For many years, there has been a strong demand in the transportation industry, including automotive, rail and aerospace, for ways to reduce the weight of structural components, in order to reduce both energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Magnesium is the lightest known structural metal and magnesium alloys are increasingly being used in a wide range of applications for both structural and functional benefits. The Magnesium Research Center (MRC) at Kumamoto University, established in December 2011, has engaged in and dedicated to a variety of magnesium-related research areas. They include alloy and process design, microstructure analysis, mechanical property characterization, corrosion, surface protection and recycling. MRC has also developed an international magnesium research network. MRC has three missions: 1) to provide state-of-the-art research and education, 2) to develop a global research network, and 3) to promote international research collaboration.