Question

Researchers at Kyoto University and contractor Kajima Corp. presented plans to build living facilities required for human habitation on the moon and Mars and a transportation system reminiscent of a galaxy express. “There is no plan like this in other countries’ space development plans,” said Yosuke Yamashiki, director of the SIC Human Spaceology Center of Kyoto University, at a July 5 news conference at the university. “Our plan represents important technologies crucial to ensuring human beings will be able to move to space in the future.” They announced that they will undertake a joint study to achieve the plan.

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However, the plan will only become possible in the 22nd century, at the earliest.

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At the core of the plan is constructing “artificial gravity living facilities.” The facilities will be able to generate the same level of gravity as on Earth by using centrifugal force created by rotational motions. One of these facilities, called Lunar Glass, will be built on the moon under the plan. Another called Mars Glass will be constructed on Mars. Gravity on the moon and Mars are one-sixth and one-third of that on Earth, respectively. The facilities will help reduce the impact on the health of people living on the moon or Mars that could be caused by low gravity, according to the researchers. They also plan to create space in the living facilities complete with forests or waterfronts by mimicking the biodiversity on Earth.

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Although they expect constructing the massive facilities will take them around 100 years, they aim to build a simplified version of them on the moon by 2050.

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The plan also includes building a transportation system called the “Hexagon Space Track System,” reminiscent of a galaxy express, to travel between Earth, the moon, and Mars. The system’s space train, as large as a Shinkansen, will also generate artificial gravity and travel like trains running on Earth, according to the researchers. It will stop at “stations,” which will be built on satellites orbiting the Earth, the moon, or Mars. Linear motors or rocket engines will be used to launch it when it departs from the moon or Mars. Each car of the train will be separated at the stations and be transported in hexagon capsules when traveling between the planets to avoid being exposed to cosmic rays.

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“As the idea of living in space becomes more realistic, the problem with the low gravity, which I intuitively became aware of when I was a child, is an issue we must overcome,” said Takuya Ono, a project associate professor with the center and a senior researcher at Kajima, a major general contractor. “We are committed to achieving the plan so it will be useful for human beings.“



Speculate If the author of this article wanted to persuade an audience that Japan’s work should be supported by other countries, what changes might be made to the text?

Answer 1

To persuade an international audience to support Japan’s project, the author would shift the article from neutral reporting to a more explicitly persuasive, coalition-building tone. Practical changes would include emphasizing shared benefits, strengthening credibility, reducing hedging, outlining concrete partnership opportunities, and ending with a clear call to action. Concrete edits and rhetorical strategies:

1. Lead with collective, global benefits
- Change the opening to highlight how the project advances humanity (health, science, economy, climate research) and benefits all countries, not just Japan.
- Example opening line: “Japan’s Kyoto University and Kajima Corp. today proposed an international roadmap to build artificial-gravity habitats on the Moon and Mars — technologies that could protect astronaut health, accelerate space science, and create new industries for all nations.”

2. Reframe uncertainty as a staged, achievable program
- Replace vague distant-timeline language (“only become possible in the 22nd century, at the earliest”) with a staged timeline and near-term milestones that invite collaboration (e.g., demonstrator by 2050, phased development thereafter).
- Emphasize feasibility and interim goals: prototype habitats, orbital tests, shared engineering demonstrators.

3. Emphasize credibility and past achievements
- Add credentials, prior successes, and relevant expertise for Kyoto University and Kajima to build trust (past projects, relevant technologies, engineering track record).
- Include endorsements or supportive comments from recognized international experts or agencies (or note outreach to them).

4. Spell out concrete international partnership mechanisms
- Describe how countries can participate: cost-sharing, joint research labs, co-funded demonstration missions, data-sharing, industrial contracts, training programs.
- Suggest existing frameworks to host cooperation (UN/UNOOSA, ESA partnerships, international consortium).

5. Highlight tangible benefits for other countries
- List specific, concrete returns: scientific data, technology spin-offs (materials, life-support, artificial gravity systems), economic opportunities (contracts, jobs), and shared infrastructure (stations, transport hubs).
- Emphasize nonproprietary benefits: environmental monitoring, disaster-resilience tech, medical research.

6. Address concerns proactively
- Acknowledge likely objections (cost, timeline, safety, radiation) and present mitigations already in the plan (e.g., hexagon capsules for radiation shielding, artificial gravity to protect health).
- Offer independent verification and open-data commitments to reduce geopolitical mistrust.

7. Strengthen persuasive quotes and voices
- Replace or supplement national quotes with statements framed for global cooperation (e.g., “This project offers an essential platform for international teams to study long‑term human health in space,” — an international scientist).
- Include a call from project leaders inviting partners.

8. Add a clear call to action
- Conclude with an explicit invitation and immediate next steps: attend a summit, join a working group, commit seed funding, or pledge technical cooperation.
- Provide timelines and specific asks (e.g., “We seek partners to co-fund a lunar demonstrator by 2035 and technical collaborators for a 2050 habitat prototype.”)

9. Use visual and data support
- Suggest adding diagrams, cost/benefit estimates, timelines, and comparison with other international efforts to make the pitch concrete and comparable.

Example revised closing paragraph (tone + call to action):
“We invite governments, space agencies, industry and universities worldwide to join an international consortium to develop the Lunar Glass demonstrator by 2050, share technical expertise, and co‑finance early missions. By working together, we can accelerate safe, sustainable human habitation beyond Earth — creating scientific discoveries and economic opportunities that benefit all nations.”

These changes would transform the article from descriptive reporting into a persuasive appeal designed to attract international partners and support.