About the Foundation

Kihara Memorial
Yokohama Foundation
for the Advancement of
Life Sciences

We are a nonprofit organization that provides support for the furtherance of research in the life sciences as well as related industries.

Hitoshi Kihara was a global-scale pioneer who established the genome concept and made major achievements in the fields of genetics and evolution theory.

Professor Kihara defined the life sciences as “a general vehicle for all fields related to life, and a combined art form in pursuit of survival for the human race.”

In today's world, we face challenges such as rapidly-spreading infectious diseases, environmental pollution, resource depletion, excessive population growth and other issues that threaten the future of humankind. If we simply sit back and let these things take their course, we are inviting our own downfall as a species. Moreover, the planet Earth is inhabited not just by humans, but by a wide range of other living things, and our existence depends on them.

Just as doctors strive to prevent diseases and also treat them, we hope to use the life sciences as a doctor for Earth. To this end, the Kihara Foundation provides various types of support for the researchers who pursue advancements in this field, as well as for the startups who hope to change the future through the life sciences.


Foundation Overview

Name:
Kihara Memorial Yokohama Foundation for the Advancement of Life Sciences
Address:
Yokohama Bio Industry Center, 1-6 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture 230-0045
Date of Founding:
March 12, 1985
Asset worth:
approx. ¥800 million
President:
Dr. Yasuo Ohno
Goal:

Promote and support the life sciences and their useful applications within Kanagawa Prefecture to contribute toward industrial vitalization through academic exchanges and incentives/support that convey widely throughout society the importance of the life sciences, and through organization of joint life-science research between universities, research facilities and similar institutions and industry, as well as through promotion of organic-type collaborations therein and self-motivated engagement in joint research projects.

Activities:
  • Academic promotion, and dissemination and furtherance of knowledge, in relation to the life sciences
  • Planning, promotion and implementation of joint research and similar activities in the life sciences
  • Support for industrial vitalization through useful applications of the life sciences
  • Establishment, management and operation of research facilities for the sake of industry cluster development and technological support in relation to the life sciences
  • Other activities as necessary to meet additional goals

Access

Address:
Yokohama Bio Industry Center, 1-6 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture