Keynote Speaker
Thursday, June 25,
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Main Hall, 3rd Floor, Fukuoka International Congress Center
*Partially open to the public
Communicating the Frontiers of Cosmology in Planetariums:
A Cosmologist’s Perspective
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Hitoshi Murayama, a theoretical physicist at the forefront of the latest astronomical research who is active on the global stage, to deliver a lecture on the themes of planetariums and astronomy.
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Hitoshi Murayama, Ph.D.Theoretical Physicist Professor, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), The University of Tokyo |
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Hitoshi Murayama is a theoretical physicist who works on the connection between the physics of tiny elementary particles and the vast Universe. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 1991, Murayama has held positions at Tohoku University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, before becoming MacAdams Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a University Professor and Hamamatsu Professor at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, the University of Tokyo, where he led the institute for 11 years as its Founding Director. He has received the Yukawa Commemoration Prize, Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics as a KamLAND member, Humboldt Research Award, 2024 Miller Senior Fellowship, Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science and the 2025 Particle Physics Medal. He is a member of American Academy for Arts and Sciences, and the Science Council of Japan. In 2023, He served as the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) Chair, becoming the voice for 5,000 physicists in US as they planned the next decade of US Physics. In 2024, Murayama was appointed as the 2027 Chair of the Division of Particles and Fields (DPF) under the American Physical Society.
Research Areas
Theoretical Physics
(Particle Physics)
URL |
https://physics.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/hitoshi-murayama |
Special Speakers
Tuesday, June 23,
10:20 a.m.–11:00 a.m.
Fukuoka City Science Museum, 6th Floor Science Hall
We may share the same sky, but not always the same understanding
This talk proposes a new role for planetariums: not only as places to explain the universe, but as environments where audiences can experience multiple interpretations of shared observations. By embracing, rather than resolving, the gap between observation and understanding, planetariums can help reconnect science, imagination, and society
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NEC Fellow Hiroaki Miyoshi |
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During my student years, I was involved in the research and development of the ion engine installed on the asteroid probe “Hayabusa.” After joining the company, I spent approximately 10 years developing space data systems that integrate space technology with ICT, including the development of mission control computers and their software for the Earth observation satellites “Midori” and “Daichi,” as well as the development of inter-satellite communication systems linking space stations with ground stations.
For the following 15 years, I managed projects for large-scale, practical ICT systems that transformed space data systems into customer value, contributing to the realization of Japan’s national critical infrastructure—ranging from environmental science (such as space station operations) to national security and practical positioning systems.
Currently, as an NEC Fellow, I am working to promote new private-sector space applications by combining NEC’s in-house space technology with its IT network technology.
Special Lecture
Tuesday, June 23,
9:15 a.m.–10:15 a.m.
(during the opening ceremony)
Fukuoka City Science Museum, 6th Floor Science Hall & Dome Theater
The Starry Sky and Plants: Unraveling the History of Japanese Culture and Curiosity Through the Lens of Fukuoka
From Fukuoka—a land steeped in human history—we will explore the star-themed poems of the *Man‘yōshū*, the promotion of science during the Edo period, and the connections between botany and astronomy. The speaker will trace the evolution of intellectual curiosity throughout Japanese history and shed light on the background of the rich planetarium culture that has spread across the nation.
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Tetsukazu Yahara, Ph.D.IPS 2026 Fukuoka Conference Host / LOC Chair |
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The speaker for this special lecture, Dr. Tetsukazu Yahara, is a world-renowned authority in plant taxonomy and conservation ecology. He is a professor emeritus at Kyushu University and currently serves as director of the Fukuoka City Science Museum.
His career began with research at the University of Tokyo Botanical Garden, and he has led the modernization of plant taxonomy by utilizing cutting-edge genomic analysis techniques to discover more than 200 new species. In addition to the “The MIDORI Academic Prise,” he has been honored with the Grand Prize of the Botanical Society of Japan in recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of plant science and his service to society.
He has also dedicated himself to the integration of knowledge across disciplines, such as by advocating for “decision science,” which aims to inform social decision-making based on scientific evidence. Currently, based in Fukuoka, he is actively engaged in activities to convey the appeal of diverse scientific fields to future generations.
