Nation-wide Millenium Project of Japan

In December, 1999, Japanese government started the Millennium Project to enhance the genome science.  Five different ministries at that time, which are now regrouped into 4 Ministries including Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan agreed to set up the collaborative research supporting structure.  

Identification of disease-susceptibility genes for 5 major common diseases

Five major common diseases include diabetes and metabolic diseases, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, asthma and allergic diseases, dementia, and cancers.  The genetic background and genome-information-based new diagnosis and drug development are the main target of millennium project of Japan.  

Completion of human genome project

Rough draft of human genome was reported in the year of 2000, followed by the joint celebration on the rough human genome by President Clinton and Blair as one of the most promising achievement of Biology in the 20th century.  The complete reading of the human genome has been recently finished with its celebration on April 15, 203.  

Genome science and functional genomics in Japan

Japan has contributed about 6% of the human genome sequencing, with the decreasing order from the United States, England, Germany, France, and Japan.  Japan as a nation has decided to make the larger contribution to the genome science and functional genomics.  

Link to Division of Genetic Information homepage ()