Farming might be dying, but the farms still physically exist, and one in particular, located in Chiba Prefecture, the eastern edge of the Tokyo Metro area, has put part of their plot to double-use by installing a solar array above their veggie operation.
![Japanese Technology from the Future Friday [via Akihabara News]](http://anthrobotic.com/wp-content/uploads/thumb-cache/JTFF.AKIBA_.ANTHROBOTIC-e1368805129484-bc8093c63b0667d513eefa304751bf5e-180x124-6-nocrop.png)
This week it’s Sony selling stuff to Iran, stuff that America doesn’t like, which is yet another “Sony, what are you doing?” moment, a huge internet cable has been completed in Asia, and Japan’s gung-ho nuclear (energy) tech proliferation is causing political unrest.
THIS WEEK’S DISPATCH: JAXA & the ESA taking NASA stuff into space, Japan likes Apple’s patents better than Samsung’s, Toyota and Tesla made an electric baby RAV4, and the guy who invented DRAM got a Japanese medal and $500 Gs!
THIS WEEK’S DISPATCH: Japan continues international outreach with nuclear-friendly French (outreach began with Turkey and the UAE), and sad news for hippies: a UN science committee has found no increased risk of cancer due to the Fukushima accident.
THIS WEEK’S DISPATCH: Square mobile payment comes to Japan, super-green Kitakyushu & UNIDO join, Japanese research groups are Joining the European Human Brain Project, and some really unfortunate and sad news in the world of humanoid robotics.
THIS WEEK’S DISPATCH: Japan wants American gas, Japan’s lack of startups, and J-tech to make horses happy!
Today’s Dispatch: The Japanese “Smart Cities” initiative ramps up, a robot that shoots dry ice to clean up radiation, and a Japanese powder that cleans water in Tanzania (that last bit doubles as an opportunity to deride hippies, too – value added!).