The year 2005 was the centennial after 1905 which was the "Annus mirabilis” or Year of wonders, when Albert Einstein, the leading scientist of 20th century, announced three theories （the photoelectric effect, Brownian motion, and the special theory of relativity） which are the foundation of modern physics. It was the "World Year of Physics 2005" based on the U.N. resolution, and various events were held all over the world.

 In Japan, too, positioning the World Year of Physics as the year to think about the influence that physics is having on our lives and view of the world today, and to deepen understanding on modern science, the movements were developed, in which all kinds of people including scientists and people from the fields of education, industry, government, and media shared the achievements and significance of science. From the events held in relation to the World Year of Physics, two of them are introduced here.

- Performance of the Noh play, "Isseki Sen-nin," of which subject matter was Einstein

  On the theme of "the role of science and the peace of the world," Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, Dr Tomio Tada （Person of Cultural Merits, specializing in immunology）, wrote a Noh play, "Isseki Sen-nin," in the last year of the 20th century, year 2000. The title means Einstein in German （ein or one is "ichi" in Japanese and stein or stone is "seki" in Japanese, and when combined, the pronunciation for "ichi seki" becomes "isseki". "sen-nin" in Japanese means sage）. It was performed in July 2005 to commemorate the World Year of Physics.

 The scene is on a desert at an end of the Eurasian Continent. A woman traveling under the slight darkness of a solar eclipse is called to stop by an old shepherd who appeared from nowhere. She sees the phenomenon based on the theory of relativity that time and space are distorted with the old man and light is also distorted by gravity. Afterwards, Isseki Sen-nin appears, who starts to describe the creation of the cosmos and explains the magnificent outlook of the universe that modern physics has clarified, that the Solar System and the Earth were generated 4.5 billion years ago, life was born on the Earth 3.5 billion years ago, and 500 million years later in the future, the Earth would be a dead planet. The distress of a scientist is further expressed, who knew the truth that matter （mass） and energy are equivalent and that nuclear reactions have an enormous amount of energy.

 This work contains the message that, in today's world where technology is rapidly developing and society is drastically changing, not science and technology to seek superficial convenience, but that with high ideals to search for "truth, goodness, and beauty" is necessary.

- Harmony of music and science connected by a string

 Einstein is also known as a music lover who in the evening played a violin he always had by his side to comfort himself.

 In this event held in December 2005, because Einstein was attracted by the sound of the violin he loved, a lecture was given on the science of the violin. The lecturer was an invited Professor Emeritus of Texas A＆M University, Dr. Joseph Nagyvary, who had scientifically researched the famed Stradivarius and tried to reproduce similar sounds. Mariko Senju played a violin that was made based on the results of the research. In addition, a panel discussion was held by Dr Nagyvary, Ms Senju, a researcher specializing in sound physics and hearing, and a physicist researching a unified theory that Einstein dreamed of.

 The participants may have thought of the relation between music and science together with enjoying the sound of the violin.