Japanese Society of Applied Physics

Japanese Society of Applied Physics
Name	Japanese Society of Applied Physics
Native name	応用物理学会
Formation	1932
Headquarters	Tokyo
Region served	Japan
Membership	scientists, engineers
Leader title	President

Japanese Society of Applied Physics is a professional association dedicated to the advancement of applied physics and related technologies, linking researchers across academic institutions, industrial laboratories, and national research centers. The society interfaces with entities such as University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Tohoku University, and Nagoya University while collaborating with international organizations like Optical Society of America, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, American Physical Society, European Physical Society, and International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. It plays a role in connecting landmarks of Japanese science such as RIKEN, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan Science and Technology Agency, and corporate research groups at Sony, Panasonic, Hitachi, and NTT.

History

The society was founded in 1932 amid scientific developments tied to institutions such as Imperial University of Tokyo, Tokyo Imperial University, Kyoto Imperial University, and industrial labs of Mitsubishi and Mitsui. Early membership included researchers from Institute for Molecular Science and laboratories associated with figures connected to Hideo Itokawa and contemporary engineering at Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Postwar expansion paralleled growth at Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan), and research centers like Tsukuba Science City and SPring-8. The society’s timeline intersects with major projects and milestones involving JAXA, SPring-8, Super-Kamiokande, and initiatives related to Semiconductor Research Corporation partnerships and the rise of corporate R&D at Toshiba and Fujitsu.

Organizational structure and governance

Governance is led by a president elected from among academics at institutions such as Keio University, Waseda University, Hokkaido University, Kobe University, and Kanazawa University, with oversight from boards and committees linked to specialized fields including groups that coordinate with Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association and international liaisons to SPIE and Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Administrative offices in Tokyo interact with national laboratories such as National Institute of Informatics and policy bodies including Cabinet Office (Japan), while committees engage experts associated with MEXT-funded centers and corporate research directors from Sharp and Ricoh. Decision-making tools and bylaws reflect practices seen in organizations like Royal Society and Max Planck Society, and panels include members with affiliations to Kobe Steel and IHI Corporation.

Membership and chapters

Membership comprises academics, industrial scientists, and students from universities such as Nagaoka University of Technology, Ehime University, Chiba University, and Shinshu University, and employees of companies like Mitsubishi Electric and NEC. Regional chapters operate in areas around Hiroshima University, Fukuoka University, Yokohama National University, Shizuoka University, and Kumamoto University, and host local events in collaboration with research centers such as Advanced Industrial Science and Technology units and national observatories like NAOJ. Student sections maintain connections with graduate programs at University of Tsukuba and international student networks affiliated with IEEE Student Branches and OSA Student Chapters.

Publications and journals

The society publishes flagship journals and proceedings that attract submissions from researchers at Seoul National University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Bell Labs, and IBM Research. Titles include peer-reviewed periodicals featuring work in optics, electronics, materials, and device physics comparable to journals from Nature Publishing Group, Science (journal), Physical Review Letters, Applied Physics Letters, and Journal of Applied Physics. Editorial boards contain scholars affiliated with Imperial College London, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, University of Oxford, and specialty institutes such as Fraunhofer Society and CERN-associated groups.

Conferences and meetings

The society organizes annual meetings, topical symposia, and joint conferences with partners such as SPIE, IEEE Photonics Society, European Optical Society, ACM, and regional bodies like Asia-Pacific Optical Sensors Conference. Major meetings draw presenters from laboratories including NPL, NIST, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institute, and universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University. Workshops often focus on areas linked to collaborators such as Hitachi Central Research Lab, Nikon Corporation, Canon Inc., and research consortia like METI initiatives and multinational projects with Horizon 2020-type frameworks.

Awards and recognitions

The society confers awards and fellowships honoring contributions comparable to prizes awarded by Nobel Committee, Japan Prize, Order of Culture (Japan), Tanaka Prize, and distinctions paralleling those from Royal Society medals. Recipients often hail from institutions like University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Tohoku University, Seoul National University, MIT, and corporate labs at Fujitsu and Toshiba. Awards recognize achievements in optics, semiconductors, nanotechnology, and device engineering related to work at SPring-8, KEK, and collaborative projects with CERN and ITER-aligned research.

Education, outreach, and collaborations

The society undertakes educational programs and outreach in partnership with museums and centers such as National Museum of Nature and Science (Tokyo), Science Museum (London), and university outreach offices at Kyushu University and Hokkaido University, and collaborates with funding agencies like JSPS and industry consortia including JEITA. International collaborations extend to networks including Asian Physics Alliance, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, and joint initiatives with institutions such as Nanyang Technological University, Australian National University, and University of Toronto to promote exchange programs and visiting fellowships for students and researchers.

Category:Scientific societies based in Japan