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While brains are generally associated with neurons, as much as half of the brain consists of non-neuronal cells called ‘astrocytes’. Astrocytes have long been considered merely supporting cells of neurons, providing them with an optimal environment to function properly. Recent research, however, has shown that astrocytic activity is necessary for important brain functions such as learning and memory. Understanding the physiology of astrocytes is therefore considered an urgent mission, yet the progress is hindered by the intricate and complex morphology of astrocytic processes which cannot be resolved by conventional light microscopy. Taking advantage of so-called ‘super-resolution microscopy’, which can achieve resolution beyond that of conventional light microscopy, I have revealed the morpho-function of astrocytic processes. In the Hakubi project, I will decipher how the properties of these astrocytic processes determine the nature of neural circuits.