Message from the Director

Global warming is an urgent issue, and securing carbon-free and stable energy sources is essential for our country. From the viewpoints of national energy security, it is desirable to have multiple energy sources with diverse properties, and they should be built by domestic companies. Fusion energy is an energy source that can meet these requirements. To date, Japan has maintained the world's top level in the fusion energy research and development. For example, Japan has made important contributions to the huge international project ITER

Currently, fusion energy R&D is in a period of change. The accumulation of past R&D results and the development of technologies such as high-temperature superconducting coils enable the prospect of compact and attractive fusion reactors, and a number of start-up companies have been established and are rapidly moving toward industrialization. Under these circumstances, we in academia are expected to contribute to the creation of innovative ideas and industrialization, while at the same time laying the foundations. The Fusion Energy Transdisciplinary Center has four divisions: Steady-State Operation Technology Division, Innovative Confinement Division, Advanced Measurement and Control Division, and Fusion Systems Division. The first three divisions aim for further development while taking advantage of the results achieved to date. The last division, the Fusion System Division, conducts research on fusion energy from a transdisciplinary viewpoint, and will contribute to the industrialization of fusion energy by bringing together the wisdom of our university to promote research related to fusion energy and by establishing a Corporate Sponsored Research Program.

We are currently in a period of change in fusion energy R&D history. By organizing the Center, we will promote flexible and powerful contributions to society, and we would be grateful for your cooperation in this endeavor.

April 1, 2025 Akira Ejiri, Director, Fusion Energy Interdisciplinary Research Center