Dragon

2024/01/29

Hirokimi Date

Full-time Corporate Auditor, Fujisaki Co., Ltd.; Member of Sendai Mita-kai; 1976 Faculty of Law (Political Science)

Dictionaries state that "Dokuganryu" (One-Eyed Dragon) is an alias given to one-eyed heroes. While the first person to be called this is said to be Li Keyong, a fierce general of the late Tang Dynasty in China, in Japan, it undoubtedly refers to Date Masamune.

Masamune was born in 1567 in what is now Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was known in his childhood as Bontenmaru. At the age of five, he lost sight in his right eye due to smallpox, and it is said he became a boy who was reluctant to appear in public. To educate his heir, his father Terumune invited Kosai Soitsu, who was famous as a master monk of the Rinzai sect. On one occasion, Bontenmaru reportedly asked, "Why can I not see out of one of my eyes?" Master Kosai replied, "A dragon took your eye, Lord Bontenmaru. Dragons call the clouds and ascend to the heavens. The dragon is watching over you to ensure you become a strong general." This must have lit a fire in Bontenmaru's heart.

The "One-Eyed Dragon" grew up learning from the "Tiger." It is said that the mentor-disciple relationship between the two lasted for about 40 years until Master Kosai passed away at the age of 82.

Ryu Tamogami

CM Planner; 2007 Faculty of Science and Technology, 2009 Graduate School of Science and Technology

In the Year of the Dragon, I, whose name is Ryu (Dragon), was approached by a person in charge who wanted to introduce me to work for Dragon Quest, expressing a desire to layer various "dragon" elements together.

I work as a CM planner. The project I am introducing this time is one where we were asked to generate buzz through video for the anticipation surrounding the smartphone location-based game "Dragon Quest Walk."

First, we set the phrase "All of Japan becomes Dragon Quest" to describe the game in a single sentence. We matched the story to this, and to express the realism of people encountering monsters in their daily lives, we chose to shoot with smartphones rather than the cameras typically used for commercials. We then added the monsters using advanced CG. In other words, we changed the usual format of how the production budget was allocated.

I believe that by shooting with a smartphone, we successfully conveyed the subjective realism of a user playing a smartphone game, and the slight sense of incongruity with the rich CG added to it resulted in a new form of visual expression rarely seen before.

Mayumi Tamada

Director, Azabu Muse Clinic, Medical Corporation Shinryokukai; 2012 Graduate School of Medicine

Are you familiar with the fruit called "Longan" (Dragon Eye), which looks very similar to a lychee?

Inside the round, white, translucent flesh is a large, dark brown round seed. It is said to be named "Longan" because the way the seed shows through the flesh resembles a "Dragon's Eye."

The crude drug called "Ryuganniku" (Longan Arillus) is the dried edible part of this longan. It can be eaten as is, or used in tea and cooking. It has a sweet taste and is said to have the effects of supplementing physical strength, stabilizing the mind, and calming nervous excitement. In Kampo medicine, it is included in prescriptions such as "Kihi-to" and "Kami-kihi-to," which are prescribed for insomnia and anxiety caused by anemia or exhaustion.

The name "Ryuganniku" (Dragon Eye Meat) might be startling at first glance, but contrary to its tough-sounding name, it possesses a gentleness that heals both mind and body.

2024 is the "Year of the Dragon." In honor of the dragon, why not try incorporating sweet longan as a snack when you feel physically or mentally tired?

Shintaro Ogura

CEO, Seahorse Co., Ltd.; 2011 Faculty of Law, 2013 Graduate School of Media and Governance

Having been involved in the education industry for over 17 years, while searching for ways to efficiently fix memories in short-term intensive English conversation, I encountered brainwave analysis that can measure one's state, such as stress, concentration, and relaxation. Convinced that this would be the key to all forms of mastery, I decided to start a braintech business that enables personalized learning. I began the business in Okinawa to soften the difficult impression of neuroscience and contribute to the SDGs by raising the level of education. The part of the brain involved in memory is called the hippocampus, and both Okinawa and the hippocampus are shaped like a seahorse (tatsunootoshigo). From there, I named the company as a "child of the dragon" (tatsunootoshigo)—a symbol of something that does not exist in this world—aiming to be an innovative presence that sets new standards with neuroscience under the vision of "A rich society through the brain." Just before the New Year, I was able to obtain a patent for a brainwave analysis system. As someone born in the Year of the Dragon, I feel a sense of good fortune, like an "Ichiryumanbai" (one grain becomes ten thousand) year, in the connection between myself, the seahorse, and the Year of the Dragon—the "three dragons." Being featured in my alma mater's magazine in such a year is an auspicious start. Just like our alma mater's success at Koshien that makes "Wakaki-chi" burn, I hope that the rising dragon of Mita, "Seahorse," can make a great leap in the field of neuroscience. I would greatly appreciate your support!

Seahorse (seahorse-brain.com)