Conference Report

Report on the 55th Spring Meeting (2008) ofThe Japan Society of Applied Physics and Related Societies
Hiroshi Fujiyama*
Chairman,Committee on Annual Meeting

The 55th Spring Meeting (2008) of The Japan Society of Applied
Physics and Related Societies was held over four days, from March 27(Thursday) to March 30 (Sunday) at the Nihon University College of
Science and Technology, Funabashi Campus (Narashinodai, Funabashi
City, Chiba Prefecture). Favored by refreshing spring weather, themeeting was held amid the blooming cherry trees, with 8,837 persons
participating, and was brought to a successful conclusion with no major

took place at a total of 47 oral lecture and poster session venues. The
following special events attracted a particularly high level of interest
from the participants. I will not include details of each event because ofspace limitations, but each covered issues representative of the present
and future of applied physics, and extensive, heated discussions wereconducted at all the venues.

incidents.

① The Special Symposium “The Future Vision of Applied Physics:
Academic Roadmaps with a View toward 2040” (hosted by the Task
Force Committee and the Meeting Planning Operations Committee)② Symposium of the Committee for Manpower Training and Joint
Participation by Men and Women, on “Science and Technology
Manpower Opening up a New Era: Manpower Training Partnerships
between Industry and Academia”③ The 42nd Applied Physics School: "Crystal Growth ZnO Semiconduc-

As you may be aware, the number of JSAP members reached arecord 24,000 members in 2007, and this Spring Meeting of JSAP andRelated Societies enjoyed an unprecedented participation rate of nearly
40%. This is an envious state of affairs for many other academic societies that are suffering from a decline in membership due to the effectsof the so-called “2007 problem.” This high participation rate is an indication that faced with a deluge of electronic information in recent years,
many members strongly believe that “Participating in these Meetings,
and hearing first-hand what people have to say, is the best way of efficiently learning about the most recent research trends!” No doubt, theenhanced symposium plans, featuring top runners from a variety offields, are another reason for the increased participation, not only bymembers, but by non-members as well. This has been a real wake-upcall for me, reminding me once again of the serious mission and responsibility we have as members of this Steering Committee, in planning andorganizing the Symposium.
The members of the Local Steering Committee, comprised mainlyof instructors from Nihon University College of Science and Technology, dedicated themselves to making preparations for the meeting.
I would like to thank Professor Hiroshi Yamamoto, the Chairman of theLocal Steering Committee, as well as Prof. Katsuji Nakagawa, the Vice
Chairman, and all of the other professors who acted as Committee
Members, for all of their efforts. Thanks to the support and consideration of Nihon University, we were able to use several spacious classrooms and various other facilities. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation to Prof. Mitsuaki Ochi, Dean of theCollege of Science and Technology, for his invaluable advice and assistance as Advisor to the Local Steering Committee.
At this Meeting, there were a total of 4,531 presentations ofresearch results, including 3,849 regular lectures and 682 topical sessions(including 36 symposiums; calculated in 15-minute segments, representing the same time allocated to regular lectures). Active discussions

tors, and Device Fundamentals”④ The 42nd Applied Physics School (Planned by the Education / PublicOperations Committee): “Global Warming and Issues for AppliedPhysics”⑤ APEX / JJAP friendship meeting: “Frank Discussions on APEX’s
Successful Takeoff”
Among the events held in conjunction with the JSAP Meeting, the8th JSAP Achievement Award Ceremony (for research achievements) was
held on the first day of the Meeting. Awards were presented to Prof.
Yoshihiro Hamakawa, Adviser to the Chancellor of Ritsumeikan University and Professor emeritus at Osaka University) for “Advanced Researchin amorphous silicon solar cells” and to Prof. Masataka Hirose (Directorof the Advanced Semiconductor Research Center) for “Fundamentaland Leading Research on Amorphous Semiconductor Superlattices andSilicon Integration Technologies.” The recipients were presented with acertificate and a commemorative gift from Chairman Hiroshi Ishiwara inrecognition of their achievements, and had the opportunity to conduct
commemorative lectures during the Meeting.
A ceremony for the 23rd Scientist Awards for the Presentation of an
Excellent Paper was also held on the first day of the Meeting. A total of38 individuals were selected through a careful screening process fromamong 655 of the 3,794 regular lectures presented at the Fall 2007
Meeting for which applications had been received in advance.
Starting from this Meeting, applications were received for presentations in two new Main Classifications: “Plasma Electronics” was sepa-* Nagasaki University; Graduate School of Science and Technology

JSAP International   No.18 (July 2008)        43Conference Report

rated from “Radiation and Plasma Electronics” as an independent Division, and Joint Session E grew into the new Division of “Spintronics andNanomagnetics.”

fications in keeping with the rapid changes in the field of applied chemistry, so applicants will immediately know which sessions to apply forwhen submitting papers.

Figure 1 shows the number of applications for lectures in eachof the 17 major classifications and 4 Joint Sessions. We can see that
dramatic differences have begun to arise in the number of presentations
in each classification, as a result of new trends in the areas of researchcovered by each field. As in the previous meeting, papers related tonanotechnology accounted for more than 40% of the total, but there
were more papers this year in the fields of organic molecular electronics,biotechnology, and the environment.

The Committee is currently considering a DVD-ROM version of
the JSAP Digest, out of consideration for the environment, and for theconvenience of participants. In a survey of Meeting Planning Committee
Delegates and Directors conducted in March of this year, there wasnearly 100% agreement on the shift to the DVD format. Based on theseresults, the Committee will begin studies for full-scale implementationof this plan. We trust that these continued efforts to improve member
services and to incorporate new activities will make these JSAP Meet-

The Meeting Planning Committee constantly reexamines and appropriately adjusts the Main Classifications as well as the Secondary Classi-ings even more meaningful and valuable for all members in the years
to come, and we ask you for your understanding and support in thisregard.

1. Radiation
2. Measurement and Control
3. Optics
4. Quantum Electronics
5. Optoelectronics
6. Thin Films · Surfaces
7. Beam Technologies
8. Plasma Electronics
9. Applied Material Physics
10. Spintronics and Nanomagnetics
11. Superconductivity
12. Molecular Electronics and Bioelectronics
13. Semiconductors A (Silicon)
14. Semiconductors B (Exploratory Materials/Physics/Devices)
15. Science and Technology of Crystals
16. Amorphous and Microcrystalline Materials
17. General Applied Physics
Fundamental Science of Plasma CVD and Its Application
Physics and Applications of Carbon Nanotubes
Fundamentals and Applications of Quantum Information Technology
Zinc Oxide and Related Functional Materials
0100200300

400500

Number of applications for lectures
Figure 144        JSAP International   No.18 (July 2008)