[en] The report reviews major studies that have been carried out recently by using synchrotron radiation. General features of synchrotron radiation are outlined first, with emphasis on the fact that the number of studies that are performed by using synchrotron radiation has been rapidly increasing since the storage ring, which permits a constant accelerating energy and long, stable operation, came into use as light source. Interactions of material with synchrotron radiation are briefly outlined next, focusing on the application of vacuum ultraviolet light and soft and normal X-rays to the investigation of the structures (behaviors of electrons, arrangement of atoms, etc.) of substances, as well as studies on photochemical reactions and effects of radioactivity. Application of synchrotron radiation to magnetic scattering analysis gives information on the spins of magnetic electrons at unoccupied levels. Attempts have been made mainly in the industry to use synchrotron radiation for fine processing of semiconductors to create large-capacity computer memories. Synchrotron is now used actively in many other research areas including gas-phase photochemistry, spectroscopy and surface physics. (N.K.)