Challenging "Aging" to Restore Japan's Vitality.

(*Award information from June 2026 has been added as a supplement)

My background in choosing "anti-aging technology" as a research theme lies in my experience living in Singapore. I spent five years there in my early teens, and even amidst the heat of Southeast Asia's economic development, I took pride in a "Japan that shines in the world." However, at the airport when I returned to Japan to enter high school, the air felt somewhat stagnant, and I felt that the former vitality had been lost.

I thought about the true nature of the sense of stagnation covering this country and realized it lies in a structural problem where it is difficult to have hope for the future due to the declining birthrate and aging population. Next, I began to wonder if I could control "aging" itself, which is the root cause of many diseases. Conventional medicine has focused on "whack-a-mole" style treatment after onset, but from now on, "preventive medicine" that prevents diseases from developing will become increasingly important. The technology I am particularly focusing on as a key is "partial reprogramming," which applies iPS cell-related technology. This is a technology that rewinds only the cell's time while maintaining its identity. By stopping aging and periodically rejuvenating cells, we can maintain immune and cognitive functions and extend healthy life expectancy. I believe this innovative anti-aging technology will be the game changer that saves Japan and the world.

I chose the world of pharmacy because I believe the pharmaceutical industry, which supports life as long as humanity exists, will never disappear, and I believe the technology that changes that industry has the potential to dramatically change the world. Furthermore, I chose the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (4-year program) because I wanted to do "things that can only be done at a university" and create new technologies with my own hands.

In fact, what I felt while studying at the Keio Faculty of Pharmacy was that this is a wonderful environment that respects student initiative. Especially in the "Division of Pharmacotherapeutics" to which I belong, even for themes proposed by students, if there is solid logical backing, the professors will encourage us, saying, "Let's give it a try." I think an environment where students can freely conduct the research they want to do is very rare even within Japanese academia.

▶ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

▶ Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Major in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Mr. Hasegawa went on to graduate school after graduating from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences)

▶ Division of Pharmacotherapeutics, to which Mr. Hasegawa belongs

After enrolling, partly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had time to think about various things. Around the end of my first year of university, I thought about my career and way of life, and reached the conclusion: "Since I am living this one-time life, I cannot afford to just die. I want to live a life where I realize what I believe I should do with my own hands." From my second year, in addition to my pharmacy studies, I began to take an interest in startups and participated in various business-related circles both inside and outside the university. There, I learned how important it is to evoke empathy and involve others to realize what you want to do.

The learning from this time led to my crowdfunding challenge in my fourth year. Under the theme "I want to create a world of 'truly healthy longevity' with aging treatment technology!", I was able to receive over 1.2 million yen in support, exceeding the target amount. With these funds, I introduced the latest technology called a nanopore sequencer and am proceeding with the construction of a unique experimental system that integrates Biology experiments with AI and information analysis. Research can sometimes be painful, but I work hard while savoring the joy of the moments when I feel I am making steady progress toward what I want to achieve. For me, research is an activity at the forefront of human knowledge and, at the same time, a path to changing the world with new science and technology.

▶ Click here for the news when Mr. Hasegawa achieved his crowdfunding goal

▶ Mr. Hasegawa's research was highly evaluated, and in June 2026, he was selected for the Excellent Abstract Award at the 26th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine, where he gave an award lecture. He has also received the Dean's Award and the 66th Leave a Nest Grant "& Taurine Award" Grand Prize.

Prospective students might currently be focused on university names or deviation scores (hensachi). I was the same way during high school. However, after entering university and through research and off-campus activities, I realized that the world evaluates not "where you are," but "what you want to do, and what you have done for that purpose." The university is merely an environment for that. At Keio, there are many students with a spirit of challenge who actively engage not only in studies and research but also in extracurricular activities and sports. I feel that I am growing by placing myself in such a stimulating environment.

At university, it is most important to find challenges yourself and take initiative. In research as well, you won't move forward a single step unless you act proactively. Even if you fail, you just need to use that experience as fuel to keep moving forward. You should make the path you chose the "right answer" through your own actions. I think anxiety and impatience are inherent to entrance exams, but I hope you value what kind of path you want to take and in what kind of place and with what kind of peers you want to grow, so that you can make a choice you are satisfied with.