TANAKA Yunosuke, a third-year student at Tokai High School, won the gold medal. TANABE Kazuma from Tsukuba University’s Senior High School at Komaba and HORI Koshiro from Musashi High School, both third-year students, secured silver medals. SASAKI Yuzuka, a second-year student at Osaka Prefectural Kitano High School, earned the bronze medal.
In addition, special awards were presented to Tanabe, who received the Highest Score in Experimental Examination, and Sasaki, who was honored with the Outstanding Female Participant Award.
The four representatives were selected after rigorous preparation, beginning with Japanese-language video self-study sessions provided by the Advanced Nuclear Education Consortium (ANEC), a project supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). They then participated in a domestic selection process conducted remotely in Japanese in April 2025. Following their selection, the team underwent intensive training, including specialized English terminology, before competing in the international event.
Accompanying the team to the competition were Professor IIMOTO Takeshi of the University of Tokyo, representing the Japan Team Support Committee, and team leaders Associate Professor TSUNOYAMA Yuichi from Kyoto University and Dr. SATO Daiki from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency. The leaders dedicated extensive efforts during the event, staying up late to translate examination questions into Japanese, carefully analyzing the questions, and handling tough international negotiations during the scoring process. With excitement from their outstanding achievements still fresh, the Japanese delegation returns home today.
The International Nuclear Science Olympiad (INSO), organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is an international competition for students under the age of 20 from the Asia-Pacific region. Nuclear science and technology are extensively utilized not only in energy production but also in medicine, agriculture, criminal investigations, and cultural heritage preservation, among other fields. Nuclear science also significantly contributes to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through theoretical and practical exams, INSO aims to deepen participants’ knowledge, enhance their skills, and increase awareness of the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology.
