>>16761420
H3 is actually pretty fuckin good and the upcoming HTV-X launch this October represents an amazing cost-cutting initiative for a huge ass cargo resupply vehicle (which can also go to the Moon or be man-rated if they so desired)
Japan has had some recent unfortunate bad press with repeated Lunar failures, but try to put into perspective the fact that the nip budget for aerospace is extremely small and it they had some sort of wild fervor where normies became interested and Japan allocated China-tier $$$ to space, they would probably outcompete China and all of ESA/Ariane