Made-in-Japan quality
Tajiri Thin Section Lab
Our Story
About Tajiri Thin Section Lab
2016
Tajiri Thin Section Lab was founded in Higashiosaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
2016 -
We have been responsible for thin-section preparation in collaborative research projects with universities, research institutes, and medical organizations.
We have produced thin sections across a wide range of fields, including biological specimens, urinary stones, and industrial materials.
2019 -
We have supplied thin sections for research presentations and publications at both international and domestic conferences.
We continue to support exhibitions and outreach activities.
2024
We received the Osaka Monozukuri Excellence Company Award 2024 from Osaka Prefecture.
2025
We exhibited in the “Reborn Challenge” program at the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion of EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.
Founder Profile
Founder / Director: Rie Tajiri
Tajiri Thin Section Lab specializes in producing high-information thin sections tailored to the characteristics of each specimen and the goals of scientific research. Starting from rock and mineral thin sections, the lab has expanded its expertise into biological specimens and medical applications, revealing structures and relationships that are visible only under the microscope.
1977-1981
Kochi University
1981-2014
National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
2013-
Technical Development
2018-2021
Osaka City University Graduate School
She majored in geology at university, where she acquired the foundational knowledge of thin-section preparation through the structural observation of rocks and minerals.
After graduation, she was assigned to a department specializing in thin-section preparation, mastering the entire workflow—from cutting and grinding to polishing and final finishing.
Through years of hands-on practice, she refined her technical skills in producing high-precision rock thin sections, manually finished to a thickness of 0.02–0.03 mm.
Her career took a new direction when a marine biologist requested thin sections of biological specimens. By applying a resin-impregnation method that replaces water within the sample, she successfully produced thin sections of sponges. This breakthrough led her to take on specimens long considered difficult to observe, such as bone–muscle junctions and lipid-rich tissues, expanding her work into the biological and medical fields.
After relocating to Higashiosaka City, Japan, she founded Tajiri Thin Section Lab. Today, she collaborates with universities and research institutions, preparing research-grade thin sections not only of rocks and minerals but also of medical specimens such as urinary stones.
M.S. program (Faculty of Science), Earth Sciences