In Commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of
the “OYO BUTURI” Journal

Science and Technologies thatSupport our Lifestyles:
Applied Physics Changing the World
Kenjiro Oura (Osaka University)
President, the Japan Society of Applied Physics

The origins of the Japan Society of Applied

technologies, and biosciences. In this 75th Anniversary, we will turn ourPhysics can be traced back to a forum on
applied physics (OYO BUTURI DANWAKAI) that

attention to the coming quarter century, proposing new research themes
and raising issues that will present new challenges for researchers in thewas initiated around 1930 by researchers from RIKEN and the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Engineering. The discussions at this forum,field of applied physics. At the same time, we will provide information onactivities being undertaken at JSAP that contribute to society, promotewhich focused on how sciences and technologies could be applied toreal-life situations, covered a wide range of fields, including Physics, Elec-greater understanding of the importance of related sciences andtechnologies, and encourage an awareness of the significant role playedtronics, Mechanics, Metallurgy, and Chemistry, and touched on count-by the individual researchers who take on these challenges. To achieveless interdisciplinary issues as well. It wasn’t long before the participants
expressed a desire to formally record these discussions in a journal, andthese goals, JSAP will conduct the following events and activities.
As further details on the above events and activities become

the first issue of “OYO BUTURI” (Japanese for “Applied Physics”) waspublished in July 1932. The Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) wasavailable, we will inform Society members via the JSAP homepage, theJournal, and other media. We welcome any comments and suggestions,established in 1946, based on the Forum’s activities up to that time, and“OYO BUTURI” became the Society’s journal. This was the world’s firstand look forward to your active participation.

Society (and the world’s first Journal) dedicated to applied physics, which
combines the fields of physics and engineering.
The JSAP Board of Directors has decided to hold a series of events
thin 2007 commemorating the 75 Anniversary of the first issue of“OYO BUTURI.” Based on this decision, the Working Committee on
75th Anniversary Events (Committee Chairman: Tatsuyuki Kawakubo)
was established and is currently conducting discussions onthese events. Looking backon the last three quartersof a century, we can seethat Japan has played an
important role in bringing
the academic field of applied
physics to the rest of theworld, and that this field has
made significant contributions
to the creation of sciences
and technologies that support
our daily lifestyles. This isapparent in many aspects of
the world around us, including
semiconductors, measurement
technologies, material sciences,
information and communication

1 Commemorative events

A series of events, including an exhibition, science classes,

lectures, and a commemorative ceremony, will be held overtwo days, on August 3 (Fri.) and 4 (Sat.), at the Science
Museum (Kitanomaru-koen, Tokyo).

2 Creating a Future Vision

JSAP will propose new fields and issues that should betargeted by the Society in the future. At the same time, it will

create and “academic road map,” and propose new research
fields and integrated fields of study.

3 Applied Physics Archives

JSAP will interview researchers who have achieved outstanding

results in the field of Applied Physics, and will make the resultsof this survey available to the subject.

of Special 75 Anniversary
4 Publication
JournalthIn August 2007, JSAP will publish a Special 75th Anniversary
Edition of the “OYO BUTURI” Journal.

Cover of “OYO BUTURI” (Applied physics)
first number published in 1932

JSAP International No.15 (January 2007)3