From East to West

BBC Tech journalist Paul Carter travels to Japan to showcase some Japanese moonshot innovations and meet the people behind them. Travelling across regions east and west of Tokyo, he reveals how advanced technologies are tackling global challenges - and how these ideas are flowing around the world. Japan faces issues such as climate change, energy insecurity, natural disasters, and an ageing population in especially acute ways. Paul discovers that these pressures have made the country a proving ground for some bold, high-impact solutions. In Ibaraki, he visits the world's largest operational fusion facility, now serving as a testbed for Europe's next era of clean energy. In Chiba, he explores mental-health technologies designed to help people not only live longer, but happier lives. In Kyoto, Paul experiences disaster-response innovations designed to help protect communities from extreme weather. And in Tohoku, he meets a new generation of AI-powered robots designed to support life on Earth - and, ultimately, beyond.