Metaphotonics Forum

Metaphotonics Forum

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A symposium entitled “Metasurfaces for Practical Applications” will be held on March 16, 2026, during the 73rd JSAP Spring Meeting (Tokyo Institute of Science).

It has been approximately a quarter of a century since the field of metamaterials was first established. During this period, the proposal of metasurfaces, the two-dimensional counterpart of metamaterials, together with rapid advances in nanofabrication technologies, has significantly accelerated progress toward practical applications.

In Europe and the United States, several startup companies focusing on metamaterial-based devices have already been established. Major manufacturers such as Apple have begun incorporating devices utilizing metasurfaces into their products, and metamaterials are gradually being implemented in places that are not always visible to users. At the same time, the rapid progress of countries such as China has become particularly remarkable in recent years, and there is even a growing concern that Japan may be falling behind these global developments.

Given this situation, we strongly feel that unless academia and industry in Japan work together to advance research and development at this stage, Japan’s presence in emerging photonic technologies centered on metamaterials may significantly diminish, potentially leading to a future in which Japan must rely heavily on technologies developed elsewhere.

To address this challenge, we are planning to establish a research forum aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry. Through this forum, we hope to create a platform where participants from both sectors can openly discuss ideas and promote collaborative research with a focus on the practical implementation of metamaterials, rather than solely on fundamental studies.

This symposium is organized as a kickoff event for this initiative, bringing together leading researchers in Japan working on metamaterials and related technologies, along with their latest research results. In addition, we are currently planning the second meeting of this research forum in September, and an announcement regarding this upcoming event will also be made.

To help restore Japan’s visibility in the field of optical science and technology—an area in which Japan has traditionally excelled—we warmly invite researchers, engineers, and anyone interested in optical technologies to participate and join the discussion.

The symposium will be held on Monday, March 16 (the second day of the JSAP meeting), from 13:30 to 18:00, at
Room S2-204 (South Building No. 2).

We look forward to welcoming many participants.

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1. Purpose of Establishment

The Metaphotonics Forum is an organization established to accelerate the social implementation and industrial creation of metaphotonics technologies in a broad sense—namely, cutting-edge optical technologies based on metamaterials and related emerging sciences.

The Forum aims to promote close collaboration between academia and industry and to accelerate the process from research outcomes to practical application and commercialization through active information sharing and exchange of opinions.

In particular, on the academia side (seeds side), we place emphasis not only on presenting state-of-the-art results, but also on sharing and discussing the underlying design guidelines, practical know-how for experiments and evaluation, and the thought processes involved in R&D. On the industry side (needs side), we encourage participants to present concrete application needs as well as academic and technical needs. By bringing these “seeds” and “needs” together, the Forum intends to provide a platform to discuss—under mutual understanding between academia and industry—how to bridge the so-called “valley of death” that lies between promising research and real-world implementation.

2. Main Activities and Value Provided

The Forum will provide participants with the following opportunities and value.

(1) Providing Opportunities for Academia to Present Seeds and for Industry to Identify Needs

We will offer venues (discussion and exchange meetings) where advanced research outcomes from academia (seeds) and technical/social needs from industry can be gathered and connected. Through these interactions, we aim to promote discussions toward joint research, technology transfer, and commercialization.

(2) Offering Fundamental Courses in Metaphotonics

For students, early-career researchers, and engineers in industry, we will offer educational programs and foundational courses that enable systematic learning—from fundamental theory to design, evaluation, and applications of metaphotonics. Specifically, we aim to organize lectures and workshops that address how to overcome the “valley of death” encountered in the path to practical deployment of metaphotonics technologies.

(3) Supporting R&D Environments for Practical Implementation

To promote R&D with practical implementation in mind, the Forum will provide the following support:

  • Proposal and/or provision of materials and technologies (based on collaborative partnerships)

  • Information sharing on experiments, prototyping, and evaluation

  • Providing venues to organize challenges and discuss solutions toward implementation

(4) Promoting Human Networking

We will support the formation of networks among participants from diverse backgrounds—researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs, students, and others—thereby fostering cross-disciplinary interaction and the creation of new ideas.

(5) Encouraging the Creation of Startups in the Metaphotonics Field

To promote social implementation of metaphotonics-related technologies in response to industrial needs, the Forum will encourage the establishment of startups.

(6) Nurturing the Next Generation of Researchers and Engineers

We will nurture and support early-career researchers and engineers who will play leading roles internationally and drive next-generation optical technologies.

3. Vision for the Future

The Metaphotonics Forum will contribute to strengthening Japan’s international competitiveness in metaphotonics technologies and to creating societal value. We aim to reclaim optical science and technology—once regarded as one of Japan’s signature strengths—as a major industry in Japan.

4. Prospective Members

(Representative)

  • Takuo Tanaka (Team Director, Center for Advanced Photonics, RIKEN)

(In alphabetical order)

  • Kentaro Iwami (Professor, Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)

  • Koichi Okamoto (Professor, Department of Electronic Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University)

  • Wakana Kubo (Professor, Department of Intelligent Information Systems Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)

  • Junichi Takahara (Professor, Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University)

  • Takuo Tanemura (Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo)

  • Shunsuke Murai (Lecturer, Department of Electronic Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University)

  • Takaaki Yano (Professor, Post-LED Photonics Research Institute, Tokushima University)

Contact: metaforum@mets.riken.jp