Since 1982 Kazuhiro Fuchi has been director of the Research Center of the Institute for New Generation Computer Technology (ICOT, also known as the Fifth-Generation Computer System Project). He is editor of the journal New Generation Computing and author of numerous articles on cutting-edge computer technology in Japan.

The Fifth-Generation Computer System (FGCS) Project was inaugurated in 1983. I would like to report on the significance of the project today. The word “significance” is quite hard to define. It will probably be given different definitions by different people. To put it most simply, if I say the project will be useful or profitable, some people may think it is very significant. Since, however, profit is a very tough subject for me to deal with, I would like to see the significance of the project from a different perspective.