Japan
News
23 Feb 2011
An exhibition titled “Saneatsu and Red Porcelain” will be held in March and April at the Shigenori Tomioka Collection Gallery which opened in May 2009. This is an exhibition which takes the shape of word-association game-like concept linking Saneatsu Mushakoji to Naoya Shiga to Wanli red porcelain to five-colored Ming Dynasty porcelain.
21 Feb 2011
By Hatsuko Kawana, Associate Professor, School of Human Sciences, Waseda University
It started with the news that on Christmas Day in 2010, ten school bags were delivered to a child guidance center in Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, along with a card signed by Mr. Naoto Date, the hero of the cartoon “Tiger Mask.”
18 Feb 2011
Molecular simulations explain how enzymatic pumps transport calcium ions within muscle cells
18 Feb 2011
Experimental evidence adds to the likelihood of the existence of supersolids, an exotic phase of matter
17 Feb 2011
Birds are useful models in developmental biology, but the study of avian development has been dominated by a single species of chicken. New research provides a comparative description of the development of the emu with that of the better-known chick.
17 Feb 2011
As in manmade timepieces, the movements of the genetic clockworks that lie behind circadian cycles involve a remarkable amount of complexity. Researcher's from RIKEN's Laboratory for Systems Biology report how delayed feedback repression is a key factor in mammalian clock function.
14 Feb 2011
People never, as assumed by conventional economics, make rational or efficient choices. Far from that, the choices made are irrational and emotional.
14 Feb 2011
The Waseda University Institute of e-Government has released the 2011 Waseda University World e-Government Ranking, marking its seventh consecutive year of monitoring the development of e-Government worldwide.
14 Feb 2011
The exhibition project “Build a Square, Move a Square―A Half Century of Temporary Theatres in Japan―Exhibition”, which started on January 11, is a display looking back at the history of temporary theatres from the 1960s to the present day.
11 Feb 2011
Researchers at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute are harnessing new physical principles in their search for the breakthroughs that will drive the next technological revolution.
11 Feb 2011
Microwave photons can nullify the conductivity of electrons confined to the surface of liquid helium
11 Feb 2011
A template-based coating technique allows the production of gapped nanostructures over large areas
08 Feb 2011
The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science has announced that Dr. Hiroki R. Ueda will be awarded the JSPS Prize for his work on the understanding of design principles in mammalian circadian clocks.
04 Feb 2011
Twin zinc atoms can direct an important organic double-bond-forming reaction with greater efficiency than other methods
04 Feb 2011
Immune cells get switched off by the gradual accumulation of dense clusters of inhibitory proteins
04 Feb 2011
Controlling antihydrogen atoms using two different methods brings physicists closer to answering quantum and cosmic questions
02 Feb 2011
GreenMetric Ranking of World Universities was established in April 2010 in order to provide a profile for and way of comparing the commitment of universities towards going green and promoting sustainable operation.
01 Feb 2011
Discovery of Breakthrough Electrode Formation Method without Accompanying Doping into Si Substrate
01 Feb 2011
Fabrication of the World’s Highest Mobility Organic Crystal Transistor by Simple Process of Solution Dripping and Exposure to Vapor
31 Jan 2011
Development of novel transistor with combined logic and memory functions with power consumption reduced to one-millionth that of conventional devices.
28 Jan 2011
Research on spin frustration in complex electron systems could help solve some of the world’s pressing energy problems
28 Jan 2011
A set of neighboring immune-system genes each receive separate activation instructions despite being controlled by a common factor
28 Jan 2011
Rapid activation of specific genes readies the mammalian body for seasonal change
28 Jan 2011
At the AAAS will be two scientists involved in cutting-edge research at RIKEN. Yoichi Yamada will discuss his team’s work on a new “micro-reaction chip”, as the basis for a revolutionary technique for conducting chemical reactions and Hiroyuki Ichida will discuss the application of heavy-ion beams to plant and microbial breeding.
26 Jan 2011
Researchers at RIKEN, Yokohama City University and the University of Tokyo have uncovered how gut bifidobacteria protect the body against lethal infection by enhancing the defenses of colonic epithelium.
24 Jan 2011
Takashi Kawai, a Professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, analyses the current boom in 3D entertainment and the potential future applications of 3D technology.
21 Jan 2011
Researchers at the RIKEN Plant Science Center have discovered a series of genes that control cell division and cell growth
21 Jan 2011
Helical molecules that contract reversibly when oxidized pave the way to new single-molecule electrochemical switches
21 Jan 2011
Polymer films that unfurl in the light could be the first of a new family of functional materials
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Giants in history
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.
In 1915, pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa and his research assistant Koichi Ichikawa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
In 1915, Koichi Ichikawa along with pathologist Katsusaburo Yamagiwa became the first to prove that chronic exposure to chemicals can cause cancer.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Minoru Shirota (April 23, 1899 – March 10, 1982) was a Japanese microbiologist who invented the popular fermented drink Yakult.
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.
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.
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.
Chika Kuroda (24 March 1884 – 8 November 1968) was a Japanese chemist whose research focussed on the structures of natural pigments.
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.
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.
Kikunae Ikeda (8 October 1864 – 3 May 1936) was a Japanese chemist who discovered the fifth basic taste, umami.
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.
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.
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.
Michiyo Tsujimura (17 September 1888 – 1 June 1969) was a Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist recognized for her research of green tea components.
A Japanese surgeon, Tetsuzo Akutsu (20 August 1922 – 9 August 2007) built the first artificial heart capable of keeping an animal alive.
Ogino Ginko (3 March 1851 – 23 June 1913) was the first registered female doctor to practise modern medicine in Japan.
Japanese geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi developed the first method and tools for measuring carbon dioxide in seawater