On September 28, the MIF held the 2026 Tokyo Meeting at the office. Fourteen fellows from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and Africa participated in the meeting. They deepened their connections through presentations on their research and lunch together.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Toshiaki Hashimoto, the chairperson of the MIF. He recounted how the founder, Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae, conducted a field survey in Hiroshima shortly after the atomic bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945. Dr. Matsumae stated, “Science and technology must always be used for peaceful purposes, and scientists must possess a genuine love for humanity.” Hashimoto emphasized that it is crucial to return to Dr. Matsumae’s philosophy and strive to realize a peaceful society by cherishing mutual trust, precisely because division and conflict are on the rise around the world today.

Through presentations, the fellows explained their research activities in Japan and the cultural characteristics of their respective countries and universities. Their research topics included searching for bioactive compounds in traditional medicinal plants, using drones for environmental monitoring, developing perovskite solar cells with new materials, and searching for nematodes that suppress crop pathogen growth.

One of the participants said, “At the Tokyo Meeting, I was exposed to research activities across a wide range of fields, which I found incredibly inspiring. Through the discussions, I also feel that I took the first step toward researcher exchanges that will lead to future collaborations. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at the MIF for providing this opportunity. Next year, my host professor in Japan is scheduled to visit my university, and we hope this will lead to student exchanges. Thanks to the MIF research fellowship program, we are now able to make such plans.”