for the initiative.<h2 id="e067d43f-7a22-42e9-a0bf-597ba6c4f4a3">It could intensify over-tourism</h2>Sara Aiko, founder of the travel agency <a target="_blank" href="http://www.curatedkyoto.com/">Curated Kyoto, </a>told BI that the initiative was likely created to distribute tourism to lesser-known areas to alleviate overtourism in the capital.But in practice, Aiko said, "people will continue to flock to popular destinations like Tokyo, regardless of free tickets, because they are major attractions."<div type="image" title="A woman with a backpack walks through the streets of Tokyo." height="4749" width="6888" msid="114154442" hostid="261" sizebytes="1396134"></div>Earlier this year, the Japanese government estimated that it would surpass <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link" href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/17/japan/society/record-high-inbound-travelers/">its target of getting 32 million international tourists by 2025</a> after 8.6 million people visited in the first quarter of 2024.Ben Julius is the founder of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.touristjapan.com/about/">Tourist Japan</a>, a travel agency that offers tour packages across Japan to travelers from around the globe.Speaking to BI, Julius said around 90% of his clients visit the same popular locations: Tokyo, Kyoto, Mount Fuji, and Osaka."The majority of visitors are first-time visitors," he said. "And when people visit Japan for the first time, they won't miss the must-see cities."However, overtourism in these areas is majorly disrupting the lives of locals, who have to deal with rising hotel prices and misbehaving tourists."Hotel prices have skyrocketed due to tourism, making it difficult for many locals to stay at places they used to enjoy," Aiko said.Meanwhile, in April, authorities in Yamanashi erected an eight-foot-tall barrier to prevent tourists from taking photos at a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-town-building-barrier-stop-tourists-taking-mount-fuji-photos-2024-4">convenience store with views of Mount Fuji</a>.<div type="image" title="A view of Mount Fuji behind a convenience store." height="2828" width="4242" msid="114154441" hostid="261" sizebytes="260872"></div>The move came after complaints about the behavior of international tourists, including littering and bad parking.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg2j7dery1o">BBC News</a> reported in August that the barrier had been removed in preparation for a typhoon, but authorities said it would be re-erected if tourists returned in large numbers.Duncan Greenfield-Turk, CEO of the travel agency <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://globaltravelmoments.com/">Global Travel Moments</a>, told BI that Japan has been a top-booked destination for his clients for the past three years.He said he has noticed the "immersive pressure" on the country's public transport system, hotels, and attractions, "particularly in smaller towns not equipped for mass tourism."International visitor spending is expected to reach 6.3 trillion Japanese yen, or around $42 billion, by the end of 2024, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://wttc.org/news-article/japans-travel-and-tourism-sector-to-surpass-previous-records-in-2024">research</a> by the World Travel and Tourism Council.Employment within the travel and tourism industry is also expected to climb. The organization estimates more than 6 million new jobs will be created this year, which they said is a 10% increase from 2023.One reason tourists are spending more money is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-weak-currency-yen-boosts-foreign-tourism-luxury-purchases-travel-2024-4">weak yen</a>. Since the start of 2022, the yen has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/JAPAN-YEN/EXPLAINER/xmvjnxjmbvr/">lost more than 20% against the dollar,</a> and it reached a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/dollar-defensive-amid-lower-yields-yen-hovers-near-38-year-trough-2024-07-03/">38-year low</a> of 161.96 to the dollar in July.Greenfield-Turk said Japan Airlines' initiative has the potential to stretch the economic benefits of mass tourism to less-visited areas.However, without proper direction, he said it "could simply encourage more travel to already strained regions, intensifying the overtourism problem.""If tourists continue to gravitate toward popular destinations rather than exploring new ones, the initiative could backfire," he said.There's also the possibility that tourists will opt out of the new initiative.Amy Thomasson, a Japan travel advisor for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.travelmation.net/">Travelmation</a>, told BI that it "doesn't make sense for most travelers" because of the additional costs that could be accumulated.The airline said travelers from the US, Canada, Mexico, and China who plan to stay in their first destination for more than 24 hours will be charged a $100 layover fee.Instead, Thomasson suggests that tourists utilize Japan's high-speed trains.Business Insider's Monica Humphries previously wrote about her experience traveling between Tokyo and Kyoto on the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/riding-japans-bullet-trains-between-tokyo-kyoto-2023-7">Hikari Shinkansen</a>, a high-speed bullet train, and noted that it was clean, comfortable, and quick.

Japan is giving free flights to international tourists, but it may backfire

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced he will not stand down.</li><li>His decision follows a financial scandal involving lawmakers from his Liberal Democratic Party.</li></ul>Japan's prime minister said on Wednesday he would quit, caving to domestic political pressure.Fumio Kishida announced his departure in a press conference, saying he would not stand in an upcoming election for the leadership of his Liberal Democratic Party.The decision means the contest will pick a successor who will succeed him as prime minister, without a general election.Kishida stepped down under pressure from a string of scandals.At the press conference, he said he hoped his departure would "impress on the public that the LDP has changed," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/08/f990eece59b6-urgent-japan-pm-kishida-not-to-run-in-ldp-presidential-election-source.html">per Japan's Kyodo news agency</a>.He said he was taking personal responsibility for a financial scandal in which LDP lawmakers were accused of taking personal kickbacks from political funds.Kishida's party has been in almost continuous power in Japan since 1955.He became prime minister in 2021, taking over from his predecessor Yoshihide Suga.Before that, Japan had been led for eight years by Shinzo Abe, famed for his <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-abenomics-2013-3">Abenomics</a> approach to Japan's economy.Abe <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/live-updates-japans-former-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-shot-2022-7">was assassinated in July 2022</a> while speaking at a campaign event.

Japan's prime minister is resigning, under pressure from scandal

Grace, a 29-year-old publicist in New York, has regularly used a slew of dating apps for more than four years, with little luck. Despite endless chatting, her matches rarely materialize into in-person dates. She's tried a paid version of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hinge-boyfriend-why-dating-is-better-offline-2023-6">Hinge</a> ($100 for three months). She's tried the members-only app Raya, but after she spent $120 a year for the past three years, it's led her to only two first dates. At this point, Grace said, the apps have left her "burned out and exhausted."In a recent Forbes survey of Americans who'd used dating apps in the past year, 78% of respondents said they felt some amount of burnout. A growing number of younger people are rejecting dating and sex altogether. Among millions, a consensus is forming: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/forever-alone-staying-single-done-with-dating-apps-2023-7">Dating apps suck</a> so bad that they might even be deliberately keeping us from finding love.Theories abound on what's behind the frustrating, sorry state of apps. Some point to how, as a way to compensate for stagnating user bases, many apps are increasingly becoming pay to play. Last fall, Tinder rolled out a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-tinder-select-the-499-monthly-subscription-2023-12">$500 monthly subscription</a>, in addition to two cheaper membership tiers. The League charges up to $1,000 a week or $2,500 a month. Hinge charges users for "roses" to send to their "standouts," which are trapped behind a paywall that critics have dubbed "rose jail." These days, "it's really a lot harder to be functional if you're not on some level of a paid membership," Damona Hoffman, a dating coach, said. While apps like Hinge insist they're "designed to be deleted," finding a partner on them increasingly seems reserved only for those who can afford it.Some point to a fundamental misalignment between dating-app companies and their customers: The more successful the product is for the user, the worse it is for the bottom line. "They don't actually want you to be successful because that means they're losing a customer," said Bianca Stelian, a digital strategist who posted <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-apps-deleted-hinge-raya-tinder-bumble-oversaturated-bad-matches-2024-1">a viral TikTok</a> positing her own theories about dating-app burnout. Others argue that the apps are intentionally gamified and addictive. The average American dating-app user spends <a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/health/dating/dating-app-fatigue/">51 minutes a day</a> swiping, more than double the time the average American spends exercising. Ryan Clarkson, a lawyer who recently brought a class-action lawsuit on behalf of Tinder and Hinge users, compared dating apps maximizing user engagement and "trapping users in a perpetual pay-to-play loop" to pharmaceutical companies selling addictive drugs to vulnerable patients. Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, called Clarkson's lawsuit "ridiculous" and insisted that its business strategy didn't rely on advertising or engagement metrics.Still, others blame the problem on the near monopoly a handful of companies — namely Match Group (which owns 45 dating brands worldwide) and Bumble — have on the market, which has led to years of complacency. "They've just been the same for so long," Ali Jackson, a New York City dating coach, said. "Somebody needs to do something drastically different."So here's one idea: What if your local government played matchmaker?Before you barf at the thought of your mayor setting you up on your next date, hear me out: The more expensive dating becomes, the less equitable it becomes. Meanwhile, the US government is increasingly recognizing social connection as a key element of public health, and increasingly investing in ways to combat our "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/there-is-no-loneliness-epidemic-mental-health-2024-4">loneliness epidemic</a>." If romantic relationships are so important both for the individual and for society, it's not a stretch to consider them a public good worth investing in.Some countries, including Japan and Australia, already do and have been experimenting with government-subsidized and even government-run alternatives to traditional, commercial dating apps. While these projects are still in their early days, they raise a once unthinkable, now compelling question for America: Could the government bring some much-needed innovation to dating?For years, several East Asian countries have desperately sought to reverse their plummeting birth rates. They've rolled out subsidies for parents, salary increases for younger workers, and other family-friendly policies. Increasingly, they see the dating industry as a lever to pull.The Japanese federal government's Children and Families Agency, for example, has set up marriage support centers in most of the country's 47 prefectures, providing services like dating coaches, in-person mixers, and at least one mixer in the metaverse. A center in Saitama prefecture (population 7.3 million) reported that since its center opened in October 2018, 12,517 couples had begun dating through the service and 472 couples had gotten married.In Tokyo, the city government is even releasing its own dating app, part of a campaign called Tokyo Futari Story ("futari" means couple). The service, which the city has budgeted several million dollars to develop and promote, will require users to verify their income, prove they're unmarried, sit for an interview with the app's staff, and sign a statement saying they're intent on getting married. Some experts are cautiously optimistic about the government playing cupid. Bouke de Vries, an associate professor of philosophy at Ghent University in Belgium who's studied dating apps, argues that state-run dating apps are at least in theory better positioned to help people find partners without spending too much money or time in the process. Many for-profit dating services are "gratuitously prolonging" users' search for love, he said. "The interests of governments are much better aligned with those of love-seeking users than those of private companies and love-seeking users," de Vries said.Others say these projects will do little to change entrenched attitudes. Omar Minami, a former Tinder employee in Japan and cofounder of a Japanese dating app, said that low marriage and birth rates are the result of much-deeper economic and cultural issues, including the gender wage gap, intense work culture, and huge expenses of raising kids. Government-funded dating apps are a "shiny object" and short-term solution, he added."It will take decades of work in order to change the mindset of Japanese people in regards to marriage," he said. "Unfortunately, government officials are only looking for investments that will pay off in their lifetime."On the other hand, governments can be given so much power to play matchmaker they damage all of society. In the 1980s, Singapore pursued a racist, eugenics-based policy by offering discounted dating services exclusively to college-educated citizens, who were disproportionately ethnically Chinese, excluding members of marginalized minorities. The government also funded voluntary sterilization for lower-income parents.Other countries, however, have stepped in to make dating less dangerous for its most vulnerable citizens. People with disabilities in Australia can now use the cash benefits they get from the country's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ndis.gov.au/">National Disability Insurance Scheme</a> to pay for a dating app designed for people with disabilities, called the Cliq Connection. Cheryl Drury, the app's founder, said many of her customers previously had trouble dating, fell prey to scams, or were sexually assaulted. "They're just being eaten up on mainstream dating apps because they're just so vulnerable through physical assault as well as scams," she said. But she doubts the government will offer direct support for her services anytime soon, given the persistent "taboo" surrounding sexuality, relationships, and disability.A more realistic model for America may be a public-private partnership model. Last year, Japan's most popular dating app, the Match Group-owned Pairs, began collaborating with several prefectures and cities. The governments have employed researchers to devise questionnaires for users and have hosted dating seminars and other events, and they're covering the costs of their constituents' memberships to the app. The company, which isn't taking direct government funding, says it hopes these partnerships will help alleviate the "worsening population decline in rural areas and the resulting low birth rate and unmarried population."Francesca Katayama met her husband on Pairs in Tokyo in 2021 (they now have 2-year-old twins). The 31-year-old said she's in favor of more government support for dating — especially for an app like Pairs, which has already catered to people seeking committed relationships — but blames the country's high cost of living and intense work culture for low marriage and birth rates.Junko Yamada, a psychology professor at Rissho University who has worked with Pairs, thinks governments have a key role to play in breaking down barriers in the world of romance. "Although romantic relationships are often perceived as an individual problem," Yamada said, "the problem is actually largely due to social structures." She blamed a decline in dating on workplace sexual harassment, an insular social scene, and concerns about safety and security. Yamada said that government-subsidized dating services could appeal particularly to those who are skeptical of private-sector apps by offering extra security and ensuring users are serious about finding romantic connection.But could any of this happen in America? As of today, an engineer hoping to build the next OKCupid from inside the Department of Health and Human Services would face some steep hurdles.For one thing, there's a lack of bipartisan support. Beyond defending reproductive rights, liberals and progressives have largely shied away from promoting courtship and family creation. Meanwhile, small-government conservatives are unlikely to pass a Make America Date Again bill. Although! Conservatives have long been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/republican-baby-bust-panic-wont-support-pro-family-policies-2021-4">fixated on boosting the birth rate</a>, and Elon Musk, who is now donating $45 million a month to a Trump super PAC and has long warned against "population collapse," trumpeted the announcement of Tokyo's dating app. "I'm glad the Japanese government recognizes the importance of this matter. If radical action isn't taken, Japan (and many other countries) will disappear!" he wrote on X.But perhaps a bigger impediment than political will is cultural taboo. "There's something almost salacious about finding love and dating," said Justin Garcia, a sex researcher and professor of gender studies at Indiana University. If society viewed sex and relationships as a health issue, there would already be government funding to study it and independent commissions to address it, he added. But Garcia, who runs the university's sexual-behavior research center, Kinsey Institute, has found it nearly impossible to get the government to fund research related to sex and romance unless it's specific to a very particular, marginalized group, like those suffering from epilepsy or Alzheimer's.Instead, academics have to partner with industry or philanthropic organizations. Garcia serves as a scientific advisor to Match Group, which funds some of his research. Meanwhile, his work is under attack by Republican lawmakers, who last year ended state funding for the Kinsey Institute, prompting the university's board of trustees to consider turning it into an independent nonprofit.To Garcia, funding research on romantic and sexual relationships is a no-brainer. "These are some of the most important relationships in our lives," he said. "They impact our psychological health. They impact our physical health. They impact our financial and economic prospects. They impact our family dynamics and future generations."When it comes to dating apps, he supports rigorous research on what's working and what's not. He sees a role for the government, though, he said, there's a vaguely ominous threat of the government intervening in people's personal lives. "We don't want government telling us who we should partner with, and how to partner, and when to partner, but rather giving people more resources to have successful relationships," he said.No American government has yet helped its constituents date. But it might not be hard to imagine a local official like Mayor Eric Adams of New York City — who once spun his outdoor-dining policy as a way to promote flirting — getting behind a state-supported dating service. One could hear him announcing at a press conference: "We are extremely proud to introduce a new dating experience from America's mayor, called Adams &amp; Eve."<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/eliza-relman">Eliza Relman</a> is a policy correspondent focused on housing, transportation, and infrastructure on Insider's economy team.

Japan's one weird trick to reverse population collapse

The mention of magnolia, birch, or cherry wood often evokes thoughts of furniture, yet Japanese researchers have unveiled an unexpected application for wood. In a joint effort between the <keyword id="750760" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="japan-aerospace-exploration-agency" source="Orion">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency</keyword> (<keyword id="280363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jaxa" source="Orion">JAXA</keyword>) and <keyword id="6360409" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nasa" source="Orion">NASA</keyword> to enhance spaceflight sustainability, they are set to launch the world's first <keyword id="10528101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wooden-satellite" source="Orion">wooden satellite</keyword>, named <keyword id="19504632" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lignosat" source="Orion">LignoSat</keyword>, into <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword>'s <keyword id="6375157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="orbit" source="Orion">orbit</keyword> by summer 2024. Crafted from magnolia wood and resembling a coffee mug in size, this innovative <keyword id="6358065" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="satellite" source="Orion">satellite</keyword> offers numerous advantages. Wood proves to be lightweight, sturdy, durable, and biodegradable, avoiding burning or rotting in <keyword id="41531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword>. Unlike metal satellites, wooden ones, like LignoSat, disintegrate into fine ash upon reentry, mitigating the issue of space junk. Additionally, wood is more cost-effective compared to traditional satellite materials such as titanium and aluminum. Despite wood's susceptibility to moisture damage, researchers conducted successful tests with three wood samples aboard the <keyword id="6382020" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-space-station" source="Orion">International Space Station</keyword> (ISS) for ten months, revealing no deformation, decomposition, or damage. This suggests that magnolia wood is well-suited for satellite use. The project aims to pave the way for incorporating wood into various space applications. The launch of LignoSat signifies a promising stride toward developing more sustainable spacecraft, potentially revolutionizing space exploration. Beyond LignoSat, NASA and JAXA are engaged in several initiatives to enhance spaceflight sustainability, including the exploration of cleaner rocket fuels and more efficient spacecraft designs. The vision extends to a future where wood becomes a pivotal material in crafting a range of spacecraft, from satellites to space stations and even spaceships.

Meet LignoSat, the world’s first wooden satellite that is set to orbit the Earth by 2024!

In a historic move, the ancient practice of <keyword id="19965976" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoga" source="keywords">yoga</keyword> has been embraced by the future <keyword id="20007738" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asian-Games" source="keywords">Asian Games</keyword> programme, marking a significant milestone in its millennia-long journey. The decision, made at a recent executive board meeting of the <keyword id="20760894" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympic-Council-of-Asia" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Olympic Council of Asia" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Olympic Council of Asia">Olympic Council of Asia</keyword> (OCA), underscores yoga's growing global appeal and its evolution from a spiritual discipline to a competitive sport. The initiative was spearheaded by the <keyword id="19896477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Olympic-Association" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Olympic Association" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Olympic Association">Indian Olympic Association</keyword> (IOA), with President PT Usha championing the cause. ”I am delighted that the OCA Executive Board spontaneously agreed to India’s request to give yoga the recognition it deserves. The proposal shall now move through the <keyword id="22259259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sports-committee" source="keywords">Sports Committee</keyword> to the General Assembly for confirmation,” Usha said. She credited the unrelenting support of Randhir Singh, acting president of OCA, for facilitating this significant step. The inclusion of yoga in the Asian Games, according to Usha, not only acknowledges its universal appeal but also underscores its role in promoting physical and mental well-being among athletes and enthusiasts worldwide. She highlighted the visionary efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose advocacy for yoga's global recognition has been pivotal in this achievement. She also extended her gratitude to <keyword id="19906409" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mansukh-Mandaviya" source="keywords">Mansukh Mandaviya</keyword>, India’s Sports Minister, for his proactive stance in supporting yoga's inclusion in the Asian Games agenda. Mandaviya, echoing Usha's sentiments, emphasised the widespread popularity and holistic benefits of yoga as reasons for its rightful place in competitive sports. "It is only fair that yoga becomes a competitive sport and is included in the Asian Games," he stated, underscoring the sport's cultural significance and global relevance. The formal recognition of yoga as a competitive sport by the ministries of youth affairs and sports, and AYUSH in December 2020 laid the groundwork for its inclusion in major national and international sporting events. The establishment of the National <keyword id="19916946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yogasana" source="keywords">Yogasana</keyword> Sport Federation of India (NYSFI) and the International Yogasana Sports Federation (IYSF) further solidifies yoga's status as a globally recognized discipline. The recent decision paves the way for yoga to debut as a demonstration sport at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, followed by its full-fledged competitive debut at the Doha Asiad in 2030. Initially, competitions will feature five events, including traditional yogasana, artistic yogasana (singles and pairs), rhythmic yogasana (pairs and group), individual all-round championships, and team championships. Each event will offer 15 medals across men's and women's categories, ensuring a robust platform for athletes to showcase their skills. Dr. H R Nagendra, Secretary General of IYSF, emphasised, "Yoga's journey to becoming a competitive sport is a natural evolution, driven by its holistic benefits and cultural significance." The roots of yoga trace back thousands of years in Indian civilization, and its ethos of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being has resonated worldwide. Yogasana Bharat, recognized by India’s Sports Ministry for its efforts in developing yogasana as a competitive sport, has played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for yoga's inclusion at such prestigious international platforms. The move not only promotes yoga as a physical discipline but also celebrates its spiritual and cultural heritage, enriching the Asian Games with diversity and inclusivity. (With inputs from agencies)

Yoga to be Asian Games’ newest addition; debut as demonstration sport in Japan in 2026!

The <keyword id="1154824" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="japan-atomic-energy-agency" source="Orion">Japan Atomic Energy Agency</keyword> (JAEA) has confirmed the detection of <keyword id="74416" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="radioactive-material" source="Orion">radioactive material</keyword> leaks in one of its <keyword id="98276" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="nuclear-fuel" source="Orion">nuclear fuel</keyword> research facilities but reported no adverse effects on the health of the staff or the surrounding environment, local media reported on Wednesday. In its report, Kyodo News citing the JAEA said that the leaks were detected within the Plutonium Fuel Development Room No. 3 at the JAEA's Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, located in Tokai village, <keyword id="590723" type="General" weightage="30" keywordseo="ibaraki" source="Orion">Ibaraki</keyword> prefecture, reports Xinhua news agency. On September 8, the Plutonium Fuel Development Room No. 3 identified pollution caused by radioactive materials at four locations within the facility. The pollution was discovered during a routine inspection of the glovebox equipment, which is designed to be airtight. The contamination was found both above and below the glovebox, with the highest level of radioactive activity measuring approximately 33 becquerels. Although the glovebox contained nuclear fuel materials, it had not been in recent use and was solely undergoing a biennial routine inspection, said the JAEA. The JAEA has reassured the public that the leak of nuclear material has not had any negative consequences for the health of the facility's four staff members or the surrounding environment. At present, the cause of the radioactive material leak is under investigation. Authorities at the laboratories suspected that the radioactive materials may have seeped out of the equipment.

Radioactive material leaks detected at Japan's nuke fuel research facility

Human ingenuity knows no limits. From launching rovers to explore distant planets and their uncharted landscapes, to capturing black holes images and peeling back the curtain on one of the cosmos' most profound mysteries, our relentless pursuit of knowledge has led to remarkable achievements that defy the boundaries of possibility. Now, we’re set to take on another extraordinary endeavour: sending a <keyword id="20635636" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="wooden-satellite" source="keywords">wooden satellite</keyword> into space! On Tuesday, Japanese scientists announced that they have successfully created the world's first wooden satellite. This small cube-shaped spacecraft is poised to make history as it journeys into space aboard a SpaceX rocket later this year. Below, we delve into the details of this remarkable wooden satellite, known as <keyword id="21867671" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="LignoSat" source="keywords">LignoSat</keyword>, addressing some frequently asked questions about this pioneering project. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is LignoSat?" comment="subhead" text="What is LignoSat?">What is LignoSat?</cmsannotation> “LignoSat”, a fusion of “ligno” (the Latin word for wood) and “satellite”, is the result of approximately four years of collaborative research and development by a team comprising members from <keyword id="20638534" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kyoto-University" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Kyoto University" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Kyoto University">Kyoto University</keyword> and <keyword id="21867672" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sumitomo-Forestry-Co" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Sumitomo Forestry Co" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Sumitomo Forestry Co">Sumitomo Forestry Co</keyword>. Their objective is to leverage the eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness of wood in space exploration. <div type="twitter" handle="japantimes" handlename="japantimes" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1795802876670828854"></div> LignoSat is constructed from magnolia wood, chosen for its durability and adaptability following rigorous space exposure assessments conducted on samples of cherry, birch and magnolia wood chips. The raw material originates from Sumitomo Forestry’s company-owned forest. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Why wood?" comment="subhead" text="Why wood?">Why wood?</cmsannotation> In contrast to traditional satellites constructed from metals, wooden satellites are viewed as more environmentally friendly upon reentering the Earth's atmosphere at the conclusion of their mission. Unlike metal satellites, which pose air pollution risks due to the generation of metal particles during reentry, wooden satellites mitigate these concerns. Moreover, alumina particles from conventional satellites can have adverse effects on weather patterns and communication systems. Wooden satellites also offer a solution to the issue of space debris. Orbiting Now, a website that tracks satellites, recorded over 10,049 satellites in orbit as of May 30, including 8,135 in Low-Earth Orbit destined for reentry. By utilising wooden satellites, the risk of space clutter and associated hazards can be reduced. The development of wooden satellites also marks a significant advancement for both the aerospace and timber industries. In a joint press release, Kyoto University and the Tokyo-based wood products company emphasised the significance of this achievement in expanding the utilisation of wood, a sustainable resource, in space exploration. The research team has validated the durability of wooden materials in the demanding conditions of outer space, further affirming the viability of wooden satellites for future space missions. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Is it all wood?" comment="subhead" text="Is it all wood?">Is it all wood?</cmsannotation> Not quite. LignoSat, a 10-centimetre cube, comprises 4 to 5.5 millimetre-thick magnolia wood panels, complemented by a frame partially crafted from aluminium. Equipped with solar panels attached to select sides, the satellite weighs approximately 1 kilogram. Constructed using a traditional Japanese technique devoid of screws or adhesive materials, LignoSat reflects a blend of innovative engineering and time-honoured craftsmanship. <keyword id="21867673" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="takao-doi" source="keywords">Takao Doi</keyword>, a seasoned astronaut and program-specific professor at Kyoto University, expressed aspirations for future satellite iterations to feature an entirely wooden construction, including the electronic substrate component housed within. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What next?" comment="subhead" text="What next?">What next?</cmsannotation> The satellite will be handed over to the <keyword id="19904740" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japan" source="keywords">Japan</keyword> Aerospace Exploration Agency on June 4. It is then scheduled for a September launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, US, destined for the International Space Station. Following its arrival at the orbiting laboratory, approximately one month later, it will be deployed into space. Over the subsequent six months post-launch, a plethora of data will be gathered on various aspects including wood expansion and contraction, internal temperature, geomagnetism and electronic equipment performance. This invaluable data, transmitted to Kyoto University's communications station, will play a pivotal role in shaping the development of a second satellite, LignoSat-2. However, the vision extends beyond this groundbreaking achievement. Takao Doi envisions an ambitious future where wood serves as a cornerstone for sustainable space exploration. “Expanding the potential of wood as a sustainable resource is significant. We aim to build human habitats using wood in space, such as on the moon and Mars, in the future,” he was quoted as saying by <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/29/japan/science-health/world-first-wooden-satellite/">The Japan Times</a>.

Japan unveils world's first wooden satellite! Here’s all you need to know about ‘LignoSat’

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Japan's weak currency is boosting tourism, with a record-breaking 3.1 million visitors in March.</li><li>The devalued yen is encouraging tourists to spend more on luxury goods.</li></ul>Japan is a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-town-building-barrier-stop-tourists-taking-mount-fuji-photos-2024-4">beloved tourist spot</a>. A weak currency is ensuring that it will remain that way for foreigners.The country just broke its pre-pandemic tourist record, with 3.1 million foreign visitors in March. The government said it's on track to surpass <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/04/17/japan/society/record-high-inbound-travelers/">2025's target of 32 million annual foreign visitors</a> this year, after 8.6 million tourists visited in the first quarter of 2024.Japan opened to tourists in October 2022, after over two years of strict, pandemic-induced border restrictions. Pent-up demand, combined with a cheaper currency, has fueled the record number of visitors.Tourists are staying longer and spending more due to the weak yen, which makes it cheaper for foreigners to purchase accommodation, activities, food, and gifts. The yen has fallen nearly <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/jpy-usd">10% year-to-date</a>, compared to the dollar.Japan's currency has been depreciating largely due to high interest rates in the US, which makes the dollar more attractive to investors. A <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-central-bank-raises-interest-rates-17-years-2024-3">historic rate hike</a> in Japan last month — the first since 2007 — did little to reverse the downward trend.Japan is a tourist hot spot because of its status as a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/centuries-old-japanese-ceramics-maker-maruwa-ai-revolution-2024-4">culture</a> and entertainment icon, its natural wonders, and its unique cuisine. Tourists from South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the US made up the <a target="_blank" href="https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/">biggest portion</a> of foreign visitors in March, according to Japan's National Tourism Organization.Japanese carriers like Japan Airlines and ANA plan to cash in on the tourism boom by running more routes from Asia.The sharp decline of the yen has also expanded demand for luxury goods. Foreign tourists are taking advantage of the currency discount by snapping up cheaper products in Japan from premium brands such as Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer, Chanel, and Prada, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-17/how-to-get-cheaper-luxury-goods-japan-s-weak-yen-provides-bargains?srnd=homepage-asia">Bloomberg reported</a> earlier this month.While the weak yen creates a sweet spot for foreigners, it is severely hurting Japanese travelers.The number of outbound travelers was <a target="_blank" href="https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--latest--figures">less than half </a>the number of inbound travelers in March, per the National Tourism Organization. Outbound Japanese travel was <a target="_blank" href="https://statistics.jnto.go.jp/en/graph/#graph--latest--figures">down 37%</a> last month compared to the same period in 2019, though it ticked up from February, the agency's data shows.High airfare costs and low buying power is compelling more locals to skip international travel in favor of domestic locations.

Everyone is visiting Japan. An extended currency slump means the tourists will just keep coming.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The US and Japan have agreed to jointly develop a hypersonic missile defense system.</li><li>Hypersonic weapons are outside the threat envelope of current missile defenses.</li></ul>The US and Japan have agreed to work together to develop a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/huge-air-battles-show-us-needs-most-missile-war-china-2024-5">defense system</a> to defeat hypersonic missiles, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3775546/us-department-of-defense-statement-on-the-signing-of-the-glide-phase-intercepto/">according</a> to the US Department of Defense.Hypersonic missiles are a daunting challenge and nearly impossible for current missile-defense systems to stop because they can fly low and maneuver along unpredictable flight paths, making the new project the US and Japan are working on significant as the two allies face emerging Russian and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-military-china-missile-problem-getting-worse-2024-5">Chinese missile threats</a>.On Wednesday, the US and Japan "finalized a formal agreement for a Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) Cooperative Development (GCD) Project Arrangement," which aims to develop a missile defense system that can effectively intercept hypersonic weapons in the glide phase of their flight.The new bilateral agreement is the culmination of over a year of talks between the two countries. Plans for the co-development of a GPI were originally announced in August 2023 during a Japan-US summit. The US Missile Defense Agency will lead the development of the GPI, while Japan will contribute specific components.In their joint statement, the allies said that the coming "GPI will deliver a regional defensive capability over time as part of a holistic layered defensive architecture. The GPI co-development will build upon long-standing U.S.-Japan missile defense cooperation and strengthen the Alliance deterrence posture."<div type="image" title="Russian navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov and a Zircon hypersonic missile in White Sea" height="1333" width="2000" msid="110157854" hostid="261" sizebytes="29148"></div>The development of the planned GPI could be a game-changer against hypersonic threats, which neither country currently has the ability to defeat.Though US weaponry has defeated adjacent threats like Russia's Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, current missile defenses would likely struggle against actual hypersonic weapons like China's DF-17 equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle or Russia's Zircon scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile.Cooperation on the GPI comes as the US and Japan face an expanding Chinese missile force capable of targeting US bases in Japan, as well as other positions in the Pacific region, and increasing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing that has American intelligence re-evaluating its defenses. Notably, Pyongyang is also attempting to develop what it says are hypersonic missiles.Current and former US military leaders have expressed concerns about China's missiles, and US lawmakers and experts have said that the US <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-pacific-bases-aircraft-vulnerable-to-chinese-missiles-lawmakers-2024-5">lacks sufficient active and passive defenses</a> to defend against a bombardment that could include hypersonic weapons.<div type="image" title="A Chinese soldier stands at attention during a military parade, as trucks display hypersonic missiles in the backgorund." height="3016" width="4523" msid="110157855" hostid="261" sizebytes="391122"></div>The GPI project is not the first time the US and Japan have worked together on missile defenses.The allies successfully tested the jointly developed Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) Block IIA interceptor in a February 2017 intercept of a ballistic missile target. The SM-3, part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system, was used in combat <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-warships-used-weapon-combat-first-destroy-iranian-missiles-2024-4">for the first time</a> in April during Iran's missile and drone strike against Israel.At the time, the launch of the SM-3 was significant not only because of its unprecedented use in combat, but also due to its unique capability to eliminate targets outside of the Earth's atmosphere, or exo-atmospherically.

The US and Pacific ally Japan are teaming up to defeat new hypersonic missiles that right now are basically unstoppable

Pluto’s departure from its title as a <keyword id="20111358" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="planet" source="keywords">planet</keyword> not only hurt fans of the now dwarf, but it also changed the pecking order of planets within our <keyword id="52393" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="solar-system" source="Orion">solar system</keyword>. At only a third the size of the <keyword id="19912640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Earth" source="keywords">Earth</keyword>, <keyword id="19901068" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mercury" source="keywords">Mercury</keyword> had automatically become the smallest planet in our solar system, ripe for bullying by Jupiter and the other giants patrolling around our Sun. But alas, while Mercury’s minuscule appearance might make it an easy target, it wasn’t always this tiny, it turns out. Mercury, the smallest and closest planet to the Sun, has long captivated scientists with its extreme conditions and mysterious features. With temperatures swinging from scorching heat to freezing cold and a surface scarred by craters, understanding Mercury's composition and formation has proved challenging. Further, to actually get to Mercury is a mammoth task by itself. Since the planet is so close to the Sun, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to oppose the star’s gravity when near the planet. This also means a mountain of fuel is needed to decelerate spacecrafts enough so they can insert themselves into Mer-dog’s gravity without suffering a meteor’s fate. But that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped trying. <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword> has managed to fly two missions close enough to map the planet, which just made things even curiouser. For starters, they found that, for whatever reason, Mercury has an absurdly gigantic <keyword id="20060547" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="core" source="keywords">core</keyword> compared to its <keyword id="1609094" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mantle" source="Orion">mantle</keyword>, while its crust is paper-thin — relatively speaking. The other nearby rock-based planets, such as Venus, Earth and Mars, all sport baby cores surrounded by a thick molten mantle. Further, analysis of Mercury revealed that it has an unusually high concentration of thorium, an element that should have evaporated in the extreme heat of the planet. Last, but not least, scientists found that, similar to Earth, Mercury too is surrounded by a magnetic field. This suggests that its inner workings might be very similar to ours, and even be made of the same stuff as our core. To keep himself from pulling his hair out, planetary researcher Nicola Mari decided to take a closer look at the planet. Forgoing fancy space-faring rockets and opting for cars and planes instead, his journey took him to Cyprus, a Mediterranean island that used to be at the bottom of the ocean 90 million years ago. The area’s rugged terrain unearthed a geological treasure trove: boninite rocks, born from our Earth’s oozing mantle. Through meticulous analysis, Mari and his team confirmed that these rocks suspiciously mirrored Mercury's chemical makeup almost exactly. The composition of elements such as magnesium, aluminum and iron was the exact same as that seen on the crust of the big-cored planet. The reason this is so significant is because boninites are formed from lava that erupts from a shallow point in our Earth’s crust. If Mercury’s rocks were also formed from its mantle in similar ways to our own, it means that something could have happened that blew away the majority of its crust, leaving behind the thin exterior we see now. Something catastrophic like an interplanetary <keyword id="19979441" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="collision" source="keywords">collision</keyword>, perhaps. This catastrophic clashing theory has been in the works for a while now, and planetary scientists think that Mercury might have started off being as big as the Earth. Most of its crust was wiped away post-collision, leaving what we see today. The journey to decipher Mercury's secrets is far from over. With <keyword id="21312858" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BepiColombo" source="keywords">BepiColombo</keyword>'s — a joint space endeavor by the <keyword id="20681418" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="European-Space-Agency" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="European Space Agency" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="European Space Agency">European Space Agency</keyword> and Japan — scientific operations on the horizon, the stage is set for a new era of discovery. As Mari ventures forth to explore other terrestrial analogues, the cosmos awaits with its myriad secrets, ready to be unveiled one rock at a time. These findings are based on a BBC article that can be accessed <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240410-mercury-the-solar-systems-smallest-planet-may-once-have-been-as-large-as-earth" data-type="tilCustomLink">here</a>.

An interplanetary collision might have shrunk Mercury to its current size, scientists think

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Japan landed a probe on the moon just days after a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astrobotic-moon-lander-leaking-fuel-after-launch-threatening-mission-2024-1">US moon lander failed</a>.</li><li>Japan's SLIM probe <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moon-missions-why-astronauts-have-not-returned-2018-7">landed on the moon</a> upside-down, but it's still communicating and taking photos.</li></ul>Japan's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-india-attempt-first-ever-moon-landing-2023-8">first moon landing</a> is full of surprises, now including coming back to life.The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jaxas-slim-spacecraft-japan-first-moon-landing-attempt-2023-12">Smart Lander for Investigating Moon — aka the SLIM probe</a> — landed on the moon with astonishing accuracy on January 19.Even though one of its two main thrusters failed, causing the spacecraft to tumble as it descended, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-successful-first-moon-landing-slim-spacecraft-mission-2024-1">SLIM still landed</a> within 180 feet of its target spot on the edge of the moon's Shioli crater.The touchdown was so precise that officials at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomer-animations-reveal-solar-system-physics-2021-10">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)</a> have nicknamed the probe their "moon sniper."There was one big problem, though: The robot landed upside-down. That angled its solar panels away from the sun, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-insight-mars-lander-hibernating-so-batteries-dont-die-2021-4">preventing it from generating energy</a>. Within a few hours after its historic landing, the spacecraft dropped out of communications with Earth.But before that, it was able to deploy two tiny rovers, one of which snapped a photo of SLIM belly-up on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-helping-private-companies-build-business-moon-make-lunar-billions-2023-6">the moon</a>.Miraculously, though, SLIM came back to life this weekend.<h2>JAXA's resurrection on the moon</h2><div type="image" title="a gold rover rests on the moon surface" height="244" width="430" msid="107244179" hostid="261" sizebytes="21536"></div>"Communication with SLIM was successfully established last night, and operations resumed!" the JAXA SLIM team posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/japans-slim-probe-regains-power-more-than-week-after-moon-landing-2024-01-29/">Reuters</a> reported that this was likely because the sunlight had changed direction.JAXA said it had "immediately" started science operations with SLIM, imaging rocks in the area.Perhaps JAXA's biggest goal for this mission was to test its precision-landing technologies, which will be needed as nations flock to the cratered south pole and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-nasa-scientist-video-shows-moon-has-no-dark-side-2019-11">far side of the moon</a>, where critical resources such as water could be mined."We demonstrated that we can land where we want," JAXA project manager Shinichiro Sakai told the <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-moon-lander-slim-probe-pinpoint-2908c74d9e3c4c8a5eabfb6b1625c617">Associated Press</a>. "We opened a door to a new era."So far this century, China, India, and now Japan have all landed on the moon. Both the US and Russia have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-moon-crater-could-be-russia-luna-25-crash-site-2023-9">tried and failed</a>.The US and the Soviet Union each <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-moon-landings-on-lunar-south-pole-crashed-2023-8">landed on the moon</a> several times in the 20th century.Sakai added that he would give SLIM's pinpoint landing a "perfect score."

Japan's moon probe landed upside-down but somehow it still works

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Japan Airlines plane burst into flames Tuesday in Tokyo after colliding with a Coast Guard plane.</li><li>All 397 people on Japan Airlines Flight 516 survived, while five Coast Guard members died.</li></ul>A Japan Airlines plane erupted in flames after it <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-airlines-plane-fire-video-passengers-inside-jet-flames-cabine-2024-1?mrfhud=true">crashed into a Japanese Coast Guard plane</a> on Tuesday.Everyone on the Japan Airlines flight was safely evacuated, but most of the crew members on the Coast Guard plane died in the collision.Here's everything we know so far about what happened.<h2>Japan Airlines Flight 516 burst into flames after the collision</h2>On Tuesday, Japan Airlines Flight 516 took off from Sapporo, located on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, carrying hundreds of passengers, and landed at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.As the Airbus A350-900 aircraft was landing on the runway, it collided with a Coast Guard MA722 plane that was traveling to Tokyo to assist in earthquake relief efforts.Video showed the Japan Airlines plane burst into flames as it raced down the runway.<h2>How many people died?</h2>All 379 people on board Japan Airlines Flight 516, including 12 crew members, survived the crash and safely evacuated the burning plane. At least 14 people were injured, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://news.yahoo.com/fire-breaks-plane-runway-japans-091938513.html">Reuters.</a>The people on board may have survived thanks to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-airlines-fire-how-passengers-managed-to-escape-burning-plane-2024-1?mrfhud=true">plane safety features and training</a>. Graham Braithwaite, a flight safety expert at Cranfield University in the UK, told Business Insider that safety rules require aircraft to be built to be evacuated in only 90 seconds and with only half of its exits available for use.A spokesperson for Japan Airlines told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/02/world/asia/tokyo-haneda-plane-fire.html">The New York Times</a> that only three of the exit doors were available due to the fire. She added that crew members are trained to evacuate an entire plane in 90 seconds and that the aircraft had been evacuated in minutes.The outlet reported that the video showed passengers evacuating via emergency slides.Five of the six Coast Guard members on the earthquake-relief plane died in the crash, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported, with the pilot alive but injured.<div type="image" title="An All Nippon Airlines (ANA) plane taxis past the burnt wreckage of a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane on the tarmac at Tokyo International Airport at Haneda in Tokyo on January 3, 2024, the morning after the JAL airliner hit a smaller coast guard plane on the ground." height="4024" width="6048" msid="106500823" hostid="261"></div><h2>What was it like on board the burning plane?</h2>A Swedish teenager who was on the plane told the outlet Aftonbladet, "The entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes," the <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://apnews.com/article/plane-fire-japan-793607548e45a80b8ccc8721fb3c5016">Associated Press</a> reported."The smoke in the cabin stung like hell. It was a hell," he said, adding they threw themselves at the emergency doors once they opened. "We have no idea where we are going, so we just run out into the field. It was chaos."Video that appeared to be taken inside the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-airlines-crash-passengers-what-happened-interviews-plane-collision-2024-1">Japan Airlines flight</a> cabin showed smoke in the air and passengers shouting as the flames could be seen outside the windows."I felt a boom, like we had hit something and jerked upward the moment we landed," one passenger told Kyodo News, according to the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-67862011">BBC</a>. "I saw sparks outside the window, and the cabin filled with gas and smoke."<h2>What caused the crash?</h2>Japan Airlines said the cause of the crash is still under investigation and that they are cooperating with Japanese officials.However, it appears the Japanese Airlines flight had been cleared to land. According to the airline, the crew said air traffic control had cleared them to land, adding that the pilots "acknowledged and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control" before proceeding, the Times reported.The coast-guard aircraft that collided with the passenger jet, though, wasn't cleared for takeoff, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-airlines-crash-transcript-coast-guard-captain-2024-1">according to an air-traffic-control transcript</a>.Additionally, <a target="_blank" href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/japan-airlines-flight-crew-acknowledged-repeated-permission-land/story?id=106066266">aviation data obtained by ABC News</a> suggested the warning lights that indicate whether the runway was clear were not working at the time. The Japan Transport Safety Board, police, and other agencies are also investigating the cause of the crash, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/fire-breaks-out-plane-runway-japans-tokyo-haneda-airport-nhk-2024-01-02/">Japan Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito</a> said.

What we know about the Japan Airlines plane crash

<ul class="summary-list"><li>China's richest man is being targeted by nationalists who say he's not patriotic enough.</li><li>Zhong Shanshan has been accused of planting images of Japan in his bottled water label designs.</li></ul>Zhong Shanshan, the richest man in China, has been beset this month by accusations from an online nationalist crowd that he isn't loyal enough to his country.The online anger toward Zhong, who owns the bottled water giant Nongfu Spring, evolved from questioning his patriotism to calls for a boycott of his firm built on claims that he's covertly promoting Japan.Zhong's wealth has taken a material hit. Nongfu Spring shares <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/9633:HK">fell about 6.5%</a> to 41.55 Hong Kong dollars in the first five days of March, with the firm losing about $4 billion in market cap.Zhong's net worth, estimated at $64.6 billion, fell about $2 billion in the same week, per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/shanshan-zhong/">Bloomberg's Billionaire Index.</a>Chinese state media and local influencers have since urged calm as authorities try to buoy a struggling domestic economy.Zhong's recent reputational troubles stemmed from the death of one of his competitors, Zong Qinghou. The founder of the beverage company Hangzhou Wahaha Group, Zong was known in China as a fierce nationalist who competed with international brands.Zong's death on February 25 sparked comparisons between him and Zhong, which quickly ballooned into accusations that the latter hasn't proven his loyalty to China.<div type="image" title="Zong Qinghou, chairman of beverage maker Hangzhou Wahaha Group, attends a event on January 15, 2022 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China." height="5464" width="8192" msid="108524078" hostid="261" sizebytes="3630508"></div>Central to this online fury is the citizenship status of Zhong's eldest son, Zhong Shuzi, who has a US passport, fueling concerns that the perceived heir to China's richest man is an American."Isn't it necessary for your eldest American son to withdraw his citizenship?" one <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1771474495/O4lVnccRg">Chinese blogger wrote</a>.<h2>Some think Nongfu Spring loves Japan</h2>The hostility escalated this week into claims that Nongfu Spring was intentionally planting elements of Japanese culture into its product marketing.Japan is strongly disliked by Chinese nationalists, linked in particular to atrocities committed during World War II and the country's refusal to acknowledge them.Commentators on Weibo, China's version of X, took issue with a pagoda on the design of <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/6478526806/O3EPtgOKy">Nongfu Spring's green tea bottle label</a>, saying it resembled the Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.Others blasted the label of another beverage that featured carp streamers, which are known as Koinobori in Japan.Even the longtime design of Nongfu Spring's signature bottled water came under fire, with some users saying a mountain in its <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/6120606636/O3NSzve1X?refer_flag=1001030103_">logo closely resembled Japan's Mount Fuji.</a><div type="image" title="People online think Nongfu Spring's logo looks like Mount Fuji." height="1200" width="2400" msid="108524080" hostid="261" sizebytes="154250"></div>Another complaint accused Nongfu Spring of using a red bottle cap that <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/39297060/O4ejVpoQq?refer_flag=1001030103_">resembles the Japanese flag.</a>On March 3, Zhong posted a response to the backlash via <a target="_blank" href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rPyxHJD7esq07DCFbtQWXg">Nongfu Spring's WeChat account</a>, saying his relationship with Zong was marked by mutual respect and warmth despite past legal disputes."Mr Zong hated online violence during his lifetime. I never thought that after Mr Zong passed away, there would be a lot of online slander against me and Nongfu Spring," he wrote. "This was definitely not what Mr Zong wanted to see."Zhong added that he hoped people "will not be swayed by individual self-media or influencers."<a target="_blank" href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202403/1308453.shtml">The Global Times</a>, a Chinese media outlet known for promoting the ruling party's views, also reported on March 8 that Nongfu Spring said the design of its green tea bottle was based on a Chinese temple, not a Japanese one.<h2>The nationalist movement against Zhong stays strong</h2>In the wake of the backlash, several influential Chinese figures have called for the public to remain level-headed.Hu Xijin, the former editor of The Global Times and a popular pundit on Weibo, wrote in a post on March 7 that the extremity of the backlash against Zhong was "vulgar and ridiculous" and an "insult to patriotism."He later deleted his post, <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1989660417/O51BTtTC4">but on Friday</a> called Zhong one of China's "most successful private businessmen," though he added that the Nongfu Spring founder shouldn't be immune to criticism."He runs the business well, provides high-quality products and services, and creates more jobs and tax revenue. This should be the most important criteria for society to evaluate him," Hu wrote.On Tuesday, billionaire Li Guoqing, who runs Rongsheng Petrochemical, published a video calling the comparisons between Zong and Zhong a "farce."The video was republished by <a target="_blank" href="https://weibo.com/1642512402/O4GP830Fi?refer_flag=1001030103_">China Newsweek</a>, a channel owned by state media agency China News Service.Li also called on Zong's daughter, Zong Fuli, to ask people to calm down, but he was subsequently criticized on social media.China's nationalist groups have been notorious for turning on typically celebrated figures and businessmen.Last month, <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/11/china/china-nationalist-attack-nobel-laureate-mo-yan-intl-hnk/index.html">Nobel-winning novelist Mo Yan</a> was the target of a nationalistic campaign accusing him of slandering China's "past heroes" in his books about the country in the mid-20th century.Nongfu Spring did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.

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