iDarwin AS 0020 (2020 AD)

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Introduction of Research ProjectiDarwin volume 0, pp. 19-23
Published on March 4, AS 0020 (2020 AD)

Introduction of Yaponesian Genome Project
Yaponesian Genome Project Managing Group (Saitou Naruya, Shinoda Ken-ichi, Suzuki Hitoshi,
Fujio Shin-Ichiro, Endo Mitsuaki, Kibe Nobuko, and Osada Naoki)< Managing Group Of ce>
Population Genetics Laboratory
National Institute of Genetics
1111 Yata, Mishima, 411-8540, Japanemail: yaponesia_genome@nig.ac.jp
We started ve-year project “Deciphering Origin and Establishment of Yaponesians mainly based onGenome Sequences”, or nick-named as “Yaponesia Genome” under MEXT Grant-in-Aid for
Scienti c Research on Innovative Areas from FY2018 (ref. 1). We aim to establish new research area
by integrating biological studies and humanity and social science studies.

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Saitou Naruya, Editor-in-Chief of iDarwin, is Leader of this Project. Yaponesian means people
on Japanese Archipelago, or Yaponesia. Writer Shimao Toshio (ref. 2) proposed “Japonesia” in1960s. He fused two Latin words, Japo (Japan) and nesia (islands) to create Japonesia. We changed
its Alphabetical spelling to Yaponesia. Saitou stands in front of Shimao and his wife Miho’s
memorial at Kakeroma Island in photo shown at page 7, volume 0 of iDarwin.
Main questions of this project are origin and formation of people who live on JapaneseArchipelago (Yaponesia). Research group A01 (P.I. is Saitou Naruya) are determining full genome
sequences of more than thousand modern individuals, while research group A02 (P.I. is ShinodaKen-ichi) is determining genome sequences of more than 100 ancient individuals. Research group
A03 (P.I. is Suzuki Hitoshi) is determining genome sequences of animals and plants moved toYaponesia with humans. We try to decipher genomic history of people on Yaponesia throughanalyses of these newly determined genome sequences with other available ones. Research group
B01 (P.I. is Fujio Shin-ichiro) is conducting archeological studies focused on radiocarbon dating,while research group B02 (P.I. is Endo Mitsuaki) are conducting linguistic studies involving dialectsof Japanese and Ryukyuan languages as well as many languages spoken by people who live near
Yaponesia. Research group B03 (P.I. is Osada Naoki) estimates demographic changes throughgenome data collaborated with A01-A03 groups. These six research groups were established in FY
2018, and 17 small groups, classifed into A04 and B04 groups, started from FY 2019 for two years.
See Table 1 for researchers involved in Yaponesia Genome Project.
Please visit our Project Homepage (ref. 1) for details.
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Table 1 Member list of eight research groups===========================================================================================================

Research Group A01 (FY2018-2022)
Saitou Naruya*, Inoue Ituro, Yoshiura Koichiro, Timothy A. Jinam, Matsunami Masatoshi, Kamatani Yoichiro**
Research Group A02 (FY2018-2022)
Shinoda Ken-ichi*, Adachi Noboru, Sato Takehiro, Kakuda Tsuneo, and Kanzawa-Kiriyama Hideaki
Research Group A03 (FY2018-2022)
Suzuki Hitoshi*, Masuda Ryuichi, Endo Toshinori, Itoh Tsuyoshi
Research Group B01 (FY2018-2022)
Fujio Shin-ichiro*, Kinoshita Naoko, Seike Akira, Yamada Yasuhiro, Hamada Tatsuhiko, Sakamoto Minoru**, Takigami Mai**
Research Group B02 (FY2018-2022)
Endo Mitsuaki*, Karimata Shigehisa, Kibe Nobuko, Nakagawa Hiroshi, Kazama Shinjiro
Research Group B03 (FY2018-2022)
Osada Naoki*, Fujimoto Akihiro, Gojobori Jun, Kawai Yosuke, Nakagome Shigeki**
Research Group A04 (FY2019-2020)
Satomura Kazuhiro, Ohashi Jun, Nakayama Ichidai, Terai Yohei, Hosomichi Kazuyoshi, Sato Yoichi, Hanada Kosuke,
Kimura Ryosuke, Oota Hiroki, Imanishi Tadashi, Naito Ken
Research Group B04 (FY2019-2020)
Kawada Masakado, Nishiuchi Isamu, Funabashi Kyoko, Takenaka Masami, Aso Reiko, Hayashi Yuka===========================================================================================================*P.I. **Research Associate

It should be noted that Ueda Shintaroh, Core Editor of iDarwin, is one of advisory board members of
this Yaponesia Genome Project.

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Figure 1 Yaponesia Genome Project Logo. It was designed by Mr.
Koyama Makoto during his attendance to Astale Total Art & Design
Institute 2018 summer school at Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture,
Japan. Design inside circle represents Mt. Fuji and Suruga Bay waves,that are both symbols of Shizuoka Prefecture. But it also symbolizes
common ancestor, divergences, and gene ow.

Figure 2 Title Logo of “Yaponesian” (ISSN 2434-2955), quarterly
magazine of Yaponesia Genome Project (so far only written in Japanese). It was designed by Ms
Kuriyama Aki during her
attendance to Astale
Total Art & Design
Institute 2018 summer
school at Mishima City,
Shizuoka Prefecture,
Japan. Large and small
red dots apparently
signify Japan.

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References
Ref. 1: http://www.yaponesian.jp
Ref. 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toshio_Shimao
Yaponesia Genome Project Managing Team member photos(taken from “Yaponesian” issue zero of volume zero)
From left to right: Saitou, Shinoda, Suzuki, Fujio, Endo, Kibe, and Osada===========================================================================================================Publication history of this article
March 4, AS 0020: this article was published in iDarwin.
May 14, AS 0022: Following revision of the publication style of iDarwin (see Saitou [0022]), last names were no longer capitalized. Some additional
editorial changes were also made.

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