The concept of laser fusion was devised very shortly after the invention of laser. In 1972, the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University was established by the author in accordance with the Edward Teller’s special lecture on ‘‘New Internal Combustion Engine’’ for IQEC at Montreal which predicted the implosion fusion. In 1975 we invented the so called indirect drive fusion concept ‘‘Cannonball Target’’ which became later to be recognize as a same concept of ‘‘Hohlraum Target’’ from Livermore. As well known, ICF research in the US had been veiled for a long time due to the defense classification. While researchers from Japan, Germany and elsewhere have concentrated the efforts to investigate the inertial fusion energy which seems to be very interesting for a future civil energy. They were publishing their own works not only on the direct implosion scheme but also the indirect implosion experiment. These advanced results often frustrated the US researchers who were not allowed to talk about the details of their works. In 1988, international members of the ICF research society including the US scientists gathered together at ECLIM to discuss the necessity of freedom in the ICF research and concluded to make a statement ‘‘Madrid Manifest’’ which requested the declassification of the ICF research internationally. After 6 years of halt, the US DOE decided to declassify portions of the program as a part of secretary Hazel O’Leary’s openness initiative. The first revealed presentation from the US was done at Seville 1994, which however were well known already. Classification impeded the progress by restricting the flow of information and did not allow the ICF work to compete by the open scientific security. The implosion experiments by GEKKO XII Osaka demonstrated a high temperature compression of DT fuel up to 10 keV, neutron yield 1013and a high density compression of CDT hollow shell pellet to reach 1000 g/cm3respectively. These results gave us a strong confidence to reach the ignition and burn in near future. The international collaboration is now highly expected. ©1996 American Institute of Physics.