On July 16 – 21 the Director of ISMAN Acad. A. G. Merzhanov, Vice-Director Dr. A. E. Sytschev, and Director of the Research and Educational Center MISIS-ISMAN Prof. E. A. Levashov visited Japan and participated in Memorial Symposium on SHS devoted to the 10th anniversary of an outstanding Japanese scientist Prof. M. Koizumi work at the Ryukoku University. The inauguration session and the mini-symposium took place on July 19.

During the inauguration session, our delegation members delivered their presentations. Academician A. G. Merzhanov greeted Professor M. Koizumi. He said:
“Dear Professor Koizumi,
Warmest greetings from Russia! We honor you as the pioneer of SHS in Japan, as one of the leaders of world-wide SHS. Thank you for your important contribution in SHS area. Your name is well-known in Russia, and you are very popular among Russian specialists on SHS.
And now allow us to present you a traditional Russian gifts. These are samovar and vodka. For those who knows about them nothing, I can explain: Samovar is a vessel for clear potable water with a heating element, and vodka is very nice liquid for strong drinking. Professor Koizumi, you can use them together. For this purpose, you must place vodka into samovar (without bottle, of course) and add some water. Then you will turn on the heating element and wait for some time. After turning off the heating element, you will get your favorite product - hot sake!
Do not worry, we will send you raw materials for this technology from Russia regularly.
But, speaking seriously, we wish you good health and a sea of happiness. Good luck, my old friend Koizumi-san!”

Dr. A. E. Sytschev and Prof. E. A. Levashov presented the gifts, which seemed to be liked by Prof. M. Koizumi. Then the mini-symposium started.

In the first presentation Prof. M. Koizumi told about history of SHS development in Japan, having emphasized the most important results.

Prof. A. G. Merzhanov delivered a lecture entitled “SHS: Research, Development, Production, Application (about Some Newest Results from ISMAN)” about recent ISMAN activities and achievements. This lecture showed a very wide range of works performed at ISMAN: from materials and processes research to participation in development of industrial-scale production.

The lecture by Prof. E. A. Levashov was devoted to joint activity of the Research and Educational Center MISIS-ISMAN and the Ryukoku University on developing diamond-containing SHS systems.

In his lecture, Dr. A. E. Sytschev, on behalf of a group of specialists, presented the results of SHS experiments aboard the Mir space station.

From the Japanese side, there were presented lectures by Prof. M. Ohyanagi (he told about activity of the High-Tech Research Center, organized at the Ryukoku University), Prof. P.H. Shingu (he studies processes of mechanical alloying in multilayer nano-dispersed films made by foils cold rolling), and a mathematician Prof. T. Ikeda (being not familiar with extensive literature on unsteady SHS processes managed to perform computer-aided modeling for various combustion modes, including 3D spinning waves) were very impressive. Please, note that before 3D spinning wave modeling have been carried out only at ISMAN.

During unofficial part of the meeting, there were many useful discussions with members of the Japanese Association of Combustion Synthesis. The Japanese and Russian specialists were talking as old friends. With warm feelings, they remembered the 1st Russian-Japanese Workshop on SHS in Karlovy Vary.

By the way, in the Japanese Association of Combustion Synthesis reelection took place. Prof. O. Odawara was elected as a President and Prof. M. Ohyanagi - as a General Secretary. The Association Headquarters moved to the Ryukoku University.

The Russian participants visited laboratories of the High-Tech Research center of the Ryukoku University as well as the Daido Steel Corporation. At the Daido there was held a seminar where Prof. M. Ohyanagi, Prof. A. G. Merzhanov, and Dr. John Chou (Taiwan) told the corporation staff members about history of SHS development and about projects on SHS commercialization.

The trip was very fruitful. The guests much appreciated the warm hospitality, benevolence, and very kind attitude from the Japanese side.