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−2−Preface : A journal of original papers of Type Tow Basic Research (H. Yoshikawa)Synthesiology - English edition Vol.1 No.1 (2008) basis of trade conflicts and put Japan in a difficult situation. Japan has made tremendous efforts both internationally and commercially to solve this conflict, and this also affected Japanese research policy. It has resulted in an emphasis on basic research, and greatly influenced research activities as a whole. The phenomenon is referred to as the “shift to basic research” at the institutes under the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology.The shift to basic research was a major event in the history of scientific research in Japan, and detailed analysis and interpretation are due, although it is perhaps too early to reach a conclusion. Here, I shall discuss what can be said as of now. First of all, the “free ride” viewpoint is too extreme and diverts attention away from Japan’s achievements. Furthermore, it neglects the application of scientific knowledge to societal needs. Basic research is essential as source of new industry. Yet, basic research alone is insufficient to benefit mankind. It must be developed into something to benefit people to have value to society. As exemplified by textile production using weaving machines invented during the Industrial Revolution, and by further mass production of motor vehicles in the United States, affluence is spawned from the use of scientific knowledge. Thus, production technology, which was the most important factor in increasing Japan’s competitiveness during its period of high economic growth, should be understood as a process of progress. For example, along with the improved performance of manufacturing processes the environment in which workers can make full use of their intellectual, emotional, and technical potential enabled the production of high-quality, high-reliability, low-cost products. This production format has not only been adopted by developing countries, but is employed by the advanced countries of Europe and the United States as the primary method of increasing affluence today. Therefore, Japan should be proud as the inventor of this production format and not be ashamed of taking a “free-ride”. Yet in reality, Japan has not been commended. Japan’s contribution to the evolution of production technology did not occur by accident, but was an inevitable result of scientific and educational policies set forth by our forerunners at the beginning of the Showa Period. However, I shall not elaborate on this matter here. The first problem is misevaluation or the neglect of our production technology achievements by us as well as others.The second problem is the way in which Japan has dealt with the confusion that arose from the trade conflict, although it should, in fact, be proud of its achievements. Individual companies have made efforts to shift to locally based production in foreign countries, and various policies and administrative directives have been undertaken. These policies included the removal of import restrictions and the implementation of procurement restrictions. These policies have also affected the scientific world. This meant a shift away from application and development, and a move toward the basics of scientific research. The same policies also promoted the import of research instruments. These changes did not necessarily mean an emphasis on basic research or prioritization of specific research disciplines, but simply meant a statistically significant increase in funds for basic research within the total research budget. In terms of total research funding, the capital investment by the private sector has always much greater than government expenditure. This tendency is still strong in Japan, although it has been stronger in the past, and this was the basis of argument that Japan neglected basic research. Therefore, it became necessary to assert that all state-funded research was basic research. As a result, all institutes under the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology were obliged to engage in basic research. This move was called the “shift to basics”, and the emphasis on basic research gradually increased. For the sake of scientific development, basic research is important regardless of the time or circumstances. Therefore, this shift has raised the level of the institutes under the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology in terms of their ability to produce basic research results, and the knowledge accumulated remains valuable to this day. On the other hand, considering the historical mission of the institutes in promoting industrial development, this shift undeniably obscured the role of the institutes today. At the same time, other countries began seeking ways to use new scientific knowledge to develop industry in the 1990s, and set policies that systematically accelerated the use of scientific knowledge through academic-industrial collaboration and public projects. Thus, while Japan made efforts to avert criticism originating from trade conflicts that Japan was too good in using knowledge, the situation in the world has changed completely and there is now competition in the ways of using knowledge. This is a serious issue. The second problem is the fact that while Japan made the correct policy of emphasizing basic research, it unnecessarily put aside its skilled use of knowledge, which in itself does not contradict the need to carry out basic research on a national level. AIST was founded to solve this problem.2 Full Research - Need for the journalThe integration of the various institutes of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry into AIST was a change made in response to the aforementioned problems. Simply stated, it was a realization of an institute that conducts basic research at international standards of excellence and contributes to actual industrial development. This has, in fact, always been the objective of the institutes of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology since the Meiji Period, so the change was actually a return to its roots. However, considering the colossal changes in the situation that surrounded the institutes, rather than a simple return

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