Ajinomoto Co. plans to spend some 30 billion yen ($290 million) to construct a research lab and plant in Kawasaki, Kanagawa prefecture in the Tokyo metropolitan area, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported without citing sources.

As an initial step, it will build a food research facility as early as June 2006, the newspaper said.

The report did not give details on how the company will secure funding for the facility.

The new food research lab, which will conduct studies in health foods and new materials, will be constructed on a lot next to Ajinomoto's Kawasaki plant worth some 4 billion yen ($39 million), the report said.