Japan
News
14 May 2026
Osaka Metropolitan University
A high-resolution cellular atlas of liver fibrosis and recovery identifies two proteins, SEMA4D and LMCD1, as promising therapeutic targets. The findings were validated in both mouse models and human patient samples, suggesting relevance to human disease.
13 May 2026
More than a decade after the Nagoya Protocol, which aims to fairly share the benefits of utilizing genetic resources, became law, microbiologists and other scientists still face practical challenges and confusion.
A new guide published by a team of microbiologists provides universally applicable frameworks for anyone working with biological resources.
13 May 2026
Kanazawa University
We have succeeded in visualizing the structural dynamics underlying how the serum protein Afamin stabilizes and transports Wnt3a, a lipid-modified signaling molecule.
13 May 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka and collaborators developed a wastewater-based method to estimate influenza incidence by measuring viral RNA concentrations in wastewater. The approach can separately estimate influenza A and B trends and may detect epidemic changes about one week earlier than conventional patient report data. The study highlights wastewater surveillance as a promising complement to existing public health systems for earlier healthcare preparedness.
13 May 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka report the creation of step–terrace–ordered GaN surfaces using catalyst-referred etching (CARE). Mechanical testing on these surfaces demonstrates exceptional reproducibility across 100 measurements, achieving record-low stress scatter.
13 May 2026
Osaka Metropolitan University
Solid electrolyte particle sizes affect ion pathways
12 May 2026
Osaka Metropolitan University
Cellular changes affect ability to conceive
12 May 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka found that the zinc finger proteins RLF and ZFP292 play redundant roles in stabilizing the CoREST corepressor complex at gene promoters in embryonic stem cells. Deleting both proteins allowed the cells to differentiate, suggesting that they could be useful targets for maintaining stem cell quality.
12 May 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers in Japan showed that growing Eu-doped GaN on a semipolar GaN plane selectively forms highly efficient Eu luminescent centers while suppressing inefficient Eu clusters. The approach increased room-temperature red emission by 3.6 times, reduced efficiency droop, and points to brighter, wavelength-stable red LEDs for monolithically integrated full-color micro-LED displays using the GaN materials platform.
11 May 2026
Hiroshima University
Biologists have long puzzled over why organisms with similar numbers of protein-coding genes can differ so dramatically in nervous system complexity. New research points to a potential link between the expanding diversity of RNA-binding proteins, which shape how genetic instructions are processed, and greater brain sophistication.
11 May 2026
Osaka Metropolitan University
Drug resistance of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia prompts need for effective alternative treatments
08 May 2026
Tohoku University
Stubborn cancer tumors were completely (and safely) eliminated in a mouse model with a small but mighty treatment method using nanoparticles, controlled drug release in stages, and light from lasers.
08 May 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka, Kyushu University, and the University of Victoria have developed MV-SZZ, a new method that accurately identifies defect-inducing software commits. By combining detailed code tracking with a majority voting system, the approach reduces false positives and outperforms existing techniques. This improvement could help developers debug software more efficiently and build more reliable systems.
07 May 2026
Hiroshima University
A large-scale study of more than 31,000 patients found pneumonia occurred more often after breathing tubes were removed than during ventilation. Researchers say the condition, tied to swallowing dysfunction, should be recognized as a distinct clinical entity—one that may be preventable with early intervention.
05 May 2026
Springer Nature
Observations of a distant object beyond Pluto suggest that it is surrounded by a thin atmosphere, potentially fuelled by ice volcanoes or produced by the impact of a comet-like body.
04 May 2026
Hiroshima University
A Hiroshima-University-led research team has discovered a key gene responsible for the initiation of gemma development, acting as a "master switch" to start asexual reproduction (cloning) in the model plant Marchantia polymorpha (common liverwort).
01 May 2026
Tohoku University
Optimization isn’t always about maximization: researchers at Tohoku University found a subtle rule where a bit of restraint actually speeds up chemical reactions in nanoreactors.
30 Apr 2026
Tohoku University
Researchers created models to reconstruct fault movement of the 8.8 magnitude 2025 Kamchatka earthquake. This detailed analysis may help us better understand tsunami risks from giant earthquakes.
28 Apr 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers have solved a mystery in fluid dynamics regarding high-speed particle collisions on wet surfaces. They discovered that at high speeds, cavitation (the sudden formation of vapor cavities) changes the liquid shape from a "bridge" to a "dome", releasing the liquid pull-back force. This causes particles to bounce back stronger than they would at lower speeds. Such a vital discovery would drastically improve the safety, design, and durability of ultra-fast motors in the aerospace and automotive industries.
27 Apr 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka have demonstrated that a wireless electroencephalogram transmission system can operate using energy harvested from the temperature difference between the human body and the ambient air. The low-power device successfully operated outdoors at high temperatures, demonstrating stable performance without external power or airflow. This technology could enable the development of maintenance-free sensing systems for health monitoring and infrastructure applications in the future.
27 Apr 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka used large-scale simulations and turbulence theory to study how dolphins swim so effectively. The team found that large vortices created by the dolphin’s tail provide most of the propulsion, while smaller vortices contribute little. This discovery improves our mechanical understanding of fast swimming and could guide the design of energy-efficient underwater robots and technologies for controlling turbulence.
23 Apr 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers from The University of Osaka have discovered a new class of antibodies, called iTabs, that naturally suppress specific immune responses by blocking immune cell activation. These antibodies can reduce autoimmune disease severity in mice, suggesting a new way to treat conditions like multiple sclerosis without weakening the immune system overall.
22 Apr 2026
The University of Osaka
Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses vibrational energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important industrial feedstock. The work demonstrates a new piezocatalytic route for CO2 conversion at low temperature and ambient pressure, offering a potential path toward future low-energy carbon recycling technologies.
22 Apr 2026
Tohoku University
For 70 years, we have assumed that “attempt time” in nanomagnets is one nanosecond. For the first time ever, this value was measured experimentally by researchers at Tohoku University. Spoiler alert: it’s more than one nanosecond!
21 Apr 2026
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Engineers at NIMS develop a system that captures all the elements of trial and error in material design, enabling reliable reproduction of the reasoning processes and results
21 Apr 2026
Hiroshima University
Floatable beads made from chitosan and cellulose acetate and enhanced with bentonite were engineered to effectively clean oil from water. The beads showed good oil adsorption capacity while remaining easy to collect from the water surface.
21 Apr 2026
Osaka Metropolitan University
Wireless signals do not travel well through the human body, especially in high-frequency bands, such as the UWB band, making it difficult for swallowable medical devices to reliably send data outside the body. By accounting for how different frequencies behave in the body, researchers adjusted each part of the signal to match how it is absorbed and distorted by tissue, creating a stronger, clearer signal at the receiver.
21 Apr 2026
Tohoku University
A picture (of the eye) is worth a thousand words to this AI system that predicts the risk for major diseases like diabetes, based on the gap between the patient’s real age and the estimated retinal age.
21 Apr 2026
The University of Osaka
For many years, designing synthetic polymer systems has been inspired by the hierarchical self-assembly of folded proteins into functional nanostructures. However, extending folding-based design principles to small synthetic molecules has remained elusive. In particular, luminescent molecules with complex three-dimensional structures were considered difficult to assemble. Now, researchers from Japan demonstrate that such molecules can undergo folding-mediated self-assembly to form highly ordered nanotubes. These structures exhibit unique multidirectional energy transport, highlighting their potential for advanced optoelectronic applications.
20 Apr 2026
Ehime University
An Ehime University research group has discovered that antiaromatic molecules, typically unstable, can form stable dimers through π-stacking. The homoHPHAC cation, despite its positive charge, adopts a slightly offset stacked structure. This interaction induces electronic reorganization, partially attenuating antiaromaticity. The findings reveal a new mode of molecular assembly for antiaromatic molecules and provide insights for designing functional π-conjugated materials.
Events
26 Feb 2020
Japan's Leading Exhibition for Pharmaceutical R&D and Manufacturing Technologies!
22 Apr 2019
Tohoku University will host a closed door stakeholder’s meeting on April 21, followed by the inaugural International forum on next-generation synchrotron radiation on April 22.
24 Mar 2019
The Tohoku University Center for Innovative Integrated Electronic Systems (CIES) will host its fifth technology forum in Tokyo from March 24~26.
14 Nov 2019
The goal of this conference is to address the emerging technologies and themes in Microfluidics, Lab-on-a-Chip and Organ-on-a-Chip fields as these areas are expanding and evolving.
11 Nov 2019
The conference addresses the whole ecosystem of Cell & Gene Therapy and 3D-Bioprinting with a focus on 3D-Culture, Organoids, Bioprinting and Technology Platforms being developed to bring cell therapy, gene therapy and regenerative medicine to the clinic.
09 Oct 2019
Asia's Premier Partnering Event for the Global Biotechnology Industry
28 Feb 2019
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal will be presented to Professor David W. W. MacMillan (Princeton University, USA), and the Silver Medal will be presented to Professor Chihaya Adachi (Kyushu University, Japan).
04 Oct 2018
ISTbM-6 with the 14th Hirata Award and the 4th Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award.
10 Jun 2018
The Kavli IPMU invites you gain insight into how physics predicts our Universe may exist alongside an infinite number of other universes, and how philosophy suggests the world as we know it may not exist at all.
22 Dec 2017
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal will be presented to Prof. “Bert” Meijer (Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands), and the Silver Medal will be presented to Prof. Hiroaki Suga (The University of Tokyo, Japan).
20 Nov 2017
ISTbM-5 with the 13th Hirata Award and the 3rd Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award
03 Aug 2017
The International ERATO Itami Molecular Nanocarbon Symposium 2017 will be held on August 3-4, 2017 at Nagoya University, Japan. This symposium will focus on recent achievements in the synthesis, utilization, and analysis of structurally well-defined nanocarbons and related materials.
27 Jan 2017
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal is awarded to Professor Stephen Buchwald of MIT (USA) and the Silver Medal is awarded to Professor Masaya Sawamura of Hokkaido University (Japan).
12 Dec 2016
ISTbM-4 with the 12th Hirata Award and the 2nd Tsuneko and Reiji Okazaki Award
17 Oct 2016
This symposium will highlight research and education for the creation of a healthy society toward the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The lectures and discussions cover the themes including the promotion of safe water environments, hazardous material elimination, and mother-and-child health.
27 Jul 2016
This year, we will hold its second symposium to further seek novel molecules and materials for dissecting and controlling mechano-nanoarchitectonics of life. Presentations in the symposium are made by a wide variety of speakers from material science, sensors and actuators, mechanochemistry, interfacial sciences, and of course biology.
26 Jun 2016
On behalf of the ISEE-ISES AC2016 Sapporo organizing committees, it is great pleasure to welcome you to the 5th ISEE Asia Chapter and the first joint symposium of ISEE and ISES, Asia chapter. The program theme is “Environment, Health, and Sustainable Society” and will be held in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan on June 26-29th, 2016.
13 Jun 2016
The First International Symposium on Advanced Soft Matter: Celebrating the Kick-off of the Global Station for Soft Matter, GI-CoRE, Hokkaido University, Japan.
22 Jan 2016
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal is awarded to Professor Stuart Schreiber of the HHMI, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Harvard University, USA and the Silver Medal is awarded to Professor Zhaomin Hou of RIKEN, Japan.
25 May 2015
This international symposium brings together world-class scientists in biology and chemistry, including, Dr. Ashraf Brik (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Israel) and Dr. Feng Zhang (Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, USA).
21 Oct 2014
GREEN Open Seminar will be held on 21st October, 2014, to have a lecture by Dr. Hiroaki Benten, Assistant Professor, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto University.
27 Oct 2014
The Nagoya Medal Award is awarded every year to two organic chemists who have made significant original contributions to the field. This year’s Gold Medal is awarded to Professor John F. Hartwig of the University of California, Berkeley, USA and the Silver Medal is awarded to Prof. Itaru Hamachi of Kyoto University, Japan.
12 May 2014
The 2nd International Symposium on Transformative Bio-Molecules 2014 is an annual event held by the ITbM, inviting prestigious speakers from around the world to enhance interdisciplinary research between molecular synthetic chemistry and plant biology.
01 Jul 2013
NIMS Conference 2013 will be discussing the latest innovations in nano electronics. Registration deadline is June 23 and abstract submission deadline is May 17.
26 Aug 2012
Congress Theme: 'Beyond the Limit of Histochemistry'
15 Nov 2012
The Irago Conference 2012 (Asia-Pacific Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2012) will be held November 15-16, 2012 in Irago, Aichi prefecture, Japan.
04 Jun 2012
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) is pleased to announce “NIMS Conference 2012” to be held from June 4 to 6 2012. The theme is “Structural Materials Science and Strategy for Sustainability - Back to the Basics“
Researchers
Hokkaido University
Takeshi Horinouchi is a professor at the Faculty of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Japan.
Assoc Prof Yuki Nagao is a materials scientist at the School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Dr Ryota Tamate is a materials scientist at the Center for Green Research on Energy and Environmental Materials, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan.
Nagoya University
Yukikazu Takeoka is a materials engineer at the Department of Molecular Design & Engineering at Nagoya University, Japan.
Hokkaido University
Daisuke Hirano is an assistant professor at the Ocean and Sea Ice Dynamics Group, the Institute of Low Temperature Science of Hokkaido University, Japan.
Hokkaido University
Jorge García Molinos is an aquatic ecologist broadly interested in global change ecology and macroecology.
I am a sociologist studying domestic violence and sexual violence situations and measures in Japan, and am the director of two NGOs, All Japan Women’s Shelter Network and Rape Crisis Center in Hiroshima. As an NGO activist, we, All Japan Women’s Shelter Network, submitted “The Request for the Prevention of DV and Child Abuse under the Condition of Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures” to the Japanese government on March 30. This letter of request drew more attention than we expected, and many newspapers and TV quickly covered the issue. A lot of people have talked about this online. The prime minister and minister of gender equality have since addressed the issue in statements, and the Cabinet has approved emergency funding for expanded consultation services.
As a young research practitioner, I’ve been working with more than 1,000 female college students who participate in study abroad programs. As a women’s school graduate, I believe in the power of female education in women’s school while there are sceptical views of its existence.
Tohoku University
I am engaged in the development of a new device for embryo evaluation which measures embryo oxygen consumption and a new medication for infertility. Recently, I focused on causative genes of disorders of sex development and searched pathogenic variants using a whole-genome reference panel constructed by Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization.
Tohoku University
I am a leading expert in the reconstruction of an artificial cell membrane as a novel system for screening side effects of drugs on the heart. This system can assess the potential risks of drugs that unintentionally interfere with the function of membrane proteins in the heart muscle.
My research on how medieval Japanese royal women strategized to overcome disparity is relevant in a time when COVID-19 has exposed ongoing problems tied to the vulnerability of (Japanese) women and gender stereotypes (e.g. recent remarks by Tokyo Olympics chief Mori).
Masako Tanaka is a practitioner, activist and academic focusing on gender and migration issues in Japan. She is a professor at the Department of Global Studies at Sophia University, Japan.
Kyoto University
Mitsuyo Wada-Marciano is a professor at the Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Japan. She is specialized in Japanese and East Asian cinemas with focus on digital media, disaster film, eco-cinema, and post-colonial cinema in cases of Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.
Hokkaido University
Madoka Ono is an associate professor at the Research Institute for Electronic Science/Green Nanotechnology Research Center at Hokkaido University and is the principal researcher at AGC Inc. Materials Integration Laboratories.
Tohoku University
Director of the International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS) at Tohoku University since April 2014, and also is a professor of Tsunami Engineering
Hokkaido University
Professor, Faculty of Environmental Science, Hokkaido University
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Materials scientist studying structure and microstructure of metal and alloys by transmission electron microscopy. Specialize in light metals and quasicrystals.
Kyoto University
Masanori Shimono is an associate professor at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Current: Deputy and Administrative Director & Principal Investigator of International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA) .
Professor at the Graduate School of Pure and Applied Sciences, University of Tsukuba
Giants in history
Japanese biochemist Akira Endo (1933 – 2024) discovered the first statin, called mevastatin, which lowered cholesterol levels in the blood by inhibiting a key enzyme in the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. His work laid the foundation for the development of statins to help patients lower their blood cholesterol levels and reduce their risk of heart disease or stroke.
Ruby Sakae Hirose (1904 – 1960) was a Japanese-American scientist whose research contributed significantly to our understanding of blood clotting, allergies and cancer.
Haisako Koyama (1916 – 1997) was a Japanese solar observer whose dedication to recording sunspots – cooler parts of the sun’s surface that appear dark – produced a sunspot record of historic importance.
Michiaki Takahashi (17 February 1928 – 16 December 2013) was a Japanese virologist who developed the first chickenpox vaccine.
Toshiko Yuasa (11 December 1909 – 1 February 1980) was the first Japanese female physicist whose research on radioactivity shed light on beta decay – the process in which an atom emits a beta particle (electron) and turns into a different element.
Baron Kitasato Shibasaburo (29 January 1856 – 13 June 1931) was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist whose work led to a new understanding of preventing and treating tetanus, diphtheria and anthrax.
By isolating soil microorganisms and studying the compounds they produce, Satoshi Omura (born 1935) discovered almost 500 organic compounds with unique properties that were produced by these microorganisms, including many new antibiotics.
Husband and wife team, Kimishige (3 December 1925 – 6 July 2018) and Teruko Ishizaka (28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers allergic reactions. They also discovered that IgE antibodies attach to white blood cells, known as mast cells, releasing histamine, which causes allergic reactions.
Husband and wife team, Kimishige (3 December 1925 – 6 July 2018) and Teruko Ishizaka (28 September 1926 – 4 June 2019) discovered the antibody class Immunoglobulin E (IgE) that triggers allergic reactions. They also discovered that IgE antibodies attach to white blood cells, known as mast cells, releasing histamine, which causes allergic reactions.
Reiji Okazaki (8 October 1930 – 1 August 1975) and Tsuneko (7 June 1933) were a Japanese couple who discovered Okazaki fragments – short sequences of DNA that are synthesized during DNA replication and linked together to form a continuous strand.
In 1915, Koichi Ichikawa along with pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
In 1915, pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa and his research assistant Koichi Ichikawa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
Ogino Ginko (3 March 1851 – 23 June 1913) was the first registered female doctor to practise modern medicine in Japan.
Michiyo Tsujimura (17 September 1888 – 1 June 1969) was a Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist recognized for her research of green tea components.
Hitoshi Kihara (1893 – 1986) was one of the most famous Japanese geneticists of the 20th century. One of his most significant contributions was identifying sex chromosomes (X and Y) in flowering plants.
Kono Yasui (16 February 1880 – 24 March 1971) was a Japanese botanist who researched the genetics of poppies, corn and spiderworts and surveyed the plants that had been affected by the nuclear fallout after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Umetaro Suzuki (7 April 1874 – 20 September 1943) was a Japanese scientist best remembered for his research on beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, characterized by limb stiffness, paralysis and pain.
Kikunae Ikeda (8 October 1864 – 3 May 1936) was a Japanese chemist who discovered the fifth basic taste, umami.
Osamu Shimomura (27 August 1928 – 19 October 2018) was a Japanese organic chemist and marine biologist who dedicated his career to understanding how organisms emitted light.
Motoo Kimura (13 November 1924 – 13 November 1994) was a Japanese theoretical population geneticist who is best remembered for developing the neutral theory of molecular evolution.
Chika Kuroda (24 March 1884 – 8 November 1968) was a Japanese chemist whose research focussed on the structures of natural pigments.
The field of solid-state ionics originated in Europe, but Takehiko Takahashi of Nagoya University in Japan was the first to coin the term ‘solid ionics’ in 1967. ‘Solid-state ionics’ first appeared in 1971 in another of his papers, and was likely a play on ‘solid-state electronics’, another rapidly growing field at the time.
The techniques that make industrial pearl culturing possible were developed over a century ago at the Misaki Marine Biological Station in Japan. The station’s first director, Professor Kakichi Mitsukuri, emphasized to Kokichi Mikimoto in 1890 that stimulating pearl sac formation was important for pearl growth, and they went on to successfully develop methods for culturing pearls.
Japanese physicist Ukichiro Nakaya (1900-1962) made the world’s first artificial snowflakes. He started his research on snow crystals in the early 1930s at Hokkaido University, where there is an unlimited supply of natural snow in winter. By taking over 3,000 photographs, he established a classification of natural snow crystals and described their relationship with weather conditions.
Minoru Shirota (April 23, 1899 – March 10, 1982) was a Japanese microbiologist who invented the popular fermented drink Yakult.
Japanese chemist Kenichi Fukui (4 October 1918 – 9 January 1998) was the first Asian scientist to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Together with Roald Hoffman, he received this honour in 1981 for his independent research into the mechanisms of chemical reactions.
Shinichiro Tomonaga (31 March 1906 – 8 July 1979), together with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965, for their contributions to advance the field of quantum electrodynamics. Tomonaga was also a strong proponent of peace, who actively campaigned against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and promoted the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Hideki Yukawa (23 January 1907 – 8 September 1981) was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949 for predicting the existence of the pi meson subatomic particle. Japan’s first Nobel laureate, Yakawa also expressed his support for nuclear disarmament by signing the Russell–Einstein Manifesto in 1955.
Japanese chemist Takamine Jokichi (3 November 1854 – 22 July 1922) founded the Tokyo Artificial Fertilizer Company, where he isolated a starch-digesting enzyme (named takadiastase) from the fungus Aspergillus oryzae.
Tsuneko (7 June 1933) and Reiji Okazaki (8 October 1930 – 1 August 1975) were a Japanese couple who discovered Okazaki fragments – short sequences of DNA that are synthesized during DNA replication and linked together to form a continuous strand.
A Japanese surgeon, Tetsuzo Akutsu (20 August 1922 – 9 August 2007) built the first artificial heart capable of keeping an animal alive.
Japanese geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi developed the first method and tools for measuring carbon dioxide in seawater