The 125th Anniversary of the IPR System Projects“Messages from Modern Inventors to Future Inventors”

1. Electron Microscope to Look at the Microscopic World - Mr. Akira Tonomura (PDF:149KB)
2. Blue Rose of Dreams - Mr. Yoshikazu Tanaka (PDF:382KB)
3. Painless Injection Needle - Mr. Masayuki Okano (PDF:127KB)
4. Cryptographic Technology that Support the Internet Community - Dr. Mitsuru Matsui (PDF:82KB)
5. Mass Spectrometer - Mr. Koichi Tanaka (PDF:103KB)
6. Photocatalysis: Making the World Clean - Dr. Akira Fujishima (PDF:191KB)
7. Develoment of the Electron Microscope and Discovery of Carbon Nanotubes - Dr. Sumio Iijima (PDF:349KB)
8. With customers’ voices UNIQLO’s "HEATTECH" is evolving - Mr. Atsushi Kuwabara (PDF:367KB)
9. ASIMO - Mr. Toru Takenaka (PDF:133KB)
10. “One-Seg”, “ISDB-T” / Technologies for Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting  - Mr. Takeshi Kimura (PDF:170KB)
11. Image Stabilizer on Cameras - Dr. Mitsuaki Oshima (PDF:114KB)
12. iPS cells - Dr. Shinya Yamanaka (PDF:211KB)

One new thing after another has been created for the improvement of our lives. We take for granted the inventions that we use on a daily basis such as personal computers, television sets, medicines, and cars. However, these inventions are the results of the efforts of many inventors, and it would be discouraging for inventors if their ideas could be easily stolen by others. In fact, many inventors might stop trying to make anything new.

The patent system was established in order to protect ideas and inventions. In the patent system, an invention can become intellectual property, which is owned by the inventor. By protecting great inventions, the patent system has been promoting the economic growth of Japan.

This year marks the 125th anniversary of the industrial property rights system in Japan. 125 years is a long time, and during this period, more than four million inventions have been created to make our lives easier. These inventions are protected by patents. In the future, your inventions will also support Japan.

Why do inventors create new things? Some of the leading inventors in Japan have written the reasons they became inventors and the reasons they enjoy inventing new things. Read their messages to you in order to discover the joy of invention and to learn how you too can become an inventor.

[Last updated 13 December 2010]