Is Japan Losing Its Edge in Scientific Research

Jan 07, 2026 | News On Japan

KYOTO - Japan’s scientific community was energized in 2025 by major news when Sakaguchi Shimon of Osaka University and Kitagawa Susumu of Kyoto University jointly won Nobel Prizes, marking a rare double win by Japanese researchers.

Since the start of the 21st century, Japan has produced 21 Nobel laureates in the natural sciences, giving the country one of the strongest track records in the world and reinforcing its image as a global scientific powerhouse.

Yet beneath the celebratory headlines, a darker narrative has emerged, raising concerns about what some describe as the possible end of “science powerhouse Japan,” amid growing alarm over the country’s weakening research capabilities.

Kitagawa, a board member at Kyoto University, warned that Japan has failed to create an environment that allows researchers to pursue their work with intensity, saying, “We don’t have a setting where research can be pursued ferociously. I believe Japan should be a country capable of that.”

In an interview with the program “News Runner,” Kitagawa pointed to the reality facing young researchers, who are increasingly burdened with administrative duties and left with less time for research, adding that this makes it difficult to conduct studies that could form the very foundations of academic inquiry.

Source: KTV NEWS

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