AKO, Hyogo Pref. -- In many ways a typical science lab, it is difficult for an outsider to see what goes on at Himeji Institute of Technology's Laboratory of Advanced Science and Technology for Industry -- at least with the naked eye.

"We are trying to do things on a very small scale," professor Shinji Matsui said with a smile, adding that the researchers work with micrometers (one-millionth of a meter) and nanometers (one-billionth of a meter).

Nanotechnology is an emerging field that deals with the manipulation of matter on molecular and atomic scales. A nanometer compared with a meter is akin to a tiny marble compared with a planet.