Message from the President

Yoshihisa Matsumoto
President, the Japanese Radiation Research Society

Greeting

I am Yoshihisa Matsumoto, Professor of the Institute of Science Tokyo. It is my great honor to be appointed as the President of the Japanese Radiation Research Society. Our Society was founded in 1959 in response to the radiation exposure of the crew members of the Daigo Fukuryu Maru (“Lucky Dragon No. 5”) following the 1954 hydrogen bomb test in Bikini Atoll, recognizing the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration of a wide range of scientific fields, including physics, chemistry, and biology, to elucidate the effects of radiation on the human body. This year marks its 67th anniversary. I feel a profound sense of responsibility in serving as the representative of this historic Society, which has produced so many important and valuable scientific achievements.

My encounter with radiation biology dates back to 1989, when I was a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Tokyo. I participated in an open research seminar taught by Professors Norio Suzuki and Kazuo Sakai of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine. It was there that I first heard about the phenomenon of apoptosis. Fascinated by its potentially profound biological significance, I came to wish to elucidate its underlying mechanisms someday. After completing undergraduate in the Department of Biophysics and Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science, I joined the Department of Radiation Oncology as a graduate student. Since then, for three decades, I have devoted myself in research on the molecular mechanisms of DNA damage recognition and repair, which I believe are crucial to understand the biological effects of radiation.

Radiation biology has been a cradle for many important fields, such as DNA repair, cell-cycle regulation, cell death, and stem cell biology. It also intersects with wide fields of biology, such as developmental biology, immunology, and neuroscience. This breadth arises naturally because radiation acts on DNA, a molecule that is of fundamental importance to all living organisms, profoundly influencing the maintenance, expression, and transmission of genetic information. For this reason, I believe that radiation biology is a discipline that brings us closer to understanding the very essence of life itself. Furthermore, the knowledge produced in this field has tremendous practical significance, contributing to radiation protection as well as the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and many other diseases.

The Institute of Science Tokyo, where I belong to, has recently been designated as a University for International Research Excellence under the vision of “Co-creating a Better, Brighter Future through the Power of Science.” I believe that the effective and sensible utilization of radiation, in its broadest sense, is indispensable for the realization of this vision.

Upon beginning my two-year term as President of the Society, I am committed to doing my utmost to ensure that the Japanese Radiation Research Society continues to serve as a gathering place for leading researchers across diverse biological fields related to radiation effects, including DNA damage response and repair, as well as a wide range of applied areas such as medicine, industry, and energy. Through these efforts, I hope that this Society not only opens new scientific frontiers but also meets public expectations and trusts. I sincerely look forward to your continued support and cooperation.

June 30, 2026
Yoshihisa Matsumoto
President, the Japanese Radiation Research Society

Charter of the Japanese Radiation Research Society

Basic Philosophy of the Society

The Japanese Radiation Research Society (hereafter referred to as “the Society”) is an academic organization that promotes interdisciplinary research in radiation science with the aim of elucidating the effects of radiation on the human body and the environment, understanding its mechanisms, and contributing to its utilization.

In 1954, many Japanese sailors were exposed to a radioactive fallout from the hydrogen bomb tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in the waters near the test site. This led to a study of the effects of radiation on the human body, as well as the contamination of the environment and food by radioactive materials. It provided an opportunity for researchers from various fields to participate in discussions. Researchers discussed the need for a forum to share such knowledge and deepen the understanding of radiation, and thus, the Society was founded in 1959.

Human life would not be possible without the use of radiation, including in the medical field. Contrarily, it is also true that radiation has undesirable effects on living things. It was extremely significant that the Society was established in Japan, the only country in the world to have been exposed to radiation during a war. We aim for the Society to be a place for comprehensively understanding the theories on radiation in Japan, as well as a base for radiation science research and the dissemination of information to the people around the world.

The Society is a focal point for all researchers of radiation science. As an academic organization, it takes pride in its traditions and bears a heavy responsibility. The Japanese Radiation Research Society hereby establishes a code of conduct for the members of the Japanese Radiation Research Society with the aim of maintaining the diversity of Earth's ecology and environment through interdisciplinary radiation science research and enabling all humankind to enjoy an equally rich life.

Members Code of Conduct

We, the members of the Japanese Radiation Research Society:

⦁ shall conduct and discuss interdisciplinary research in radiation science and disseminate advanced research results based on the basic principles of democracy, autonomy, and openness in research;

⦁ shall respect each other's human rights by mutually interacting and actively participating in the Society’s activities, to create a deeply humane academic society;

⦁ shall reflect upon the history of radiation science research pioneered by our predecessors, further develop the results, and pass them on to future generations;

⦁ shall take pride in our work as Japanese scientists and deepen exchanges and cooperation with researchers around the world; and

⦁ shall aim for a fair and prosperous research life, valuing mutual spiritual solidarity, independent academic principles, and the pursuit of truth.

History

Beginnings of Research on Effects of Radiation

In August 1945, two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and in September, the Academic Society Liaison Association (the predecessor of the Science Council of Japan) established the Special Committee for the Investigation of the Effects of the Atomic Bomb and began concerted investigation and research. Although the results could not be published immediately because of the wishes of the U.S., they were finally published in 1953 as the “Atomic Bomb Casualty Investigation Report” (in three parts). The incident on March 1, 1954, when the crew of a Japanese fishing boat was exposed to the effects of a hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, provided an opportunity for Japan to make significant progress in its research on radiation effects. Twenty-three crew members of the tuna fishing boat “Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon No. 5)” were exposed to the radioactive fallout from a U.S. hydrogen bomb test, and they developed acute radiation sickness. In response, the Science Council of Japan established the Special Committee on Radiation Effects Research (chaired by Masao Tsuzuki, Director of the Japan Red Cross Medical Center), consisting of about 80 experts from the basic research group, the medical research group, the biology research group, the fisheries research group, and the geophysics research group. They began to promote comprehensive research on the effects of radiation. In response to this, the Ministry　of　Education, Science, Sports and Culture allocated a special budget for the Special Research on Radiation in 1954. This research grant was continued for the next 10 years and played a major role in the development of radiation effects research in Japan and in expanding the base of researchers.

Founding of the Japanese Radiation Research Society

As research about the effects of radiation progressed, it became increasingly obvious that the problems caused by radiation on the human body and environment could not be solved unless researchers in specialized fields, with relatively fewer connections in the past, were brought closer together. From this perspective, more than a dozen volunteers got together and started discussions, and preparations were made to establish an academic society for the purpose of radiation effects research. Following this process, an inaugural meeting was held on July 2, 1959, in the auditorium of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo, and the Japanese Radiation Research Society was established. Dr. Masao Tsuzuki was elected as the first president. In addition, the first research presentation was held at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, from October 27 to 29 of the same year, and 86 presentations were made in total. Furthermore, the first Journal of Radiation Research was published in June 1960.

Membership

A person who wishes to become a member of the Society shall fill out the prescribed application form(https://www.jrrs.org/club/regist/) (in Japanese only), must be introduced by one of the regular members and submit it to the secretariat together with the membership fee.

⦁ Regular members: 10,000 JPY
⦁ Student members: 5,000 JPY
⦁ Overseas members: 50 USD
⦁ Supporting members (individual): 10,000 JPY (one unit)
⦁ Supporting members (group): 50,000 JPY (one or more units)

Notice：
The membership fees shall be paid every year at once by the end of the previous year (March 31 of each year).

Annual Meetings

https://www.jrrs.org/meeting/event.html　(in Japanese only)

Journal of Radiation Research

The Journal of Radiation Research (JRR) is an official journal of The Japanese Radiation Research Society (JRRS), and the Japanese Society for Radiation Oncology (JASTRO).