CATCH JAPAN (May. 2025)

Explore a colorful variety of modern Japan’s most popular topics, including food, technology, ecology and regional promotions, with a focus on the innovative ideas and passionate effort from the people behind it all.

J-Trip

In 2024, the Noto Peninsula was hit by two disasters: a major earthquake, then torrential rain and flooding. The city of Wajima once drew many tourists with its morning market, fabulous lacquerware, great food, and outdoor activities. Now this resilient community is eager to welcome visitors back.

J-Nature

This segment explores Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan National Park. Follow along on a trek to Mt. Asahidake, the highest peak in Hokkaido, among the 2,000-meter-high mountains within the park.　
Asahikawa City is known for its furniture, with woodworking workshops and opportunities to learn about the culture of the Kamikawa Ainu, the Indigenous people of the region. Sample a journey to experience the grandeur of Daisetsuzan National Park's breathtaking natural beauty and the culture that has developed around it.

J-Tech

The development of a temperature management system for the distribution of perishable foods using two-dimensional barcodes and smartphones is underway.
While the conventional system measured the ambient temperature of the container in which the products were packed, the new system measures temperature changes of individual products, such as fish, and sends it to a server. We will focus on new initiatives that are expected to contribute to reducing distribution costs and environmental burden, including eliminating the need for excessive refrigerants.

J-Factory

In Shimane Prefecture, there is a steelworks that has uniquely preserved the manufacturing method of Tamahagane, the special steel used to make Japanese swords also known as the Katana or Nihonto. This segment features the company that supports the steelworks, which also produces special steel and materials for aircraft engines, combining tradition with today’s modern technology.