Japan
News
24 Mar 2020
Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University
A new approach could lead to “cornea-on-a-chip” devices that more accurately test the effects of drugs on the human eye.
24 Mar 2020
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
Astronomers have captured new, detailed maps of three nearby interstellar gas clouds containing regions of ongoing high-mass star formation.

11 Mar 2020
Hiroshima University
When it comes to awareness of social and legal services available to people with dementia, financial knowledge is key
10 Mar 2020
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
A key component of the Prime Focus Spectrograph, the metrology camera, can now make accurate measurements while set up at the bottom of the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.
09 Mar 2020
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
Researchers found that dust encircling a young gas giant can create a “safety zone,” which keeps a large moon from falling into the planet as the system evolves.
06 Mar 2020
Kanazawa University
Point set registration problems, i.e. finding corresponding points between shapes represented as point sets, are important in a variety of fields, so algorithms have been developed. Here, a new algorithm is discovered for point set registration problems. This algorithm is demonstrated to solve several typical problems remarkably faster than conventional methods and with the highest accuracy. This novel algorithm will be beneficial to a wide variety of technologies including computer graphics, computer vision, authentication etc.
05 Mar 2020
Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University
Molecular changes could improve the efficiency of next-generation photovoltaics.
05 Mar 2020
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
An international team of astronomers using ALMA has captured the very moment when an old star first starts to alter its environment.
02 Mar 2020
Hiroshima University
Researchers explore the links between happiness and productivity at a factory in Laos
02 Mar 2020
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
A physicist and mathematician have found a string theory link in a class of complex numbers.
28 Feb 2020
Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University
Converting crystalline metal-organic frameworks into glass or liquid could give them unique properties and lead to the design of new materials.
26 Feb 2020
Hokkaido University
Policymakers will need to step up to the challenges caused by significant shifts in fish species distributions caused by climate change.
20 Feb 2020
Hokkaido University
A protein that helps colorectal cancer cells spread to other parts of the body could be an effective treatment target.
18 Feb 2020
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Controlling the organization of molecules within polymer membranes could lead to more efficient fuel cells.
17 Feb 2020
Asia Research News Partnerships
INTERPHEX Week Osaka is a B to B trade show specialised in pharmaceutical R&D and manufacturing which will be held in Osaka, the largest city in western Japan.
14 Feb 2020
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ)
Planetary scientists using ALMA revealed the secrets of the atmosphere of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.
07 Feb 2020
Hokkaido University
A calf was born from an embryo lacking cells which form a large part of the placenta, providing new insight into the regenerative capacity of mammalian embryos.
07 Feb 2020
Kanazawa University
Researchers at Kanazawa University report in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology a promising novel approach for a combined treatment of the most common type of lung cancer and associated secondary cancers in the central nervous system. The approach lies in combining two cancer drugs, with one compensating for a resistance side effect of the other.

06 Feb 2020
Hokkaido University
A nanoscale gold butterfly provides a more precise route for growing/synthesizing nanosized semiconductors that can be used in nano-lasers and other applications.
05 Feb 2020
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
The origin of how the Universe created its voids and filaments can now be studied within seconds after researchers developed an artificial intelligence tool called Dark Emulator.
03 Feb 2020
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Materials with special electric properties can help promote bone’s natural healing processes.
03 Feb 2020
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
Gravitational waves could contain evidence to prove that neutrino particles reshuffled matter and anti-matter, explains a new study.
29 Jan 2020
Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University scientists are getting closer to understanding how a rare hereditary disease impairs the skin’s barrier function, which determines how well the skin is protected.

28 Jan 2020
Hiroshima University
In a recent study from Hiroshima University, researchers turned to mathematics to predict hive patterns in humans.
24 Jan 2020
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Machine learning augments experimental and computational methods for cheaper predictions of material properties.
24 Jan 2020
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)
Silly questions lead to surprising answers about the fundamental nature of the universe. We might have been getting it wrong this whole time.
24 Jan 2020
Hiroshima University
Japan’s government should invest in financial literacy programmes in schools and the media to help people make better decisions about savings, investment and pensions.
23 Jan 2020
Hokkaido University
West Nile virus (WNV) inhibits autophagy — an essential system that digests or removes cellular constituents such as proteins — to induce the aggregation of proteins in infected cells, triggering cell death and brain inflammation (encephalitis), according to Hokkaido University researchers.
23 Jan 2020
National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS)
Machine learning approaches are being used to automatically tag microscopic structures in pictures of steel alloys.
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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

























































