The Physical Society of Japan has established the “ Japan Physics Heritage” program to designate locations and artifacts of significant historical importance to the history of physics in Japan as cultural heritage. We are pleased to announce that the following five items have been selected and publicly announced as the first (1st Round, Phase 1) designations under this program.
- Terada Torahiko Materials and the Related Historical Sites (Site of
Terada Torahiko Residence) - Hideki Yukawa’s Historical Documents
- The Institute for Materials Research at Tohoku University (
), the birthplace of research on metallurgical physics and magnetic materials in Japan, and the collection of materials housed at the Honda Memorial Hall - The Electron Microscope Used to Discover Carbon Nanotubes
- RIKEN Cyclotron No. 3
In September 2025, this Society decided to launch the “ Japan Physics Heritage(Japan Physics Heritage)” certification program to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Society’s founding in 2026 and the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Tokyo Mathematical Society—the Society’s predecessor—in 2027. The program aims to preserve and pass on historical materials related to physics, publicize the social contributions of physics, and foster a sense of pride in the achievements of our predecessors.This program aims to designate places and artifacts of significant historical importance to the history of physics in Japan as cultural heritage.
The first round of certification will be conducted in two phases: 2026 (Phase 1) and 2027 (Phase 2), which mark the anniversary year. Starting in 2028, certification will be conducted annually.
As the first round of the “ Japan Physics Heritage,” based on recommendations from the Physics Heritage, the five projects listed above were approved as the first cohort at the 732nd Board of Directors meeting in August 2026. These results were announced on September 16, the third day of the 81st Annual Conference (2026), at the University of Tokyo’s Komaba I Campus.
In accordance with the wishes of the owners and managers, the certification ceremonies will be held sequentially at the locations listed at Physics Heritage. Details on each heritage site are also available on this website.