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About ABC

What is the Astrobiology Center?

Greetings from the Director
Purpose and History
Organization Chart
Member

Greetings from the Director

A Scientific Challenge to Uncover the Universality of Life through Exoplanet Exploration

Director of Astrobiology Center

Masahiro Ikoma

Astrobiology is a scientific discipline that explores the potential for life in the universe. Moreover, it is an inherently interdisciplinary field that contributes to understanding the origin and evolution of our own habitable planet, Earth, as well as its environmental changes. Bringing together astronomy, Earth and planetary sciences, biology, and life sciences, and so on, this field represents an intellectual endeavor to address one of nature’s most fundamental questions: Is our existence unique in the universe, or is it universal?
 
The Astrobiology Center (ABC) was established in April 2015 as a research center directly under the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) to serve as a hub for promoting cross-disciplinary research at the forefront of this field. Initially launched through collaboration between researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) and the National Institute for Basic Biology (NIBB), ABC has since grown to include outstanding scientists from Japan and abroad. Through open-call research programs, it has also supported emerging projects at universities and research institutes across the country, thereby strengthening collaborations and laying the foundation for the development of astrobiology in Japan.
 
Astrobiology encompasses a wide range of research themes. At ABC, we focus particularly on discovering planets beyond the Solar System that may harbor Earth-like habitable environments, as well as identifying potential signs of life (so-called biosignatures). To achieve this goal, ABC consists of three offices: the Eoplanet Search Project Office, which conducts observations of exoplanets using ground-based and space telescopes; the Exo-life Search Project Office, which studies biological activities such as photosynthesis that could indicate the presence of life; and the Astrobiology Instrument Project Office, which develops instruments that enable these observational studies.
 
Since the first discovery of an exoplanet in 1995, exoplanet research has advanced rapidly, and more than 6,000 planets are now known. These discoveries have deepened our understanding of planetary diversity and formation processes. The next major challenge is to detect habitable environments and possible signs of life. Looking ahead to future missions such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) and observations with the ground-based Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), ABC is pursuing both theoretical, observational, and experimental studies on the properties of habitable planet atmospheres and their observability.
 
Astrobiology is an expansive field, and naturally, ABC alone cannot cover its entirety. It is essential for ABC to function as a hub, fostering collaboration with research institutions and groups both in Japan and worldwide, to support the growth of the field as a whole. This area of research is expected to continue developing rapidly, and we sincerely hope that the younger generation will take an interest and join us in this exciting endeavor. We greatly appreciate your continued understanding and support of the activities of the Astrobiology Center.

2025/10

Purpose and History

Astrobiology Center (ABC) was established in 2015 to promote interdisciplinary research on extrasolar planets and potential life in the universe.
The recent progress in observations of extrasolar planets makes scientific explorations of “life in the universe” and astrobiology research to reveal its mystery urgent challenges.
The Astrobiology Center in the National Institutes of Natural Sciences promotes explorations for extrasolar planets, explorations for life inside and outside the solar system, and the development of the instruments for such explorations.

　
　　2015 April Establishment of National Institutes of Natural Sciences Astrobiology Center
Establishment of Exo-planet Search Project Office, Astrobiology Instrument Project Office置
　
　　2016 April Exo-Life Search Project Office
　

Organization Chart

Member

As of October 1, 2025

Director Masahiro Ikoma National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Vice Director / Project Professor Kenji Takizawa National Institute for Basic Biology (Concurrent) HP

Exo-Planet Search Project Office

Chief / Asossiate Professor Teruyuki Hirano National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Project Assistant Professor Livingston, John H. National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Project Researcher Takuya Takarada National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Project Researcher Riku Urago National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Japan Society for the Promotion of
Science Project Researcher 		Mayuko Mori National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)

Exo-Life Search Project Office

Chief / Project Associate Professor Kenji Takizawa National Institute for Basic Biology(Concurrent) HP
Specially-appointed Professor Victoria Meadows Cross Appointment(University of Washington NASA)
Assistant Professor Katsuki Jozuka National Institute for Basic Biology(Concurrent) HP
Assistant Professor Hironori Fujita National Institute for Basic Biology(Concurrent) HP
Project Assistant Professor Masayuki Kuzuhara National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(Concurrent)
Project Researcher Masaru Kono National Astronomical Observatory of Japan(Concurrent)

Astrobiology Instrument Project Office

Chief / Associate Professor Takayuki Kotani National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Specially-appointed Professor Olivier Guyon Cross Appointment (University of Arizona)
Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) Naoshi Murakami National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Assistant Professor Jun Nishikawa National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (primary)
Project Researcher Toshiyuki Mizuki National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Project Researcher Yukari Toyoda National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)

Research Enhancement Strategy Office

Chief / Project Professor Kenji Takizawa National Institute for Basic Biology (Concurrent) HP
Vice Chief / Senior specialist Nobuhiko Kusakabe Public Relations /
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent) 		HP
Senior specialist Masashi Omiya National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)

Research Support

Research Supporter Yi Yang Mitaka

Public Relations & Administration

Senior specialist Nobuhiko Kusakabe Public Relations /
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)		 HP
Senior specialist Masashi Omiya National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (Concurrent)
Public Outreach Staff Ryo Kandori Mitaka / Exo-Planet Search Project Office
Administrative Supporter Sachie Kataoka Mitaka
Administrative Supporter Ichino Saori Mitaka
Administrative Supporter Yamaguchi Chiyu Mitaka
Administrative Supporter Yukiko Takeo Okazaki / Exo-Life Search Project Office
Technical Supporter Naomi Ishine Okazaki / Exo-Life Search Project Office
Technical Supporter Eiko Takekawa Okazaki / Exo-Life Search Project Office

Guest

Visiting Professor Motohide Tamura HP
Visiting Professor Norio Narita The University of Tokyo
Visiting Professor Yosuke Tanaka Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
Visiting Associate Professor Takahiro Nagayama Kagoshima University
Visiting Associate Professor Yasunori Hori Okayama University
Visiting Assistant Professor Nugroho, Stevanus K. Institute of Science Tokyo
Visiting Researcher Jun Hashimoto

Graduate Student

Third Year Tsutsumi Nagai Astronomical Science Program,
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
Supervisor：Takayuki Kotani
First Year Kousei Usami Astronomical Science Program,
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies
Supervisor：Teruyuki Hirano

Steering Committee

  • Doi, Mamoru （Director, NAOJ）
  • Masahiro, Ikoma （Director of ABC / NAOJ）
  • Takizawa, Kenji（Vice-Director of ABC/ NIBB）
  • Miyama, Shoken（President of Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University ）
  • Tamura, Motohide （University of Osaka / Professor Emeritus, The University of Tokyo）
  • Kobayashi, Kensei（Professor Emeritus, Yokohama National University）
  • Takai, Ken（Director, Director, Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research （SUGAR） Program , JAMSTEC）
  • Tajika, Eiichi（Professor, The university of Tokyo）
  • Yamagishi, Akihiki（Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences）
  • Morita, Miyo（Professor, NIBB）
  • Yabuta, Hikaru（Professor, Hiroshima University）
  • Suzuki, Shino（Chief Scientist, RIKEN）

information Security

  • information Security ManagerIkoma, Masahiro（Director of ABC）
  • information Security OfficerNobuhiko, Kusakabe（Senior Specialist）
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Astrobiology Center, NINS
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
0422-34-3600 (Representative of the National Astronomical Observatory)
abc-pub [at] abc-nins.jp
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logo-nins
Astrobiology Center, NINS
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
0422-34-3600 (Representative of the National Astronomical Observatory)
abc-pub [at] abc-nins.jp
X-twitter Youtube
logo-nins
Astrobiology Center, NINS
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
0422-34-3600 (Representative of the National Astronomical Observatory)
abc-pub [at] abc-nins.jp

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