The JSPS Research Fellow-DC Friendship Meeting 2026 was held in the Conference Center of PACIFICO Yokohama on Saturday, June 6, 2026.

The JSPS Research Fellow-DC Friendship Meeting was launched in FY2024 to facilitate cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional interaction among the DCs, who are Japan's top young researchers selected through a rigorous competitive process. In FY2026, the meeting brought together a total of 661 participants from all over Japan.

The morning session was dedicated to building relationships and networking with other participants. The participants were organized into groups of six and within each group, they presented their research themes and findings, fostering meaningful dialogue and enriching the discussion.

In the afternoon session held in the Main Hall, JSPS President SUGINO Tsuyoshi delivered the opening remarks, followed by an address from Mr. MATSUMOTO Yohei, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Professor KITAGAWA Susumu, Executive Vice-President and Distinguished Professor of Kyoto University, then offered congratulatory remarks and delivered a lecture.

Subsequently, during the Senior Researcher Lectures and Group Discussions session, participants were dispersed across ten designated venues. At each venue, senior researchers delivered lectures on their career paths, approaches to work-life balance, or diverse career options, leading participants into group discussions that fostered deeper engagement with the themes presented. The atmosphere across all venues was energetic and filled with enthusiasm. 

Participants shared highly positive feedback, including the following remarks:  
“I was able to meet people I would never have encountered within my own university or academic societies, and I also gained fresh inspiration for both my research and daily life.”
“Because there are few other doctoral students around me, I was grateful to find people who shared the same worries and anxieties.”
“I realized that norms can differ across research fields and that there are many possible career paths ahead.”
“I met people who made me hopeful about starting new collaborative research.”