U.S. Fears Overblown, Japan Says

TOKYO—American fears that Japan is coordinating a national effort to achieve world supremacy in high-temperature superconductivity R&D are exaggerated, say Japanese scientists and officials, who point out that the government lacks the money and clout to orchestrate such a campaign. "Too many people in the U.S. are overestimating our abilities," said Masatoshi Urashima, director for development of advanced industries in the Agency for. Indus trial Science and Technology under MITI (the Ministry of International Trade and Industry). A study group set up by MITI that includes industry, university and national laboratory representatives met for the first time April 14, he said, "to evaluate the recent breakthroughs and discuss what we should do." No date for a second meeting has been set, he added. Shoji Tanaka, a Tokyo University professor who is a leading figure in superconductivity research here, said he is pessimistic about Japan's ability to take the decisive cooperative action he urges. "One problem is money," he said. "Our fiscal year begins in April and our budget was fixed last December, so there simply aren't funds to do anything on a major scale. Bureaucrats can't keep pace with the progress being made—and given that the government has been running a deficit for several years now, even MITI can't help." A second committee organized this spring by Japan's Science and Technology Agency also draws from industry, national labs and public and private universities. The group, with representatives from more than 100 companies, "is currently a place to exchange in formation," according to Genya Chiba, a director of the Research Development Corp. of Japan (JRDC) and a committee member. It has met "four or five times," Chiba said, "but unfortunately there has been little disclosure. People are coming to listen, not to offer [their ideas]." Some Japanese are dismayed that scientific advances in super conductivity are being cast in nationalistic terms). Tanaka, though a strong advocate of international cooperation in such research, is skeptical about its prospects. "This technology shouldn't be long only to the U.S. and Japan," he said. "It belongs to the world. Yet American journalists and scientists have become so sensitive; they're far too nervous. We're still in basic research, not application." There were only 30 or 40 Japanese researchers in the field before the surge in superconductivity re search late last year, Tanaka ob served. And while that figure has grown to an estimated 400 to 500 researchers today, he said, there are now more than 1,000 in the United States. National sensitivities have made the issue a political problem, he noted, adding, "MITI now has to be careful it doesn't up set the U.S. before it acts." Both MITI and STA are funding superconductivity research, ac cording to Masuhiro Kawasaki, deputy director-general of STA's R&D bureau—primarily through MITI's Electrotechnical Lab and STA's Metallic Materials, Inorganic Materials and Atomic Energy research institutes. In addition, the Education Ministry is financing research projects at Japan's national universities. Still, there's no consensus on how the government should coordinate research. "The situation is confused at the moment," noted Masaru Goto, vice president of JRDC. "Though the government and universities would like to organize research efforts, the truth is the scientists involved view this re search as a great event. Each one is after a Nobel Prize. Nobody wants to reveal results—even to friends." Given the present stage of re search, Goto said, "trying to organize research could well interfere with individual approaches, so it might be better to leave each re searcher to compete on a personal basis." Even at this early stage, Chiba observed, industry has "become fanatical" in its attempts to apply current knowledge. Citing as examples Toshiba's work on ceramic wire and NEC's on Josephson junctions, he emphasized that "there is still much to do on a theoretical level" before such developments can be marketed. Japan stands to reap large dividends from its leading position in ceramics and exotic materials re search. "But whereas we want to see national cooperation for the nation's welfare, companies are only thinking of filing patents," Goto said. Sumitomo Electric, for example, reportedly has sought more than 600 patents relating to high-temperature superconductors. Chiba suggests that some Americans are citing a Japanese threat as a way to mobilize U.S. agencies. "This is not unusual; both sides do it. It's just a political technique," he said. Chiba predicts that U.S. efforts to coordinate a national program also will fail. "They're experiencing the same problems we're facing," he noted. Boyd writes about technology issues from Japan.

U.S. Fears Overblown, Japan Says

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