https://www.scmp.com/rss/523096/feed The latest news and topic stories on Kyoto University. A prominent Kyoto, Japan-based national research university, Kyoto University was founded in 1897 as Japan’s second oldest. Dedicated to academic freedom, its mission is to promote original research, create new intellectual values and foster human resources for global coexistence. With ten undergraduate faculties and eighteen graduate schools, its focus spans humanities, sciences, technology and engineering. Renowned for research excellence,... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kyodo Kyodo Japan’s health ministry panel on Thursday approved the commercialisation of two regenerative medicine products prepared from iPS cells, the first of their kind in the world. The two drugs, ReHeart developed by Cuorips, a start-up originating from the University of Osaka, and Amchepry by Sumitomo Pharma and Racthera, will be used for patients with severe heart failure stemming from ischemic cardiomyopathy and Parkinson’s disease, respectively. “I am very happy to see the first big step towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344036/japan-approves-worlds-first-regenerative-medicines-using-ips-cells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3344036/japan-approves-worlds-first-regenerative-medicines-using-ips-cells?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:31:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Ai, a “genius” chimpanzee who could recognise more than 100 Chinese characters and the English alphabet, has died aged 49, Japanese researchers said. Ai, which means love in Japanese, took part in studies on perception, learning and memory that advanced our understanding of primate intelligence, the Centre for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behaviour at Kyoto University said in a statement. She died on Friday from multiple organ failure and ailments related to old age, the school said. Aside... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339614/japans-genius-chimpanzee-ai-who-mastered-chinese-characters-dies-49?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3339614/japans-genius-chimpanzee-ai-who-mastered-chinese-characters-dies-49?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:44:01 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng Chinese medical experts have created an ultra-efficient stem cell approach to Parkinson’s disease, raising prospects for treatment for a condition for which there is no known cure. Parkinson’s disease is often referred to as a “movement disorder”. Its symptoms are caused by the brain failing to generate enough dopamine, due to the death or impairment of the neurons responsible for producing the chemical. While researchers around the world are exploring stem cell therapies to replenish lost... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335179/chinese-scientists-develop-promising-stem-cell-therapy-parkinsons-disease?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3335179/chinese-scientists-develop-promising-stem-cell-therapy-parkinsons-disease?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Dec 2025 22:00:10 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk As Japan battles a rising number of bear attacks, another wildlife menace has emerged in its Northern Alps: monkeys. While the damage monkeys typically cause is relatively minor compared with bears, the latter of which have killed or injured at least 220 people since April, their antics have become increasingly bothersome as they break into homes, steal food and ravage crops. In 2022, wild animals cost about 15.6 billion yen (US$100 million) in crop damage, Japan’s Agriculture Ministry reported,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3332601/japan-faces-more-wildlife-menace-monkeys-invade-homes-steal-food?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3332601/japan-faces-more-wildlife-menace-monkeys-invade-homes-steal-food?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:27:31 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times A new study by researchers in Japan has found a stronger correlation between nose length and penis size than with hand or foot size. Researchers at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine analysed autopsy data from 124 men, measuring various body parts and comparing them to each man’s “stretched penile length” – the length of the penis when gently pulled while flaccid. Their findings, published in the journal Basic and Clinical Andrology, suggest that nose size may indeed be a more reliable... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3332024/nose-length-best-indicator-penis-size-japanese-researchers-find?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3332024/nose-length-best-indicator-penis-size-japanese-researchers-find?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 06:33:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow India and the United States are exploring ways to tap Myanmar’s rare earth reserves, with New Delhi reportedly in talks with a powerful rebel group and Washington considering working with either opposing side of the country’s civil war, as they seek to diversify their sources for the crucial minerals. But analysts say their plans face formidable challenges, including risks from the ongoing conflict, treacherous terrain, and potential resistance from China, the dominant global supplier of rare... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326004/why-plans-india-and-us-tap-myanmars-rare-earths-are-fraught-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3326004/why-plans-india-and-us-tap-myanmars-rare-earths-are-fraught-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 10:30:09 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A team of Japanese scientists has developed a new painkiller they say is as effective as fentanyl but without its addictive properties, a breakthrough that could reshape the fight against the global opioid crisis if clinical trials succeed. The team from Kyoto University has been working on the project for 13 years, with phase one clinical trials already proving successful and phase two trials due to start soon. Masatoshi Hagiwara, a professor of pharmaceutical medicine at the university, hopes... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3323377/japanese-scientists-non-addictive-painkiller-offers-hope-combating-opioid-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3323377/japanese-scientists-non-addictive-painkiller-offers-hope-combating-opioid-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Aug 2025 02:30:09 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A Japanese cat researcher who shared a paper she wrote as a child on her pet has attracted admiration for her passion for feline studies. Madoka Hattori, 43, received a PhD in bioscience at Kyoto University in March and published a book containing 39 papers about cats, including her PhD dissertation. On July 16, Hattori posted photos of a paper she did as homework when she was a primary one pupil. The paper is titled “Is the cat right-pawed or left-pawed?” Hattori had one person holding her pet... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3319432/japan-phd-researcher-shares-paper-she-wrote-child-cat-paw-dominance-impresses-many?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3319432/japan-phd-researcher-shares-paper-she-wrote-child-cat-paw-dominance-impresses-many?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Jul 2025 10:00:10 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall A Chinese student at one of Japan’s top universities has been charged for the third time with helping others cheat in English proficiency tests, a case that observers say may be part of a broader and more sophisticated cheating network involving overseas university admissions. Wang Likun, a 27-year-old studying artificial intelligence at Kyoto University, was first arrested in May when he attempted to enter a TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) venue while impersonating... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3316375/toeic-fraud-chinese-student-japan-charged-cheating-english-exams-multiple-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3316375/toeic-fraud-chinese-student-japan-charged-cheating-english-exams-multiple-times?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:04:21 +0000