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

Below are concrete changes and additions the author could make to shift the piece from descriptive reporting to a persuasive argument that Japan’s project merits international support. Organized by goal/strategy.

1) Lead and headline — frame as global opportunity
- Change the headline/lede to emphasize shared benefits and invitation to partner (e.g., “Japan’s ambitious moon–Mars habitats invite international partners to advance human space settlement”).
- Open with a strong benefitting claim: stress how the project advances humanity’s ability to live off‑Earth, rather than opening with a purely national quote.

2) Shift tone from tentative to constructive and collaborative
- Replace hedging language (“only become possible in the 22nd century, at the earliest”) with balanced realism that emphasizes milestones and early opportunities for cooperation. For example: “Although full-scale deployment will take decades, key technologies and a demonstrator habitat could be realized within decades, offering immediate collaboration opportunities.”
- Use active, forward-looking verbs (“will enable,” “can help,” “offers”) rather than passive or distant phrasing.

3) Emphasize concrete global benefits (appeals to logos & ethos)
- Add specifics about scientific, economic and security benefits: advances in life‑support, medicine, robotics, materials science, climate research, spin‑off industries, high‑skill jobs.
- Quantify where possible (jobs created, expected R&D advances, percent reduction in health risks) or cite analogous returns from international space projects (ISS, Artemis cooperation) to show precedent.

4) Boost credibility with external validation and comparators
- Include quotes or endorsements from neutral international experts, agencies, or potential partner organizations (space agencies, universities, industry leaders) to show wider interest.
- Compare the plan to existing international efforts (ISS, Artemis Accords) and show complementarity rather than competition.

5) Offer a clear, phased timeline with near-term milestones for partners
- Break the program into phases (R&D → 2050 simplified lunar demonstrator → iterative scale‑up → full facilities) and list what partners could contribute at each stage (funding, tech, launch capability, scientific payloads).
- Emphasize the 2050 demonstrator as a realistic near‑term project suitable for multinational participation.

6) Present partnership models and funding mechanisms
- Propose concrete collaboration frameworks: international consortium, public–private partnerships, shared funding pools, in‑kind contributions, technology-sharing agreements, open‑source components.
- Mention legal/regulatory mechanisms (e.g., agreements aligned with the Artemis Accords, data‑sharing protocols) to reassure potential partners about governance.

7) Address feasibility and risks transparently
- Acknowledge challenges (cost, radiation, engineering complexity) but accompany each with a mitigation strategy and opportunities for partner contributions (e.g., radiation shielding research, in‑situ resource utilization testing).
- Provide short cost‑benefit narrative: risk-sharing, leverage of partner capabilities, long‑term economic upside.

8) Make an emotional/global appeal (pathos)
- Add humanizing language about protecting human health in space, expanding human horizons, and scientific exploration for all nations.
- Use examples (families living under “forests” on the moon, collaborative scientific discoveries) to create a positive vision.

9) Remove or reframe exclusivity and national‑only language
- Replace phrasing that emphasizes uniqueness only in Japanese plans with language inviting collaboration: “While unique in scope, the project is designed for international collaboration and can integrate contributions from other nations.”

10) End with a clear call to action
- Conclude by explicitly inviting other countries to join, listing next steps (contact points, upcoming workshops, deadlines for partnership commitments), and stating what the first funding/technical asks are.

Example sentence rewrites
- Original: “However, the plan will only become possible in the 22nd century, at the earliest.”
Rewrite: “While full‑scale facilities will take many decades, the team expects a simplified lunar demonstrator by 2050 — an early opportunity for international partners to join and share technology, experience, and costs.”
- Original: “There is no plan like this in other countries’ space development plans.”
Rewrite: “The plan’s scale and focus on artificial‑gravity habitats are distinctive, and designed to complement existing international programs; Japan is inviting partners to co‑develop these technologies.”

Implementation tips for the journalist/author
- Add sidebars or a short box listing concrete partnership opportunities and timelines.
- Include an expert sidebar or quote from a non‑Japanese authority to bolster global credibility.
- Where possible, replace vague speculative claims with measurable goals and named mechanisms for collaboration.

These changes reorient the piece from reporting a national plan to making a persuasive case that supporting and joining the project is in other countries’ interests.