Our foundation was incorporated in April 1997 with the approval of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with the goals of encouraging and supporting research on proteins and related areas, contributing to academic development, and helping to improve the lives of Japanese citizens. In April 2012, we transitioned into the Cabinet Office-certified Fuji Foundation for Protein Research and have been working in that capacity ever since. Following 18 years of activity as the Research Committee of Soy Protein Nutrition (established in 1979) and the Soy Protein Research Committee (since 1991), we have been working as a foundation for the past 25 years.

 In recent times, we have observed significant changes in the environment surrounding food, such as the disruption of the supply-demand balance for agricultural products due to global climate change and substantial increases in international market prices. Furthermore, whilst Japan faces an unchecked decline in its population, looking abroad reveals that populations, particularly in Africa, continue to rise towards 10 billion. In this context, we believe our contribution lies in expanding dietary choices through plant-based foods that combine nutritional and physical properties with delicious taste, thereby helping to create a sustainable food future.

 We firmly believe that the research grants program advancing studies on plant-based proteins, particularly soy, undertaken by our foundation, is an increasingly vital activity not only for Japan but also for the growing global population. We are committed to leveraging the outstanding properties of soy and plant-based proteins to address the challenges facing humanity. We earnestly request the continued cooperation and support of all stakeholders for the foundation's endeavors.

Tatsuji Omori, Chairman