THE JAPAN TIMES FRIDAY, MAY 27, 2016 5

G7 Science Ministers’ Meeting in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture(Publicity)

The vanguard of science,technology and innovation
The city of Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture
has been the foremost science city inJapan, leading efforts on industrial innovation and pioneering elementary school
education with the use of informationand communications technology (ICT).
Located about 50 kilometers northeast of Tokyo, Tsukuba is home to anumber of top research institutions,making the city one of the largest science and technology sites in Japan. Statistics from 2013 showed that there weremore than 16,000 researchers working
in Tsukuba and there were more than
110 research institutes in the city.
With a population of 220,000, Tsukuba
features not only an excellent urban
environment, but also lush nature, highlighted by the famous Mount Tsukuba.
The city in southwestern Ibaraki Prefecture is aiming to become what it calls a“Smart Garden City,” taking advantage of
its unique combination of urban andrural environments.

Legacy dates to 1960s

Tsukuba’s history as a science technology accumulation site started in 1963
when the Cabinet approved the construction of Tsukuba Science City. In
1973, the University of Tsukuba wasestablished, the forerunner of which
was Tokyo University of Education thatwas founded in 1949.
By 1980, 43 national institutes
selected by the government had completed relocation to Tsukuba, forming
the backbone of the current city.
It was the Tsukuba-hosted International Exposition on science and technology in 1985 that put the city on theglobal map. The expo featured exhibitions from 48 countries, including Japan,
as well as 37 international organizations,attracting 20.3 million visitors between
March 17 and Sept. 16.

Successful G7 meetingFittingly for such a science-driven city,
Tsukuba recently garnered furtherattention when it hosted the G7 Scienceand Technology Ministers’ Meetingfrom May 15 through May 17 at the Tsukuba International Congress Center.
The ministers, including meeting
chair Aiko Shimajiri, state minister incharge of science and technology policy,
issued a document titled the “TsukubaCommunique.” It said they recognizedthat “science, technology and innova-

A bird’s-eye view of Tsukuba, with
Mount Tsukuba in the background
CITY OF TSUKUBAtion (STI) are essential for social andeconomic development, and foraddressing global challenges such as
health, energy, agriculture and the environment.”
On May 16, the ministers had theopportunity to visit some of the leading
projects and research facilities in Tsukuba, where they expressed their admiration and provided words ofencouragement to researchers.

Cutting-edge tech, delicious foodAt the National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology(AIST), the ministers were given presentations on humanoid robots at a robotics laboratory, jointly operated by theinstitute and France’s Centre Nationalde la Recherche Scientifique.
One of the largest public researchorganizations in Japan, AIST strives tobridge the gap between “innovativetechnological seeds” and “commercialization,” creating and achieving thepractical use of technologies.
Boasting about 2,300 researchers, theinstitute is made up of five departments
and two centers. These include areas
dedicated to energy and the environment, life sciences and biotechnology,
information technology and human factors, as well as the Geological Survey ofJapan and the National Metrology Institute of Japan.
The ministers also visited the National
Institute for Materials Science (NIMS),
which is tasked with conducting fundamental research, as well as generic andinfrastructural technology research anddevelopment, in materials science.
They observed the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, oneof the nine World Premier International
Research Center Initiative Programs
under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
They attended a lecture on its cuttingedge research such as the atomic switch, a
recently developed nanoscale circuit element, and nanomechanical sensors thatmechanically detect target substances.
At NIMS, the ministers also interactedwith its researchers from the world,
including those from the U.K., U.S.,
China, Greece, Germany, Canada,France and Nepal.
The ministers concluded their tour by
test-driving micromobility single-passenger vehicles at the Japan Automobile
Research Institute (JARI).
After the tour, Shimajiri told reportersthat the ministers were very muchpleased with the dishes made with local
ingredients and sake served at a reception the day before.
“I’d like to thank the officials from
Ibaraki Prefecture and the city of Tsukuba for their efforts” to welcome theministers, Shimajiri said. “I’m delighted
that the ministers said the dishes andsake were excellent.”
At the reception, the ministers wereserved with wide variety of food using
ingredients from all 44 municipalities in
the prefecture. They were also servedwith dinners made with local ingredients such as Hitachi Beef and melon at
the banquet on May 16.

Supporting robot research

To create “a society in which humans androbots live together in harmony,” Tsukuba has supported robotics institutes
and firms in their research activities.
In March 2011, the city was designated by the government as the Tsukuba
Mobility Robot Experimental Zone,
which allows for robotic experiments on
public roads. Thanks to the designation,
the nation’s first, pedestrians could
come across a sign saying, “You may
encounter robots on this road.”
Using Segway two-wheeled self-balancing electric vehicles, patrols, commuting and sightseeing tours are
conducted on an experimental basis in
the city.
Many institutions have developed
and produced various types of robots.
A noteworthy one is the Robot Suit
HAL by Cyberdyne, Inc. that helps
patients who have difficulty walking due
to diseases of the cerebral, nervous andmuscular systems, by aiding the motionof their lower limbs according to theirintended movements.
Developed by AIST, the Paro,
designed to look like a baby seal, hasgained recognition as having therapeutic effects and has been recognized as
the “World’s Most Therapeutic Robot”
by Guinness World Records. AIST has
also developed the humanoid HRP-4C
Mimu robot.
Established by the New Energy andIndustrial Technology Development
Organization, AIST and JARI, the Robot
Safety Center conducts verification
experiments on the safety of androids,with an eye toward assisting thoseengaged in caregiving or housework inan aging society.

Life, environmental innovation

The city was also designated as the Tsukuba International Strategic Zone by
the government. Through deregulationand tax incentives, the designation aims
to promote “life innovation” for achieving a healthy aging society and “greeninnovation” for realizing a low-carbonsociety.
Led by the Tsukuba Global Innovation
Promotion Agency, parties involved in
the initiative have embarked on fiveprojects concerning life innovation,
including the development and application of next-generation cancer treatment and the creation of the global hubof innovative medical robots and medical devices.
They have also engaged in three otherprojects on green innovation such aspractical use of algal biomass energy,
creating a global hub of nanotechnology
and practical development of a recycling system for strategic urban mines.

International city

The international aspect is somethingthat should not be forgotten when con-Attendees of the G7 Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting pose for a photo on Honda’s personal mobility devices at theTsukuba International Congress Center on May 16. MASAAKI KAMEDAAt the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Tsukuba Space Center, visitors canobserve various space-related exhibits. MASAAKI KAMEDA

sidering Tsukuba.
Thanks to hosting many research andhigher educational institutions attracting
overseas talent, Tsukuba has about 7,400
foreign residents as of Oct. 1, 2014, from awhopping 132 countries, accounting foraround three percent of city’s population.
Tsukuba thus has worked on initiatives to make itself more attractive andcomfortable to foreign citizens. To thatend, the city pursues multilingual initiatives, which include issuing public relations publications in six foreign
languages — English, Chinese, Korean,Thai, Portuguese and Spanish — and a
website offering information in two foreign languages — English and Chinese.
The city’s cosmopolitan character canalso be felt in the classroom as about
250 students from about 40 countries
study at elementary and junior highschools in Tsukuba. Furthermore, English-based education is offered at theTsukuba International School, which is
an authorized International Baccalaureate World School.

Innovative classroom efforts

On the educational front, Tsukuba aims

to offer the best education in Japan. Oneof the city’s initiatives was the introduction of unified nine-year education witha comprehensive curriculum at all elementary and junior high schools fromthe 2012 academic year, a departurefrom the conventional division of sixyears of elementary school and three
years of junior high school.
The city launched a project-based
subject, “Tsukuba Style” in the 2012 academic year by combining studies of theenvironment, careers, history and culture, health and safety, science andtechnology, welfare, the heart and mind
and international understanding.
Furthermore, Tsukuba has been committed to promoting education utilizing
ICT since 1977 when it became the firstJapanese city to incorporate computers
into classrooms. The city recently introduced tablets in classrooms, further
promoting innovation in learning.
Through these novel initiatives, Tsukuba looks to nurture global talent withwhat it calls Tsukuba next-generation
skills who could lead the future of thecity.

A host of science museums

In a sense, children growing up in Tsukuba have been blessed with an environment where they are close to thenation’s leading science technologies.
The city is home to a number of museums where children, as well as adults,
can enjoy advanced science and technology.
These include the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency’s Tsukuba SpaceCenter, which sits on a spacious
530,000-sq.-meter site and serves
Japan’s space projects, including thedevelopment and operation of satellites,
astronaut training and the promotion ofmanned space activities.
In addition to its mission, the exhibition hall Space Dome allows visitors tosee real rocket engines, full-scale satellite models and a life-size model of theKibo, the Japanese experiment module

The lunches served to the ministers attending the meeting on May 16 were madeusing local ingredients. IBARAKI PREFECTURE

Fifth-grade students use tablets in their science class at Takezono Higashi
Elementary School. MASAAKI KAMEDAHitachi

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About 45 minutes by
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About 65 minutes byexpress bus fromJR Tokyo Station
About 55 minutes byexpress bus from
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Foreign residents make up of about three percent of Tsukuba’s population.
CITY OF TSUKUBA

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Haneda Airport

PAGE: 5A man uses the Robot Suit HAL developedby Cyberdyne Inc. for rehabilitation inGermany. PROF. SANKAI, UNIVERSITY OFTSUKUBA/CYBERDYNE INC.

for the International Space Station.
At the Science Square Tsukuba, visitors can get hands-on experience ofrobots and future technology, while theGeological Museum features earth science and the Tsukuba Botanical Garden
has about 5,000 examples of domestic
and exotic plants.
For those who want to visit several
museums in the city, a Science Tour Bus
is operated on Saturdays, Sundays andnational holidays.

Nobel laureates, higher education

Under the motto “Imagine the Future,”
the University of Tsukuba strives to“establish free exchange and close relationships in both basic and applied sciences with educational and researchorganizations and academic communities in Japan and overseas.”
There are four Nobel laureates associated with Tsukuba. They are ShinItiro Tomonaga, professor emeritus ofTokyo University of Education who
received the Nobel Prize in physics in
1965; Leo Esaki, former president of
the University of Tsukuba, who wasawarded the 1973 Nobel physics prize;
Hideki Shirakawa, professor emeritusof the University of Tsukuba who was
the winner of the chemistry prize in
2000; and Makoto Kobayashi, professor emeritus at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization in thecity, and recipient of the 2008 physics
prize.
Meanwhile, the national Tsukuba
University of Technology is the nation’ssole higher educational institution forhearing and visually impaired students,
while the private Tsukuba Gakuin University aims to nurture skilled and active
members of the globalized informationsociety.

Visitors enticed byattractions, nature
The city of Tsukuba and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer in terms ofsightseeing.
An icon of Ibaraki Prefecture andone of the “100 Mountains of Japan,”
Mount Tsukuba has an elegant
appearance and is referenced in thesaying, “Mount Fuji in the west,
Mount Tsukuba in the east” since
the 877-meter mountain is sometimes considered equivalent to thecountry’s tallest mountain.
There are many routes to the top of
the mountain that is situated in one of
the city’s suburbs. From the summit,
climbers can enjoy panoramic viewsof the vast Kanto plain.
Meanwhile, another interesting
and unique place to visit is the Warp
Station Edo in the city of Tsukubamirai, where visitors can experience the atmosphere of the Edo
Period thanks to replicas of tradi-

Visitors can get a taste of the Edo
Period at Warp Station Edo inTsukubamirai. IBARAKI PREFECTURE

tional buildings and towns.
Although the facility is run by
NHK Enterprises Inc. for the filmingof period dramas, it is open to thepublic.
Furthermore, there is the 120meter bronze Ushiku Daibutsu
statue of Buddha in the city ofUshiku. Visitors can take an elevatorinside the statue to an 85-meterhigh observatory.