About RIKEN

Visiting RIKEN

RIKEN offers individual and group tours of its campuses (Wako, Yokohama, Kobe, Harima and Tsukuba). No English tours are being offered currently, however, so if you wish to schedule a tour, please provide your own interpreter unless you are able to understand Japanese. On the Wako campus, regularly scheduled afternoon tours are offered on the second Friday of every month. (Prior application is required for the regularly scheduled tours, which also in Japanese. Click here for information and application, in Japanese.)

Open Day

Open Day on Wako Campus

One day a year, each RIKEN campus is open to all visitors on Open Day. Events and lectures are held that relate to the research being carried out on the campus. On this day some of our laboratories and advanced facilities are open to visitors for viewing. (Most events and lectures are in Japanese, though researchers at many labs can offer explanations in English.)

Visitor facilities

RIKEN Gallery

RIKEN Gallery

Highlights of our past and latest research are displayed in this exhibit space located on the Wako campus. Displays include RIKEN’s history and explanations of cutting-edge research achievements in physics, chemistry, engineering, bioscience and medicine.

Brain Box

Located in RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute on the Wako campus, the Brain Box is an interactive exhibit that explains basic concepts in neuroscience and presents the latest research findings at BSI. The exhibit is a useful tool for explaining basic brain science concepts.

K Supercomputer Gallery

K Computer

RIKEN’s K computer, located in Kobe, was rated the fastest computer in the world by the TOP500 list in 2011. The exhibit area includes a full-scale model of a computer rack, CPUs, system boards and more. From the window of the exhibit area the vast extent of the supercomputer can be viewed. Open to the public daily, 9:00am to 6:00pm. Free of charge.

SPring-8

SPring-8

SPring-8, located on RIKEN’s Harima campus, is a large synchrotron radiation facility which delivers the most powerful synchrotron radiation currently available in the world. Also in the same location is the SPring-8 Angstrom Compact free electron Laser (SACLA).

For details on making arrangements to visit these facilities (by appointment only), or to visit the Public Relations Center and Exhibition Center, which are open daily, see http://www.spring8.or.jp/en/about_us/site_tour/