Hello! Thanks for joining us. This is the PR team for the Moonshot R&D Program at the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Welcome to our official 'note', featuring information that we hope you will find interesting!

In this first post we will introduce our organization and program, and what you can expect from our future note posts.

*"Here begins our new MIRAI" is the official Moonshot tagline, MIRAI being the Japanese word for 'future' and representing all the exciting possibilities soon to come.  

What is JST?

JST is a national research funding agency that plays a central role in promoting Japan’s Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan. We fund a diverse array of research projects in collaboration with universities, research institutions and industry both in Japan and overseas, contributing to sustainable development and the creation of cutting-edge solutions to global challenges. As well as funding research we also engage in science outreach, and operate the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) in Tokyo.

What is the Moonshot R&D Program?

Moonshot is a large-scale national research project promoted by Japan's Cabinet Office, using bold ideas and challenging R&D to tackle issues including population aging/shrinking, climate change and global-scale disasters. The Cabinet Office has set nine ambitious goals to be achieved by 2050, and we at JST are handling six of them.

Goal 1: Realization of a society in which human beings can be free from limitations of body, brain, space, and time by 2050.

Goal 2: Realization of ultra-early disease prediction and intervention by 2050.

Goal 3: Realization of AI robots that autonomously learn, adapt to their environment, evolve in intelligence and act alongside human beings, by 2050.

Goal 6: Realization of a fault-tolerant universal quantum computer that will revolutionize economy, industry, and security by 2050.

Goal 8: Realization of a society safe from the threat of extreme winds and rains by controlling and modifying the weather by 2050.

Goal 9: Realization of a mentally healthy and dynamic society by increasing peace of mind and vitality by 2050.

What to expect from our note

This note will feature updates for all six of JST’s Moonshot Goals, including interviews with the researchers about their most exciting projects, reports on symposiums, and other information about cutting-edge Moonshot research. We hope you will share our passion for the Moonshot R&D Program and the grand challenges set for 2050, joining our 'giant leap' towards a bright new MIRAI of global human well-being.

This note will also announce upcoming Moonshot-related events, which are open for anyone to attend and offer valuable insights into our program.

Join us again soon!