Message from the Director-GeneralIn the past 40 years or so, as a climate scientist, I haveTo effectively promote interdisciplinary anddevoted myself to research on the Asian monsoon

transdisciplinary research, in April of 2016 we establishedclimate, including ecosystem-climate interaction,a new research structure by introducing three Research

and anthropogenic impacts on climate. As part of myPrograms, one Core Program, and the RIHN Center. With

international activities, I have also been involved in thethese new structures in place, we are now pursuing ourInter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

research through enhanced collaboration within ourThrough these academic experiences, I can confidently

institute, across the diverse research community, and withsay that we human beings have been drastically changing

society in general. To enhance international activities ofour planet by inducing “global warming” of the climate

RIHN, we are also collaborating with the internationaland by degrading eco-systems. Particularly since theresearch platform Future Earth, which aims to integrate

late 20th century, the impact of human activities has

global environmental change research for achieving globaloverwhelmed the entire earth, ushering in a new geologic

sustainability including contributing to the United Nations

era called “the Anthropocene”.

Sustainable Development Goals. As part of this, we are
hosting Future Earth Asian Regional Centre to strengthen

Obviously, an essential and urgent challenge for humanity

research collaboration and capacity building across thetoday is how to achieve a harmonious relationshipAsian countries.

with nature on earth. Since its establishment in 2001,
RIHN has been committed to this monumental issue by

We are excited to implement these new research initiatives

conducting diverse solution-oriented research under theand make progress on solutions to the many environmental

overarching question of how human-nature interaction

challenges we face, including various new issues related toand relations ought to be. To achieve this mission, RIHN

the current COVID-19 pandemic.

undertakes interdisciplinary research spanning the naturalsciences, humanities, and social sciences, and in recentyears, has evolved towards transdisciplinary researchthat involves collaboration with various stakeholders insociety.

YASUNARI TetsuzoDirector-General
Research Institute for Humanity and Nature23

RIHN Philosophy and Approach
For several decades, researchers have attempted to

the role of science in society, improve dialogue between

find solutions to the environmental problems that now

different traditions of knowledge, and stimulate new multi-

confront human communities at all scales, but despite

actor local, national and international collaborations. Thisextensive research in individual disciplines, many

approach needs to draw on multiple, diverse perspectives

environmental problems have remained unresolved.

from a range of disciplines including the natural and social

There is therefore a need to go beyond partial

sciences, arts and humanities, and engineering and design.

descriptions of discrete environmental problems towards
holistic understandings of the underlying causes of

Science cannot be uniformly applied to the world but

these problems and for integrated approaches to theirshould instead enable solutions to social-environmentalsolutions.

problems that are informed by lived social practices andcommunal values. RIHN research is developed globally,

The Research Institute for Humanity and Nature

but with Asia as a core focus area. Not only is Asia’s impact

is a national research institute established by theon global development increasingly conspicuous, but at theGovernment of Japan in 2001 and it is part of thesame time it is also home to many examples of long-term

National Institutes for the Humanities. RIHN research

cultural-ecological continuity that need to be understood instarts from the premise that environmental problems areterms of their own significance to regional dynamics. RIHN

rooted in human society, culture, and values. The goal

research crucially depends on long-established networks inof RIHN is to seek concepts, theories and mechanisms

Asia and contributes to transdisciplinary initiatives in thecapable of describing and enabling transformation ofregion, among others by hosting the Regional Centre forhuman-environment interactions. This implies thatFuture Earth in Asia.

RIHN research involves a normative dimension, driven
by questions such as what the relationship between

RIHN research is guided by the following three objectives:

humanity and nature ought to be like. To this end,

・Conduct research that analyzes the interaction between

RIHN solicits, funds, and hosts integrative researchhumanity and nature and critically examines theprojects investigating environmental change problems

sustainability of human societies, based on past RIHN

in specific settings. Research projects are undertaken byresearch and international literature and experiencesinterdisciplinary teams at RIHN, partner institutions, and・Apply research results to solve real-world sustainability

societal stakeholders in Japan and abroad.

problems
・Promote solution-oriented research on environmental

We at RIHN believe that research ought to contributechallenges that is co-designed and co-produced in close

to the search for solutions to real-world problems and,collaboration with societal stakeholders

therefore, we promote a co-design and co-production

While other regions are not excluded, the primary

approach where researchers and societal actors join

geographical focus of RIHN research is on Asia. Morehands in exploring problems and developing new

broadly, RIHN strives to deploy an Asian perspective in its

framings and possible solutions. RIHN research isresearch on global environmental change.

increasingly transdisciplinary in that it seeks to redefine4