Tsukuba Center, AIST: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Research centre in Tsukuba, Japan
The Tsukuba Center, AIST is a research facility in Tsukuba, Japan, part of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology. It houses laboratories and offices where scientists work on topics ranging from materials and robotics to energy and electronics.
The AIST was officially established in 2001, when several smaller and separate research institutes were merged into a single organization. Those institutes had been operating independently for over a century before coming together under one roof.
The center opens to the public on special days, when visitors can explore current research and exhibitions at the Geological Museum and Science Square on the grounds. Since the campus is large and has many similar-looking areas, it helps to note where you park before heading out.
The grounds are lined with ginkgo trees that turn bright yellow in autumn, making walks around the campus a seasonal highlight for those who happen to visit at the right time. The center also hosts shared microfabrication facilities, where tiny components are produced using tools that most visitors would never expect to find on a research campus open to the public.
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