Rare manuscripts from Kyushu University Library, over 1,000 years old and significant to Japanese language history, are about to be designated as Japan’s Important Cultural Property. More than 300 high-quality images are now freely accessible through the library’s digital archive.

Authoritarian states increasingly use persuasive narratives to shape public opinion in democracies. A new study finds that Japanese voters are broadly susceptible to illiberal narratives from China and Russia, which exert a stronger influence than democratic messaging. Surprisingly, susceptibility was widespread across the population, regardless of political knowledge or beliefs. The findings highlight Japan’s vulnerability to foreign influence operations and underscore the urgent need for countermeasures to protect democratic discourse from manipulative, cognitive warfare.

Plate temperature and water release can explain the occurrence of different types of earthquakes in Guerrera, Mexico. The Kobe University simulation study also showed that the shape of the Cocos Plate is responsible for a gap where earthquakes haven’t occurred for more than a century. The results are important for accurate earthquake prediction models in the region.

“The Kansai area will never experience a major earthquake.” That was how many people felt before the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. But if we examine history, most areas in Japan have records chronicling the devastation caused by earthquakes, and Kobe is no exception. Project Associate Professor MATSUSHITA Masakazu leads the division promoting regional cooperation in education at the Office for Promoting Regional Partnership, and his activities are focused on making it easier for residents to be aware of past disasters, based on information provided by memorial stones and historical documents that remain in local areas. We asked him about the importance of learning from local records and passing on the culture of disaster preparedness to future generations.

When a natural disaster disrupts the lifeline services of water, electricity, gas, or telecommunications, this can wreak havoc on people’s lives. In order to build resilient lifelines, it is essential to analyze the impacts disasters may have, for example, on underground pipelines, and make use of this information in future designs. Professor KUWATA Yasuko at the Graduate School of Engineering is an expert in lifeline earthquake engineering and, in addition to the importance of strengthening facilities, she points out the need for taking measures based on the assumption that there will be potential damage in the event of a disaster, and for raising awareness among the public.

Researchers develop innovative phospholipids that improve the functional delivery of mRNA via lipid nanoparticles, paving the way for advanced therapeutic applications.  

An Osaka Metropolitan University historian has found that the Ottoman Empire’s seeming religious tolerance stemmed from suspicions of non-Muslim communities in the wake of the 1821 Greek revolt.

Associate Professor GOTO Masashi of the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration (RIEB) is conducting research on the system of “tōji,” the traditional sake brewers, and the transmission of knowledge. At the same time, “traditional brewing,” including sake, has attracted attention as it was registered as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in December 2024. We asked Goto about the current state of the sake industry as revealed by his research to date, the prospects for future research, and his vision for the future of specialized jobs that are changing with the evolution of artificial intelligence.