The Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP) of the University of Tokyo was established on April 1 in 1957 as a joint research laboratory based upon the recommendation of the Science Council of Japan and the concurrence between the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Science and Technology Agency in order to carry on basic research in condensed matter physics. Within the first 15 to 20 years, ISSP had achieved its original mission, that is to serve as the central laboratory of materials science in Japan equipped with state-of-art facilities that were open for all domestic researches in order to catch up on the research in Japan with the international level.

  The next goal was set to develop advanced experimental techniques that were difficult to achieve in most university laboratories. The reorganization of ISSP into the "second generation" took place in 1980. Division of Physics in Extreme Conditions included groups in the areas of ultra-high magnetic field, laser physics, surface science, ultra-low temperature and very high pressure. It aimed to create extreme conditions and to explore new phenomena. Neutron Scattering Laboratory was constructed in Tokai in collaboration with the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. Its capability was significantly improved during 1990 - 1992 due to renovation of the research reactor. In 2003, it was reorganized to Neutron Science Laboratory. Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory operated the SOR-RING in the Tanashi Campus of the University of Tokyo and maintained beam lines in the Photon Factory at the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Tsukuba. After the shutdown closing of the SOR-RING in 1997, effective use of new light sources in Japan is an important mission. Besides activities using such big facilities, the Condensed Matter Division and the Theory Division maintained small groups motivated by individual interests and ideas. Among these groups was formed Materials Development Division in 1989 aiming at exploring new materials and their novel properties.

  In 1996, another major reorganization of ISSP into the "third generation" took place, in order to pursue new frontiers beyond the traditional disciplines and become an international center of materials science. One example is to explore new phenomena in combined environments of various extreme conditions, since individual technologies for high magnetic field, low temperature and high pressure had reached certain maturity during the "second generation". Another example is the study of artificially designed materials such as thin films, materials fabricated on surfaces and mesoscopic systems with nanoscale structure. Focused efforts are also planned on synthesis and characterization of new materials with the aid of computational physics, which allows us to design and predict properties of new materials. Currently in ISSP, there are five research divisions (New Materials Science, Condensed Matter Theory, Nanoscale Science (its name changed from Frontier Areas Research in 2004), Physics in Extreme Conditions, and Advanced Spectroscopy) and three research facilities (Synchrotron Radiation Lab., Neutron Science Lab., and Materials Design and Characterization Lab.). In addition, there is a visiting staff division as well as two foreign visiting professor positions.

  ISSP was relocated to the new campus in Kashiwa of the University of Tokyo in March 2000 after the 43 years of activities at the Roppongi campus in downtown Tokyo. Here ISSP is aiming at creating new areas of science in collaboration with other institutions in Kashiwa. Meanwhile the University of Tokyo was transformed into a national university corporation in 2004 and thus ISSP is expected to play new roles as a joint research Laboratory in a university corporation. In 2007, celebrating the 50th anniversary, the ISSP established International MegaGauss Sciene Laboratory and started serving as an international center of physics in high magnetic fields.