Hiromasa Ninomiya, a fusion thoroughbred

On 22 September this year, Hiromasa Ninomiya was appointed Head of the ITER Japanese Domestic Agency based in Naka. As Head of the JA-DA, he takes over from Hideyuki Takatsu who has taken on the role of Toshihide Tsunematsu who passed away this summer.

 

Hiromasa Ninomiya is a fusion thoroughbred. After he graduated with a Master's in Nuclear Engineering from Hokkaido University, he entered JAERI in 1974 and joined the JT-60 project (then in its design phase) to lead the construction of the plasma control system and the MHD analysis and operation scenario systems. From 1985 on, he participated in the first experiments of JT-60, and in 1988 he took part in modifying and updating the machine leading to its new title JT-60 Upgrade.

 

From 1994 on, Hiromasa Ninomiya supervised the experiments performed on JT-60 Upgrade and he conducted the plasma physics activities as Head of the Experimental Laboratory, Deputy Director and Director of Experimental Department. He further contributed to the ITER Physics Activity and the International Tokamak Physics Activity.
 
In 2007 Ninomiya assumed the role of Deputy Director-General, Fusion Research and Development Directorate of JAEA and in 2009 he became Director-General of the Fusion Research and Development Directorate and Director-General of the Naka Fusion Institute.

 

Having spent a lifetime developing and building fusion machines, Hiromasa Ninomiya is now eager to see fusion adding to the energy grid.