Experts in every field of scholarly and professional endeavor today are aware that in the 21st century the world is facing a state of unprecedented crisis, which has developed directly out of growth in the scientific and technological advances on an order that the world has never experienced before. The social and political forces that shaped the 20th century and those that came before it provided context for individual and collective choices that have directed human society in ways that would be difficult to underestimate. Disparities and limitations constrain nearly every area of human activity. Yet thoughtful people in every field express optimism for the future of humankind.

Yoko is a word meaning "bright," "radiant," or "energetically positive." YCRI was envisioned as an independent forum for examining ways to help shape human civilization in a positive direction, one with a bright future. Kotama Okada, the first president of YCRI, stated that the underlying causes of such critical human problems as the destruction of nature, the population explosion, and the deterioration of critical thinking ability, values, and morality are today's separation of the subject and the object, the mind and body, and furthermore the loss of spirituality.

YCRI views the crisis today as both a challenge and an opportunity. YCRI's purpose is to provide such an opportunity by creating a forum for interdisciplinary dialogue and study among individuals representing diverse professions and specialties. Through this forum, YCRI aims to help direct human knowledge, understanding, and activity toward fostering a more humane, harmonious, and sustainable civilization.

A major lesson learned in the 20th century is that segmentation of knowledge into discrete areas of inquiry limits the potential of any field to describe and respond to the complexities of the natural world. The first president of YCRI, Kotama Okada, believed that a civilization of true prosperity for all its citizens could only be achieved through the integrated research of many fields - science, medicine, education, politics, economics, agriculture, religion, and so on. Keishu Okada, YCRI's current president, in addressing the Third YCRI International Conference in 1999, said:

Now is the time when all humankind must work together to transcend the barriers of race, religion, nationality, and ideology. We need to use our combined wisdom to ensure the continued existence of humankind in the coming spiritual civilization of the twenty-first century. The earth constitutes one delicate ecosystem upon which the existence of all humanity depends.

Established in 1973, the Yoko Civilization Research Association became the Yoko Civilization Research Institute in 1985, and today YCRI is working to promote research in a free and unrestrained atmosphere which will serve as a foundation for moving humankind into a harmonious, sustainable civilization.

Currently, YCRI is funded through Sukyo Mahikari and by other individuals and organizations. Sukyo Mahikari is registered legally as a religious organization, with the purpose to promote a spiritual way of living as the way for people to revive a sense of humanity in the civilization of the 21st century and beyond. Sukyo Mahikari seeks to elucidate the spiritual principles that lie at the foundation of all religions, principles such as compassion, gratitude, humbleness, and responsibility toward each other and toward the earth. YCRI promotes discussion and research that validates such universal principles as important components of the solutions to today's global issues. YCRI also works with other individuals and organizations that have compatible goals, promoting free and frank discussion among all participants regardless of affiliation. YCRI's activities are open to all who are interested.

YCRI is currently studying issues affecting society in which cutting-edge research results and expert discussions at the interface of science and spirituality can play a pivotal role, including:

1. The brain and the mind, the effects of the mind on the material world, the power of prayer, paranormal phenomena, and similar studies in order to introduce to science a new viewpoint which elucidates the true aspects of being human, based on the integration of spirit, mind, and body
2. Life science and traditional healing practices, and their implications for the essential aspects of being human
3. Science and technologies that create harmony between humans and nature, in order to pursue ways of living in which human beings can restore, protect, and live in harmony with the earth's environment
4. The history of the universe and the earth and the origin and evolution of humankind
5. Comparative studies of religious beliefs and practices to seek to determine whether there are any values that all religions share, and if there are, to delineate them, in order to find paths of harmony rather than confrontation

YCRI will continue striving to discover new issues such as these in order to accomplish our ongoing goal of pursuing solutions to the problems facing the world of the 21st century. Moreover, the Institute aims to carry out cross-cutting studies in order to integrate the solutions emerging in individual fields into comprehensive, integrated approaches to establishing a sustainable, peaceful society for all humankind.

As humanity moves through the 21st century, it is no longer a surprise when scientists and theologians alike speak not only of the compatibility of science and spirituality but also their increasing awareness of the convergence of these two approaches in the study of universal laws.Today's scientific discoveries are more and more informed by and reveal spiritual phenomena.

Both science and spirituality have at their foundation a sense of wonder and awe at the intricate arrangements of the natural world, and each incorporates at the same time both ultra-modern and ultra-ancient/traditional technologies, values, and discoveries. The YCRI forum creates a bridge for each approach to benefit from the other's insights in finding answers to humans' most profound and perplexing questions about life and in developing pathways to establishing a more fruitful future for all.

One of the primary activities of the Institute is to plan and hold International Conferences, symposia, research meetings, seminars, and other events. The following is a list of YCRI conferences/symposia showing the course of YCRI's history:

The presentations and discussions of YCRI events are published as proceedings. Some are available both in Japanese and English.

Third Yoko Civilization International Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1-4)
1.Life and The Universe	2. Life and Healing	3.Our Livelihood and The Environment	4.Panel Discussion and Plenary Session
Second Yoko Civilization International Conference Proceedings		First Yoko Civilization International Conference Proceedings
"What Does It Mean To Be Human?"		"Creating the Future of Mankind"
"Spirituality in the Present Age" Essays from 2001 Symposium.