JAERI and RIKEN SPring-8 project team is constructing a synchrotron radiation facility (SPring-8: Super Photon ring-8GeV), the largest in the facilities existing and planning in the world. This facility, which aims at achieving high brilliance photon beams in the range from soft X-ray to hard X-ray, is expected to be played a role as a center of excellence for general study for the light science, and fundamental science to establish the advanced technologies such as ultra large scale integration, new materials and life science. In this review, the summary of the SPrig-8 is described and then the accelerators constituting the facility in more details. The ultra-high vacuum system for the facility is described with great emphasis on problems in the design and production and the thought for them. Finally, applications of the synchrotron radiation to the industry and fundamental science are also described.
