Global News

The NTT International Researcher's Newsletter

No. 2, July 1993

Basic Research Labs Move To Atsugi

Leisurely strolls through streets lined with cherry blossoms are out and green countryside is in for members of NTT's Basic Research Laboratories. In September 1993, the Physical and Material Science Laboratories of Basic Research will move from Musashino R&D Center to Atsugi R&D Center. After a last glance at the cherry blossoms, researchers from Information Science Laboratories will follow the coming April.

The reasons for the move are several. Musashino is NTT's oldest research laboratory, located in the midst of a bustling suburban area close to Tokyo's western-most wards. It was not intended for today's state-of-the-art research on semiconductors and advanced materials. In fact, the original buildings were used to manufacture aircraft engines. In contrast, Atsugi R&D Center, NTT's newest research site, was built precisely for such research purposes. Located southwest of Tokyo in the foothills, Atsugi is away from the densely populated suburban areas. There, Basic Research Laboratories facilities from both Musashino and Ibaraki will be brought together. Immediately adjacent to Atsugi R&D Center are Fujitsu and Canon research laboratories and a campus of Aoyama University.

After moving, Basic Research Laboratories will share buildings with NTT's LSI Laboratories and Optoelec-tronics Laboratories. LSI Laboratories have expertise in nanoscale technologies and with the fabrication of ULSI circuitry. Optoelectronics Laboratories are responsible for development of photonic devices for lightwave communications and optical computing. Accordingly, NTT management expects the move to improve the facilities for basic research and to build up a basic research base suitable for establishing a "Center of Excellence."

Relocation will affect lifestyles as well. Although they will lose the cherry trees of Musashino, researchers will gain newly designed laboratory spaces surrounded by trees and rolling mountains. Mt. Oyama rises next to the labs, the resorts of Hakone and the Izu peninsula are within easy traveling distance, and Kamakura, with its ancient temples, is nearby. Those thirsting for urban life will find Atsugi city center beckoning with several department stores, a large shopping center, and drinking and eating establish-ments. Slightly over an hour by train brings you to Shinjuku or Yokohama, where urban hustle and bustle are second to none.