RIKEN
RIKEN is the largest research institute for natural sciences in Japan. It was founded in 1917 and now employs approximately 3000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan. Its annual budget is around 84 billion yen (US$840 million).
The name "RIKEN" (理研) is a Japanese abbreviation of "Rikagaku Kenkyūsho" (理化学研究所), which means "The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research", though RIKEN now also conducts a wide range of research in the life sciences.
RIKEN's current President is Prof. Ryoji Noyori, who won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2001.
Among RIKEN's recent achievements is the first ever confirmed creation of element 113, in July 2004. This element has yet to be formally named. On April 2, 2005, the same team successfully created it for the second time.
It is headquartered in Wako, Saitama Prefecture.
History
The proposal to found a national institute of science was made by Jokichi Takamine in 1913. After a resolution by the Diet in 1915, the institute was set up in 1917 by Eiichi Shibusawa using government funds and private donations. Dairoku Kikuchi served as the first president of RIKEN. It was blessed with ample funds, so that it was sometimes referred as a "scientists' paradise". Some inventions from RIKEN had commercial success and allowed the institute to form a zaibatsu called RIKEN Konzern. Though the zaibatsu was technically dissolved after World War II, the conglomerate remains as the RIKEN Group, which includes Ricoh.
Famous people from RIKEN
- Kotaro Honda
- Kikunae Ikeda
- Hantaro Nagaoka
- Umetaro Suzuki
- Torahiko Terada
- Shinichiro Tomonaga
- Hideki Yukawa
External link
Categories: Japan