2022/10/28
On October 27, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė of the Republic of Lithuania, along with her delegation, visited the Shinanomachi Campus and Hospital of Keio University. Prime Minister Šimonytė was in Japan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of friendly relations between Lithuania and Japan.
First, Hospital Director Morio Matsumoto introduced the innovative initiatives of Keio University Hospital across multiple fields, including cancer and artificial intelligence, which impressed the Prime Minister.
Next, Professor Makoto Suematsu of the Department of Biochemistry, who served as the first president of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), gave an overview of the joint research between Japan and Lithuania. Professor Suematsu was awarded the Cross of Officer of the Order for Merits to Lithuania by the Republic of Lithuania in 2018 for his contributions to laying the foundation for joint research between the two countries, and a lively, forward-looking discussion ensued.
Following this, Professor Kenjiro Kosaki of the Center for Medical Genetics explained the results of joint research conducted since 2016 with Vilnius University and the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. He explained that genome analysis was performed on 32 Lithuanian patients with undiagnosed diseases, resulting in a diagnosis for half of them and the discovery of a new disease, UPF1-related disorder.
Finally, the Prime Minister toured the brand-new hospital, which had just had its grand opening, and the bioinformatics research site at the Center for Medical Genetics. Prime Minister Šimonytė shared her thoughts, stating, "The flourishing of science is the foundation of a nation," and "It is truly wonderful that Lithuanian and Japanese medical researchers are working hand in hand to advance research for the benefit of all humanity."
Yukichi Fukuzawa is said to be one of the first Japanese people to visit Lithuania (in 1862). The visit of the Lithuanian Prime Minister 160 years later, which further deepened the goodwill between the two nations, was an occasion that highlighted the deep connection between Lithuania, Japan, and Keio University.
Photo: Akisue Takematsu