Another problem is that they cannot launch for half the year because it would disturb some nearby villages where fishing is their main industry.

Can't the Japanese government find an offshore island to launch their rockets?

In the 1990s, many people seriously believed that the Japanese would be the next to "conquer" space. Unless they do something radical with their space program, I think that illusion has passed.

Flying a couple of satellites millions of miles from Comet Halley in 1986 is not the same as trying to land a rover on a planetoid. I just hope the sample return portion works. Itokawa is quite the rocky place.