About

about

About us

【Social issues】
We aim to ensure sustainable circular economy (CE) from the perspectives of global environmental conservation, resource conservation, and economic growth

Message

AIST has established seven new "Integrated Research Centers" to bring together the research institute's comprehensive capabilities and integrated technologies necessary to solve social issues. "Integrated Research Center for Circular Technology" aims to ensure sustainable circular economy (CE) from the perspectives of global environmental conservation, resource conservation, and economic growth.
We are promoting implementation of new resource circulation systems through physical sorting, recovery, and recycling technologies, grading, life cycle assessment, data sharing platforms, and CE index development, by integrating AIST's resource circulation technologies. Toward economic resource circulation, we are building a new circular value chain network that combines arterial and venous industries by increasing the added value of recycled materials, improving resource utilization rates, building inventory data linked to arterial and venous resources, and developing a support system for optimizing recycled material use according to application.
In collaboration with AIST Solutions, an AIST group company, we are building "strong alliances" with companies committed to realizing a circular economy. We are leading the world in solving social issues and strengthening Japan's industrial competitiveness.

Director,
Research Center

Sato Hiroaki

Organization chart

Team list

  • Director, Research Center

    Sato Hiroaki

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 1

  • Deputy Director, Research Center

    Hagihara Hideaki

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

    ORCID

  • Deputy Director, Research Center

    Ono Kyoko

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID
Advanced Physical Sorting Research Team - 6 people

  • Team Leader

    Hayashi Naohito

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Senior Researcher

    Ohko Yoshihisa

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

  • Senior Researcher

    Ueda Takao

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Researcher

    Aikawa Kosei

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Researcher

    Nakakubo Keisuke

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Oki Tatsuya

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

Light Metal Recycling Research Team - 3 people

  • Team Leader

    Omura Naoki

    Work place
    AIST Chubu

  • Senior Researcher

    Murakami Yuichiro

    Work place
    AIST Chubu

  • Senior Researcher

    Shiga Keiji

    Work place
    AIST Chubu

    ORCID
Plastic Chemical Recycling Research Team - 9 people

  • Team Leader

    Hiyoshi Norihito

    Work place
    AIST Tohoku

    ORCID

  • Chief Senior Researcher

    Minami Yasunori

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

    ORCID

  • Research Manager

    Narihiro Takashi

    Work place
    AIST Hokkaido

    ORCID

  • Senior Researcher

    Tanaka Shinji

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

    ORCID

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Kuroda Kyohei

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 1

    ORCID

  • Senior Researcher

    Sasaki Akira

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 6

    ORCID

  • Senior Researcher

    Nakamura Akinobu

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 6

    ORCID

  • Researcher

    Isshiki Rino

    Work place
    AIST Hokkaido

    ORCID

  • Researcher

    Taniguchi Kenkichi

    Work place
    AIST Tohoku

    ORCID
Plastic Mechanical Recycling Research Team - 12 people

  • Team Leader

    Watanabe Hirohmi

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Senior Researcher

    Takahashi Yuusuke

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Senior Researcher

    Takenaka Yoshiko

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

  • Senior Researcher

    Hikima Yuta

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Senior Researcher

    Hanaoka Toshiaki

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Senior Researcher

    Fujimoto Shinji

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Senior Researcher

    Ito Shotaro

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Senior Researcher

    Watanabe Ryota

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

  • Researcher

    Togou Azusa

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Mizukado Junji

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Matsuzawa Yoko

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 5

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Nagatani Asahiro

    Work place
    AIST Chugoku

Indicator Development and Data Infrastructure Research Team - 9 people

  • Team Leader

    Ono Kyoko

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Senior Researcher

    Chun Yoonyoung

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Senior Researcher

    Kojima Naoya

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

    ORCID

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Nishikawa Yuri

    Work place
    AIST Tokyo Waterfront

    ORCID

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Genchi Yutaka

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba Central 1

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Kraines Steven

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Tsukahara Kenichiro

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Tahara Kiyotaka

    Work place
    AIST Tsukuba West

  • Concurrent Researcher

    Ozawa Jun

    Work place
    AIST Tokyo Waterfront

All data is as of October 2025