By modeling patients’ diseases in the laboratory and evaluating candidate drugs directly in human-derived cells, researchers like Okano Hideyuki of Keiō University are using iPS cells to open a new era in drug discovery. With Japan’s February 2026 announcement of a manufacturing system for an iPS cell-based therapy for spinal cord injury, the field is now entering a new phase of real-world implementation.

A recent survey in Japan found that home subscription rates to daily newspapers fell below 50% for the first time, even while newspapers ranked second for overall media trustworthiness.

Find when Japan’s red and yellow leaves will be at their finest this autumn—including Kyoto’s famous foliage, scheduled to peak in mid-December.

By modeling patients’ diseases in the laboratory and evaluating candidate drugs directly in human-derived cells, researchers like Okano Hideyuki of Keiō University are using iPS cells to open a new era in drug discovery. With Japan’s February 2026 announcement of a manufacturing system for an iPS cell-based therapy for spinal cord injury, the field is now entering a new phase of real-world implementation.

Babies born via in vitro fertilization reached a record 86,473 in Japan in 2024, representing approximately one in every eight births nationwide.