The the Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University is located in Misasa, Tottori Prefecture, a town that is well-known for its hot spring. The mission of the institute is to promote research and education on the origin, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and planets, with constant development of comprehensive geochemical analyses system, a range of high-pressure facilities and spectroscopic equipments. As a joint-use research institute, we provide joint-use and collaborative research opportunities on the research infrastructure and technologies to domestic and overseas researchers and students. We also provide graduate education in an international educational environment through our five-year doctoral program within the Graduate School of Natural Sciences, Okayama University
　For more details, please see our web page (click link at bottom).
  Division for Basic Planetary Materials Science
We aim at understanding the internal structure and evolution of the Earth and planets via determination of the structure and physical properties of earth/planetary materials using experimental and computational approaches.

Division for  Planetary System
We aim at understanding the origin, evolution and dynamics of the Earth and planets by utilizing a comprehensive analytical system that includes a variety of facilities for highly accurate/precise quantitative analysis, mass spectroscopic analysis and spectroscopic analysis.
-Development and application of highly precise elementary analytical method and mass spectrometry.

Division for Astrobiology
We investigate mineral–organic–fluid interactions, origin of life on the Earth and planets and traces of primitive life in the solar system via both experiment and analytical approaches. The Institute for Planetary Materials has been designated as a Join Usage/Research Center, “Research Core for Earth and Planetary Materials Science” supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan. We offer opportunities to access our facilities and expertise in order to promote materials science research by taking full advantage of our facilities for chemical analysis, dating, and structural analysis of terrestrial and extraterrestrial materials and experiments under a range of PT conditions. If you are interested in collaborative research with us, please contact the relevant faculty members. For a complete list and further information, please visit the Joint-Use webpage.

  We have adopted a doctoral program that has a maximum period of five consecutive years after enrollment. No prior Master degree is required. We look for highly motivated young students to join our graduate program, which is aimed at fostering the next generation of leaders in the international Earth and planetary science community.  For international students, lectures and guidance in research will be provided in English as needed. Qualified students are entitled to receive financial supports, in the form of fellowship and research assistantship. Link to application guide etc The annual Misasa International Student Intern Program for advanced undergraduate and Master students is being held each summer for about 6 weeks in order to promote international collaborative research and education. During the intern program, each student work on an active IPM research project under the supervision of IPM faculty members and staffs. This year's program is cancelled due to COVID-19.  Recently, we built an exhibition room to explain our research activities. It is still under construction, but for example, you can experience the high-pressure ice, observation of rock thin sections using a polarizing microscope, observation of radiation using cloud chamber as shown in the videos below, and interactive play with a sand box using augmented reality etc. are available.

Melting of high-pressure ice (VI)  (diamond anvil cell experiment)
Polarizing microscopic image of peridotite thin section Observation of radiation from pitch brend by cloud chamber News Letter No. 4 (June 2021) News Letter (September, 2020) News Letter No. 2 (November, 2019) News Letter No. 1 (May, 2019)