This video, titled "The Benefits of Saunas｜The World's First Study Begins" (サウナで「ととのう」ワケ　世界初の研究始まる), was released by "HTB News" (HTBニュース). Most hot springs and public baths in Japan are equipped with a sauna. Many people go to hot springs and public baths to enjoy sauna. The people introduced in the video are members of the Japan Association of Sauna, which was established to study sauna. They go into the sauna after tests to examine brain activity and see how it changes. Sauna has blood circulation-boosting properties, and it is said that by relaxing in them, your body will be readjusted. Spend some quality time in a Japanese sauna, which is both comfortable and good for you. Sometimes you just need to sweat it out!

This video, titled "Cancer Treatment That Can Be Applied - Anti-Cancer Mesh - a Video of the Latest Research: The Power of Nims 10" (貼って治すがん治療　～抗がんメッシュ～　　最新研究映像 NIMSの力10), was released by "nimspr." Cancer is a common and dreaded disease for Japanese people. Basically, when a patient develops cancer, he or she undergoes a surgical operation to remove the cancerous cells and surrounding lymph nodes. However, the anti-cancer mesh introduced in this article is a groundbreaking invention that can provide effective cancer treatment just by applying it to the cancerous area. The video explains in an easy-to-understand manner why the anti-cancer mesh is useful for cancer treatment. Currently, it is still in the clinical trial stage for treatment after cancer surgery, but it is expected to be used in early cancer treatment and prevention of recurrence and metastasis in the future. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Japan. As the population ages, the risk of cancer increases further, which is why there are high expectations for the introduction of anti-cancer mesh that can be used to treat cancer.

Revolutionary Regenerative Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury Patients The video we're introducing this time is a news video released by "HTB News," titled, “[HTB News] World's First! Nerve Regenerative Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury Patients." It details a therapy approved by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare for the first time, as a regenerative treatment method for spinal cord injury patients. In 2018, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare approved the regenerative Stemirac injections, jointly developed by Sapporo Medical University and Nipro. This regenerative treatment method extracts mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow fluid of spinal cord injury patients and cultures them into approximately 100 million cells. By injecting it into a vein by infusion, nerves in the damaged spinal cord are regenerated. In this clinical trial conducted at Sapporo Medical University, 12 of 13 patients had functional recovery. As a condition of approval, efficacy and safety checks must continue to be performed for the next seven years. A Look at Stemirac Injections Source :YouTube screenshot The approved Stemirac injection is the product name of the kit used for the treatment of spinal cord injury, and the generic name is "human (autologous) bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells." This regenerative therapy was approved in December 2018, subject to conditions and deadlines. Mesenchymal stem cells, which have been shown to differentiate into nerves and blood vessels, are collected from patients with bone marrow injuries and cultured to 10,000-fold over a period of about two weeks. The approximately 100 million cells administered intravenously over 30 minutes to an hour can improve neurological syndromes and dysfunction through angiogenesis, anti-inflammatory effects around the damaged spinal cord, and regeneration of spinal nerves. You can see how it works in detail at 0:23 in the video. This Stemirac Injection is the first product approved under Japan's revised regenerative medicine act. Costs and Side Effects of Spinal Cord Injury Regenerative Therapy Photo：Chest pain Although they are developing groundbreaking regenerative therapy, the price of the therapy, as of February 26, 2019, is extremely expensive, costing around 14,957,755 yen (~$142,000 USD). Side effects of the treatment include bleeding, wound infections and scars from bone marrow harvest surgery. In addition, pulmonary infarction may occur due to administration of stem cell arteries. What Happens in a Spinal Cord Injury? Photo：Back pain The spinal cord is a tunnel-like organ surrounded by the spine that passes through the spinal canal and is responsible for transmitting commands from the brain to the ends of the body, such as the hands and feet. This spinal cord extends like a branch to the left and right, and from that position it is divided section by section into the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spinal cord. When the spinal cord is injured, there is no bi-directional transmission of commands from the damaged area to the neural circuits below. This can lead to disorders such as motor paralysis, sensory paralysis, complete motor paralysis, autonomic neuropathy, dysuria, and complications when defecating. Until now, the standard treatment for spinal cord injury has been to rehabilitate the injured nerve cells in order to alleviate the aftereffects of the injury, as regeneration is considered difficult. In addition, it is estimated that 5,000 cases of spinal cord injury occur each year, and it is estimated that there are more than 100,000 patients in Japan. Under such circumstances, the bone marrow injury regeneration therapy described in the video has become a beacon of hope for patients everywhere. Although the enormous medical expenses are a bottleneck, this therapy can lead to solutions for paralysis and disabilities such as stroke and spinal cord injury. Summary of Regenerative Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury Patients The regenerative therapy shown in the video is a true testament to how far modern medicine has come. What'd you think? Regenerative therapies have give hope to patients with spinal cord injuries. It'll be interesting to see what the future of regenerative therapy has in store for us!

iPS Cells: The World's Leading Regenerative Medicine This is a video released in 2018 by the "Hitachi Brand Channel" that introduces the efforts of Japanese company Hitachi Kobe Lab, in Regenerative Medicine using iPS cells. Speaking of regenerative medicine, the 3D iPS cell culture method invented by Professor Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University's Institute for iPS Cell Research and Development won the Nobel Prize in 2012, and it has become a hot topic of conversation. So what is this regenerative medicine? We'll give you a rundown. Photo：Research Regenerative Medicine is a technique that reanimates cells in areas damaged (or lost) by illness or injury. This has made it possible to treat incurable diseases that are difficult to treat with current medicine. Professor Yamanaka had been studying regenerative medicine for some time, but in contrast to the conventional method which required the use of fertilized eggs, human iPS cells, which can be cultured from a sterile egg, solved the ethical issues and attracted attention as a new dawn in medical technology. However, iPS cells have weaknesses. It is difficult to stabilize the quality of iPS cells and to mass-produce them. Maintaining the sterility of the lab was a critical challenge for culturing stable, quality iPS cells, especially since they are less resistant to bacteria. The Future of Hitachi's Regenerative Medicine, Opened up by Open Innovation Source :YouTube screenshot Due to the difficulty of culturing iPS cells, Hitachi began development of Automated Cell Culture Equipment for iPS cells through joint research with Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma. Currently, Hitachi, Ltd. and Hitachi Chemical are also participating in the research and have been successful in producing reputable induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). The greatest benefit of open innovation is that, rather than a single company monopolizing research, specialists in each field, with their own specialties, can come together to conduct research and development without being bound by interests. The services and products, created through the combined strength of the Hitachi Group's technology and Japan's top minds, will continue to lead the world's medical infrastructure in the future. The Automated Cell Culture Equipment for iPS cells is one such development. The Regenerative Medicine that Hitachi is currently working on is said to be second-generation, but if it can incorporate AI technology and achieve more stable iPS cell culturing, it's possible to break through to third-generation regenerative medicine technology and raise hopes in the future, as it could be applied to the treatment of other incurable diseases. Summary of Hitachi Kobe Lab's Regenerative Medicine Research

Japan’s Cutting-Edge AI Technologies Contribute to an Aging Society This video is titled "A New Aging Society Led by Japanese Technology" (日本のテクノロジーが導く新しい高齢化社会). It introduces Japan's response to an aging society using cutting-edge technology. It was released by the“Foreign Ministry / MOFA”. Currently, Japan is said to be one of the most aging societies in the world. However, an aging society is not an issue unique to Japan, but a problem growing worldwide. Living a long, healthy life and increasing opportunities to participate in society is a very important theme when faced with an aging society. In this article, we'll introduce some cutting-edge technologies in Japan that the public and private sectors are developing together. NEC the WISE: An AI Technology Adapting to an Aging Society Source :YouTube screenshot The AI technology shown in the video at 0:32 is called “NEC the WISE.” In the video, NEC Director Fellow Katsumi Emura says “the problem is not the aging society itself, but how to adapt to an aging society, so that people can live long, healthy, fulfilling lives.” In light of the global trend toward an aging society, NEC is focused on developing and providing solutions that can be used to predict and prevent various diseases. That's what the AI technology, “NEC the WISE,” is all about. If we can prevent people from getting sick as they get older, it means that people will still be able to participate in society in good health as they age. In today's society where we are told that we have 100 years to live, "retirement in our 60s" is too early. If it becomes the norm for people to remain healthy and active past 60, we will no longer be able to call it an "aging society." HAL Lumbar Support: An AI Technology That Addresses the Declining Birthrate and Aging Population Source :YouTube screenshot With Japan's declining birthrate and aging population, the age of caregivers, whose job it is to care for the sick and elderly, is increasing every year. The "HAL Lumber Support" project, which can be seen at 1:02 in the video, is a project to introduce nursing care robots to reduce the physical burden on caregivers in the nursing care industry. The video introduces AI technology that places an assistive robot suit on a caregiver's waist and receives biopotential signals emitted by the brain and transmits them to the power-assist suit to reduce the strain on the back and lower body. This is an AI technology that can be applied patient side as well. In addition, because HAL is an artificial intelligence (AI) equipped support robot, repeated use of the robot helps it learn how neurotransmission works and can assist in walking more efficiently. It's not just a robot that moves according to commands, it's an autonomous machine that learns on its own, meaning that the cyborg robots you see in science fiction movies are already a reality. These mechanized technologies are collectively referred to as Hybrid Assistive Limb” (HAL). Summary of Japan's Cutting-Edge AI Technology and Measures for an Aging Society As seen at the end of the video from 1:30, Japan’s cutting-edge technology “HAL” is already being applied to medical technology in Malaysia. It is believed that increased social participation opportunities for the elderly with the help of autonomous robots will increase the well-being of society. It'll be interesting to see what Japan, the superpower of robots, has to offer in the future. 【Official Website】Cutting-Edge AI Technologies – NEC the WISE - : Solution/ Service | NEC https://www.nec.com/

The center of Japan! What is Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture? Gifu City Sightseeing Spots Video Introduction This video is titled “Gifu City Promotional Video [Original Version],” and is produced by "Gifu City Official Channel." Gifu City, Gifu in the Tokai region of Japan, is located in pretty much the dead center of Japan. Therefore, the city is sometimes referred to as “the belly of Japan.” Being the capital of Gifu Prefecture, the city is full of tourist spots, such as the clear Nagara River flowing through the city center, and the verdant Mt. Kinka. Gifu has many traditional crafts, including Gifu Wagasa (Japanese umbrellas), Gifu Chochin (lanterns) and Gifu Uchiwa (fans). These crafts have helped the everyday life of locals and are perfect for souvenirs! It's only about 18 minutes from Nagoya City on the JR Tokaido Line, and with easy access to the city, it's become popular in recent years as a good spot for domestic travel. This article introduces the tourist spots, traditional events and food in Gifu. Enjoy famous tourist spots in Gifu to your hearts content. Be sure to follow along with the video! Recommended Tourist Destinations in Gifu Photo：Mt. Kinka (金華山, kinkazan) Gifu has many scenic spots and popular places like Mt. Kinka (金華山, kinkazan), Nagara River (長良川, nagaragawa), Gifu Castle (岐阜城, gifujo), also known as Inabayama Castle (稲葉山城, Inabayamajo), Nagaragawa Ukai (cormorant fishing), latticework architectures, and the Great Buddha Hall of Shohoji Temple (正法寺, shohoji), and many more. The Gifu Great Buddha here is known as one of the "Three Great Buddha" of Japan. The Gifu Great Buddha appears at 2:56 in the video. You can feel the godliness of his gentle stare, as if he was smiling down at you, just by watching the video. A lot of events and festivals, such as the firework festival at Nagara River, Tejikara Fire Festival, Gifu Half Marathon, Dairyuji Lantern Festival and Ayu-kuyou are also held here, and the city is attracting an increasing number of both domestic and overseas tourists. The footage of the Tejikara Fire Festival starts at 3:37 in the video. You can see a spectacular pillar of flame spread across your screen! The History and Traditional Ceremonies of Gifu Photo：Nagaragawa Ukai At Nagara River in Gifu, the 1300-year-old Nagaragawa Ukai is held. During the evening, fishermen in traditional garments climb aboard boats with fishing fires and fish sweetfish in the clear river. Nagara River appears at 0:31 in the video. You can see the beauty of the river through the footage. Gifu has played an important role in connecting Kyoto and Nagoya (Owari) since ancient times, and the city developed as the Rakuichi Rakuza market was established in the city center during the Azuchi Momoyama period (1573 – 1598 AD). The market was a part of the economic policies made by Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi with the aim of revitalizing the economy by opening a market in the castle town of Gifu and reducing taxes. Oda Nobunaga, one of the most famous warriors of the Sengoku period, appears with Gifu Castle at 0:56 in the video. Thanks to the success of the market, many historical sites, post-towns and red-light districts appeared around Gifu, and you can still see geisha and geiko, a reminder of the prosperity of those days. The Azuchi Momoyama period is an important turning point in the history of Japan, with the relationship between samurai and townspeople, the Rakuichi-Rakuza market system is said to have become a model for the economic policies that brought about the era of peace in the Edo period (1603 – 1868 AD). Local Food in Gifu Photo：Hida beef Gifu is also renowned for its hot springs. Gifu Grand Hotel in the city center has a hot spring facility, and similar inns and hotels with hot spring facilities are dotted around Gifu Station. The footage of the relaxing hot spring facility starts at 3:52 in the video. When it comes to food in Gifu, Hida beef is something you have to try. Tourists can enjoy Japanese cuisine using ingredients from the local mountains, including Hida beef steak/hot pot, sweetfish dishes and Botan nabe in Gifu. Summary of Sightseeing in Gifu Located in deep mountains, the large city of Gifu is surrounded by a rich natural landscape. The video shows a lot of tourist spots that we weren't able to cover in the video. Please enjoy the attractive city of Gifu city, in Gifu Prefecture, through the video! As Gifu is located near Nagoya, be it as a stepping stone in your trip to Nagoya or your main destination, definitely come visit Gifu and experience delicious food, history, culture, and beautiful scenery! 【Official Website】Website of the Gifu City Office https://translate.google.co.jp/translate?hl=ja&tab=wT&sl=auto&tl=en&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.city.gifu.lg.jp%2F