Humanity faces rapidly increasing serious problems, such as explosive population growth, global warming caused by mass consumption of fossil fuels, shortage of energy and materials due to economic expansion, the spread of pathogenic viruses, environmental pollution by toxic substances and frequent disasters due to increasing extreme weather events. This rapid environmental change has complicated interlinkages, which threatens sustainable development and healthy living. There is an increasing demand for reliable future projections of change based on an accurate understanding of these current conditions and for new measures to solve these problems.

　RISH defines the “humanosphere” as spheres that support and interact with human activities. We continue to pursue a comprehensive understanding of the current situation in the “humanosphere” to establish science and technology that are indispensable for sustainable development and that contribute to the betterment of society.
　
　RISH has been expanding its Joint Usage / Research Center activities, in collaboration with domestic and foreign research / education organizations and private sectors, through (i) shared use of large-scale facilities, (ii) open use of databases and (iii) promotion of collaborative projects. These activities have been pursued under the direction of RISH’s four missions: “Mission 1: Assessment and Remediation of the Humanosphere”, “Mission 2: Development of Science and Technology towards a Solar Energy Society through Biomass and Solar Power Satellite Research”, “Mission 3: Study of the Space Environment and its Utilization”, and “Mission 4: Development of Technology and Materials for Cyclical Utilization of Bio-based Resources”.  In 2011, RISH started “New Frontier Research”, which aims to understand the environmental changes that affect human health and to find the systems that lead to healthy, safe and secure living.

　Before beginning work on the “3^rd Midterm Targets and Plans of National Universities” in 2016, RISH reconsidered the roles of its current missions, expanding and reassigning them as “Mission 1: Environmental Diagnosis and Regulation of Circulatory Function”, “Mission 2: Advanced Development of Science and Technology Towards a Solar Energy Society”, “Mission 3: Sustainable Space Environments for Humankind”, “Mission 4: Development and Utilization of Wood-based Sustainable Materials in Harmony with the Human Living Environment” and “Mission 5: Quality of the Future Humanosphere”, which aims to create healthy and sustainable living environments for society by developing practical applications of research results. In connection to the new missions, we set up a “Humanosphere Asia Research Node” in Indonesia, thereby strengthening the hub functions of international collaborative research and fostering the work of people who sustain and expand Humanosphere Science to find global-scale solutions.

　We will continue to actively expand on educational and research activities in collaboration with the Humanosphere science community, comprising not only staff and students within RISH but also outside researchers, both domestic and international, in an effort to demonstrate scientific landmarks in mankind’s path toward the construction of a sustainable Humanosphere. We look forward to your valuable assistance, support and participation.

Takashi Watanabe
Director
April 2016 – May 2020