History of RIKEN

The RIKEN Foundation has a proud history of scientific achievement, from its original establishment in 1917 as a private research foundation under the title of Rikagaku Kenkyusho—from which it derives its modern name—to its revitalization following the Second World War and its renewal in the twenty-first century as an Independent Administrative Institution under the auspices of the Japanese government. RIKEN has hosted some of the most respected researchers of modern times, including four Nobel laureates, the current RIKEN President Ryoji Noyori among them, and has nurtured scientists to some of the most remarkable scientific breakthroughs that have helped shape our society.