Japan's other research hub

摘要

In Japan, Sendai is known for its lush greenery, its nearby hot springs and its beef tongue. Outside Japan, it is hardly known at all. Sendai has long lived in the shadow of the Tokyo/Yokohama hub in the Kanto plain and the Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe triangle that anchors the Kansai region. But it has been responsible for seminal advances in materials science, microelectronics and particle physics. Its researchers, particularly those at the city's core institution, Tohoku University, have a track record for turning basic science into practical, profitable applications. And the university's involvement with world-class facilities, such as the KamLAND antineutrino detector at Kamioka, attract international attention. Meanwhile, local initiatives are helping to attract companies and bring scientific understanding to the public.