News

On July 4, Dr. Masamitsu Takahashi, Director General of the NanoTerasu Center, Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat, Dr. Hiroo Yugami, Associate Executive Vice President of Tohoku University and Dr. Masashi Watanabe, Special Assistant to the President of PhoSIC guided the members of Research University 11 a tour of NanoTerasu.

On July 3, Mr. Takahashi, Manager of the Promotion and Public Relations Group of the NanoTerasu Secretariat, guided the members of the Okaya Chamber of Commerce and Industry on a tour of NanoTerasu.

On July 1,  Students from Manarat Dhaka International School & College visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On June 24, Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat, Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group, and Dr. Takada, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC), welcomed Mr. Fujita, Counselor to the Minister’s Secretariat of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and his delegation for a tour of NanoTerasu.

On June 23, Ms. Toshiko Abe, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, visited NanoTerasu.

Following an overview of NanoTerasu provided by Dr. Koyasu, President of the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), at the NanoTerasu visitor hall, Minister Abe toured the experimental hall guided by Dr. Masamitsu Takahashi, Director General of the NanoTerasu Center.

During the tour, Dr. Miho Kitamura, Senior Researcher from the NanoTerasu Center’s Beamline Group, explained the public beamlines, and Dr. Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC), provided an overview of the Coalition Beamlines.

On June 22, NanoTerasu was featured on NHK’s science program Science ZERO. NanoTerasu, located in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, is a cutting-edge, fourth-generation synchrotron radiation facility that has been in operation since April last year. It allows researchers to observe the “nano world,” measuring as small as one-millionth of a millimeter.
Dr. Takahashi, Director General of the QST NanoTerasu Center, appeared in the studio and introduced the latest accelerator technologies of NanoTerasu along with a variety of research applications utilizing the facility.
NanoTerasu is like a large ship, embarking on a journey to the future, carrying not only researchers but also many people with diverse dreams onboard.

▶ NHK Program Page:
https://www.nhk.jp/p/zero/ts/XK5VKV7V98/episode/te/PNRZNP4Z9L/
The program will be rebroadcast on Saturday, June 28, from 11:00 to 11:30 AM.

On May 16 and 19, Mr. Takahashi, Senior Staff Member of the Promotion and Public Relations Group, NanoTerasu Secretariat, guided a delegation from the Tohoku Regional Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on a tour of NanoTerasu.

A research achievement using one of NanoTerasu’s public beamlines was featured on NHK NEWS on the morning of June 19.

The study was conducted by Associate Professor Yohei Suzuki and his research team at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Science. They analyzed a sample of peridotite collected from approximately 1,200 meters underground—deep enough to minimize the possibility of microbial intrusion from the surface. Using NanoTerasu’s Soft X-ray Nano-Absorption Spectroscopy Beamline, one of its three public beamlines, the team detected elemental signals characteristic of living microorganisms.

This finding suggests the possibility that microorganisms obtained from 2-billion-year-old rock formations may have survived by “breathing” iron oxide.

“Microorganisms from 2-Billion-Year-Old Rock May Have Used Iron Oxide for Respiration – University of Tokyo and Others”
Link to article (in Japanese)

On June 18,  Fukuoka city hall personnel  visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On June 18,  Short-term overseas trainees of National Institute of Technology, Sendai College visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On June 10, Students from Taipei Municipal Daan Vocational High School visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Tomimatsu, Manager of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On June 10, Seed Planning, Inc. visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat; Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group.

On June 6, Mr. Miyazaki, Director-General for Nuclear Accident Disaster Response at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, visited NanoTerasu. He was guided by Dr. Koyasu, President of QST; Dr. Takahashi, Director General of the NanoTerasu Center; Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat; Dr. Takata, President of PhoSIC; and Dr. Niibori, Executive Vice President of PhoSIC.

On June 6, Members of Kajima Tohoku Rokuwakai visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Takahashi, Manager of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On June 6, Delegation from Kariwa Village Ward Managers Contact Council visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Takahashi, Manager of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On May 30, Commissioner Miyazaki of National Public Safety Commission and her delegation visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Dr. Yasushi Koyasu, President of QST; Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat; Mr. Masataka Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group; and Dr. Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC).

On May 27, Students from Tago Junior High School visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu.

On May 25, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry, Mr. Takeuchi, visited NanoTerasu. He was guided by Dr. Yasushi Koyasu, President of QST; Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat; and Dr. Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC).

On May 20, Delegation from the Iwate Prefectural Assembly Commerce, Industry and Construction Committee visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat; Mr. Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group; and Dr. Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC).

On May 16, Mr. Takahashi, Senior Staff Member of the Promotion and Public Relations Group, NanoTerasu Secretariat, guided a delegation from the Tohoku Regional Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on a tour of NanoTerasu.

On May 13, Vice Minister Iida of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and his delegation visited NanoTerasu. They were guided by Dr. Yasushi Koyasu, President of QST; Mr. Kawakami, Director of the NanoTerasu Secretariat; Mr. Masataka Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group; and Dr. Takata, President of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC).

On April 28, Kawakami, secretary general, Kado, leader of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu Secretariat, and Kobayashi, executive vice president of PhoSIC led a party of Miyagi Prefectural Assembly “Miyagi kenmin no Koe” Council Members a tour of NanoTerasu.

On April 26, NanoTerasu held its first-ever public tour of its accelerator facilities.
The NanoTerasu accelerator is made up of a 110-meter-long linear accelerator, which accelerates electrons up to 3 GeV (3 billion electron volts), and a 349-meter-circumference storage ring, where electrons are stored and synchrotron radiation is generated.
By introducing a cutting-edge design that uses four bending magnets—twice the number found in conventional facilities—NanoTerasu achieves 100 times greater brightness and coherence than traditional systems.
A total of 23 participants, selected by lottery from a large pool of applicants, took part in the event: 9 in the morning session (including 5 junior and senior high school students) and 14 in the afternoon session (including 7 junior and senior high school students).
Following an introductory presentation by Masataka Kado, Leader of the Promotion and Public Relation Group, participants toured the state-of-the-art equipment that powers the linear accelerator, storage ring, and beamlines. The tour was guided by Nobuyuki Nishimori, Leader of the Accelerator Group, Koji Horiba, Leader of the Beamline Group, and researcher Kohei Yamamoto.
The event offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most advanced synchrotron radiation facilities, generating excitement among all who attended.

On April 25, Takahashi, director general, and Nishimori, director at NanoTerasu Center,  Kawakami, secretary general at NanoTerasu Secretariat led a party from Japan Atomic Energy Commission a tour of NanoTerasu.

On April 23, Professor Takao Namba, who received the 2008 (Heisei 20) Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Science and Technology for his groundbreaking contributions to infrared and terahertz spectroscopy through the development of novel spectroscopic techniques—achieved by promoting the construction and utilization of an ultra-high-brilliance infrared beamline at SPring-8, one of the world’s most advanced synchrotron radiation facilities—visited NanoTerasu. Guided by Dr. Kimura, a technical staff member of the NanoTerasu Center who had worked with Professor Namba in the past on the construction of the infrared beamline at SPring-8, Professor Namba toured the experimental hall in a wheelchair.

On April 18, Executive Vice President Watanabe of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and his delegation visited NanoTerasu. They were welcomed and guided by President Koyasu of the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Director General Takahashi of NanoTerasu, Director Kawakami of the NanoTerasu Secretariat, and President Takata of the Photon Science Innovation Center (PhoSIC).

On April 18, Koyasu, president of QST, Takahashi, director general at NanoTerasu Center, Kawakami, secretary general at NanoTerasu Secretariat, and Takata, president of PhoSIC led a party from Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, a tour of NanoTerasu.

On April 17, Takahashi, manager of the Promotion and Public Relations Group at NanoTerasu Secretariat led a party of Koriyama District Committee on Livelihoods and Children a tour of NanoTerasu.

Sendai City is inviting proposals for the FY2025 NanoTerasu Trial Use Program, in conjunction with the launch of operations at the 3 GeV Advanced Synchrotron Radiation Facility “NanoTerasu” in FY2024. The city aims to establish a research complex where companies, universities, and other R&D institutions can gather and generate new value through open innovation.
Through this program, Sendai City seeks to generate a wide variety of case examples utilizing NanoTerasu. By using these examples for outreach and awareness activities, the program aims to help more companies recognize the industrial potential of NanoTerasu and encourage its active use.

Application Period: April 14 – May 16, 2025
More information available here (Japanese only)

NanoTerasu is the first synchrotron radiation facility in Japan to make the experimental hall — the area where users conduct experiments — accessible without being designated as a controlled radiation area.
As a result, people who are not licensed radiation workers, such as high school students, can also use the facility.
In fact, while previous synchrotron facilities in Japan did not allow high school students to use synchrotron radiation, NanoTerasu has already welcomed students from three different high schools to conduct experiments using its powerful light.

October 17, 2023 — Miyagi Prefectural Agricultural High School
First-ever use of NanoTerasu by high school students
Students analyzed “Sendai Beef” using NanoTerasu, which is often called a “giant microscope.” Their goal was to explore whether the deliciousness of Sendai Beef could be visualized using synchrotron radiation.
・Miyagi TV News (Japanese)
・KHB East Japan Broadcasting (Japanese)

February 21, 2024 — Fukushima Prefectural Asaka High School
Students from Asaka High School conducted experiments at NanoTerasu.
・Instagram post (Japanese)

February 27, 2024 — Miyagi Prefectural Furukawa Reimei High School
Third high school in Japan, second in Miyagi Prefecture, to use NanoTerasu
Students from Furukawa Reimei High School participated in a hands-on synchrotron radiation experiment at NanoTerasu.
・School blog (Japanese)