Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) has developed remarkably
in the last 30 years. In the 21st century, we can expect fusion
energy for civilian use. After the cold war era, the value of
ICF has shifted from defense demands to peaceful applications.
The megajoule laser systems are under construction expecting
the development of spark ignition. However there are many problems
to solve in science and technology. One alternative way is to
use a petawatt short-pulse laser aiming for fast ignition. On
the way to the final goal, we would like to contribute for various
applications of high power lasers such as laboratory astrophysics,
X-ray lasers, laser-induced lightning as well as laser processing.