Japan Looking To Go Commercial

[mr. mark]

The Japanese government wants to promote more private-sector space development by reorienting its spending away from its research focus and toward commercially oriented programs and crafting a new law to permit commercial launch services, Japanese government and industry officials said Sept. 28. - Spacenews.com

[beancounter]

Yes it's not the first attempt at that and the reason why they can't find customers is that the ISS is too expensive for commercial interests.
Bigelow knows that which is why he is investing in his modules and prepared to take a shot on his business being much more competitive that the ISS.

[Ronsmytheiii]

The Japanese government wants to promote more private-sector space development by reorienting its spending away from its research focus and toward commercially oriented programs and crafting a new law to permit commercial launch services, Japanese government and industry officials said Sept. 28. - Spacenews.com

Question is will the commercial launch services include buying foreign launchers or will the program be limited to Japanese launchers, in which case would be another way of buying H-II variants.