Riken is a large research institute in Japan. Founded in 1917, it now has about 3,000 scientists on seven campuses across Japan, the main one in Wakō, just outside Tokyo. Riken is a Designated National Research and Development Institute (formerly an Independent Administrative Institution) whose formal name in Japanese is Rikagaku Kenkyūsho, and its full name in Japanese is Kokuritsu Kenkyū Kaihatsu Hōjin Rikagaku Kenkyūsho.Riken conducts research in many areas of science, including physics, chemistry, biology, medical science, engineering, high-performance computing and computational science, and ranging from basic research to practical applications. It is almost entirely funded by the Japanese government, and its annual budget is about ¥88 billion (US$760 million).HistoryIn 1913, the well-known scientist Jokichi Takamine first proposed the establishment of a national science research institute in Japan. This task was taken on by Viscount Shibusawa Eiichi, a prominent businessman, and following a resolution by the Diet in 1915, Riken came into existence in March 1917. In its first incarnation, Riken was a private foundation (zaidan), funded by a combination of industry, the government, and the Imperial Household. It was located in the Komagome district of Tokyo, and its first Director was the mathematician Baron Dairoku Kikuchi.