The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Hayabusa2 spacecraft has successfully captured images of the asteroid Torifune. The spacecraft was launched in December 2014 with the mission of studying asteroids to gain insights into the formation and evolution of the solar system. Recently, it reached the small near-Earth asteroid and managed to take several photos, continuing its quest to explore the mysteries of the outer space.

Space exploration is highly regarded in Japan, and JAXA's missions represent a significant part of the nation's scientific achievements. The Hayabusa2 spacecraft is the successor to the original Hayabusa mission, which brought back samples from another asteroid in 2010. This successful asteroid survey is seen as a symbol of national pride and scientific advancement.

The Hayabusa2's mission is similar to those undertaken by NASA in the US and the European Space Agency, which also commission missions to explore asteroids and other celestial bodies. However, Japan has had particularly notable success with the Hayabusa missions in terms of asteroid sample return.