The Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (IPMU) is an international research institute for physics and mathematics situated in Kashiwa, Japan, near Tokyo.

The main subjects of study at IPMU are particle physics, high energy physics, astrophysics, astronomy and mathematics.

The institute addresses five key questions: "How did the universe begin?

"[1] The Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe was created on October 1, 2007, by its founding director Hitoshi Murayama and the University of Tokyo.

[2][3] It is funded by the Japanese Ministry of Science, as a part of their World Premier International Research Center Initiative.