100th year anniversary commemorative ceremony for the Institute of Plant Science and Resources

The university held a commemorative ceremony for the 100^th anniversary of the Institute of Plant Science and Resources at Kurashiki Geibunkan Hall on October 2nd 2014. Besides President Kiyoshi Morita and the faculty of the university, approximately 260 people including researchers and local members of the public celebrated the milestone. Yoko Yamamoto, director of the institute, said during her greeting; “I would like this institute to continue as an active research center where people from both domestic and international backgrounds can interact, and I would like to continue our focus on fostering young researchers.”

Early evening on the same day, a party of commemoration was held at Kurashiki Ivy Square. The attendees received a commemorative beer made for the event, together with a kind of dacquoise dessert made with barley, called “Haruna Nijo HKI”, developed by the university.

The Institute of Plant Science and Resources was established as Ohara Institute for Agricultural Research in 1914 by Magozaburo Ohara, a resident of Kurashiki. After the transfer of control to Okayama University, it continues to function as a research center for plant science in Japan.