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JAPAN’s Council for Science and Technology is calling for a 50 per cent
increase in government science funding over the next five years. The proposed
increase, amounting to 17 trillion yen (£102 billion), would be spent on
research in universities and national laboratories.

Japan has always devoted a much lower proportion of its budget to basic
research than Western countries. But the science council is worried about the
decrepit state of many university laboratories. Å®ÉúСÊÓƵs fear that in the long
run, Japan’s weakness in basic science could undermine the country’s economic
success.

The science council is chaired by Japan’s prime minister, Ryutaro Hashimoto,
so its recommendations carry political clout. Even if the finance ministry
limits the size of the increase, it should still be substantial.