Riken (理研, Ri-ken) is a large comprehensive research institute located inTokyo, Japan. Founded in 1917, it has grown to become one of the largest and most respected scientific organizations in the world. Riken carries out basic and applied research across a wide range of disciplines, with a focus on physics, chemistry, biology, medicine and engineering.
Riken’s origins go back to the Meiji era (1868-1912), when Japanese society was rapidly modernizing after centuries of isolation from the rest of the world. In 1886, the Tokyo Academy of Physics was founded to promote Western-style science education in Japan. This was followed by other scientific academies such as the Tokyo Academy of Chemistry (1887) and the Tokyo Academy of Medical Science (1889). These institutions laid the groundwork for what would eventually become Riken.
In 1917, Emperor Taishō issued an edict calling for the establishment of a “national research institute” (kokuritsu kenkyūjo). The new institute was modeled after Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm Institute and was intended to promote industrial development through scientific research. It was also hoped that this would help catch up with Western nations that had already established similar institutions. The name “Riken” was chosen for the new institute because it means “house of knowledge” or “house of learning”.
The early years of Riken were marked by turmoil and uncertainty. The first director resigned just months after taking office, and funding was often inadequate. Nevertheless, Riken persevered and made significant progress in its early years. One noteworthy achievement came in 1923 when Hideki Yukawa proposed his theory of mesons, which helped explain nuclear forces. This earned Yukawa international recognition and paved the way for him to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1949.
In WWII, Riken played an important role in Japan’s war effort by developing weapons such as radar and sonar systems. After the war, Riken shifted its focus back to peaceful applications of science with great success. In 1955, Susumu Tonegawa discovered how genes are regulated by proteins known as transcription factors; this work ultimately earned him a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1987 . Other notable achievements include Akira Suzuki’s discovery of palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions (which earned him a Nobel Prizein Chemistry 2010 ), Yoichiro Nambu’s proposalof spontaneous symmetry breaking(for which he received halfofthe Nobel Prizein Physics 2008 ),and Osamu Shimomura’sisolationofthe green fluorescent protein(for which he sharedthe other halfofthat same Nobel Prize). Currently there are over 3200 scientists working at Riken across its various campusesinTokyo , Osaka , Kobe , Tsukuba , Wakoand Sendai . Riken is also home to several national laboratories including: The Advanced Center for Computing & Communication The Brain Science Institute The Computational Biology Research Center These laboratories provide researchers with access to powerful supercomputersand other cutting-edge facilities .