Current sol-gel activities in Japan

In Japan, sol-gel research activities are very prosperous and there are many successful commercial products. It appears that this trend will continue into the future. In this article, basic sol-gel research carried out in Japanese universities and applications of the sol-gel method to industrial production will be described. It should be noted that many unique studies, including photocatalysts and products involving coatings applied to automobiles and display panels, are found in Japan.