Livable Cities and Cities to Travel To | Hideyuki Tokuda (Dean, Graduate School of Media and Governance)

2009.12.03

Every year, November is a busy time with AO, GAO, ORF, and other events. This year, there was an event to sign MOUs for academic exchange with two universities in Finland. On November 6, we signed an academic exchange agreement with the University of Jyväskylä, where a group led by Professor Yasushi Kiyoki of the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies is conducting joint research. On November 12, we signed another with the University of Oulu, with which our group co-hosts joint research and international workshops. This marks the first time Keio University has signed agreements with universities in Finland. The University of Jyväskylä is a university that has produced many of Finland's outstanding teachers. The University of Oulu is located in the city of Oulu, home to Nokia Research and other facilities, and is a university with strong engineering programs, situated at the world's northernmost latitude (65 degrees north). (Incidentally, near the city of Rovaniemi, even further north, is Santa Claus Village, where Santa Claus lives!)

On November 23 and 24, the annual SFC-ORF (Open Research Forum) was held again this year on the 40th floor of Roppongi Hills. In addition to exhibiting demos and presenting research from my lab, I spoke at the "Is the SFC Spirit Alive and Well?" and "SFC Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future)" sessions. In the "SFC Spirit" session, three alumnae, including one participating from overseas, spoke passionately about the SFC spirit. It was an occasion to reaffirm the global success of SFC graduates across a wide range of fields. Furthermore, at the SFC Miraisozojuku (Institute for Designing the Future) session, we were joined by members of the executive board, as well as Mr. Fumihiko Maki, the architect who designed the SFC campus, and Professor Shigeru Ito, a leading authority on urban planning. Professor Junjiro Takahashi was also in attendance, and for the first time in a while, I was able to have a passionate discussion with members of the first generation about the future of SFC for the next 20 years. Discussions like these should be held more often and more passionately, involving current students as well. As for my research lab, our research introduction pamphlet, which students create each year, was well-received, along with our various demos. I even received an inquiry from a fellow researcher asking which company we hired to create it, as they wanted to make a similar pamphlet.

Now, on to the topic of "favorite cities." There are so many around the world that it's difficult to narrow them down. The criteria for a fun city to visit for travel and a livable city are quite different, and I also have special feelings for the cities where I lived as a student. I was born and raised in Tokyo, but during my time in the Ph.D. program, I lived in Waterloo, Canada (about 100 km southwest of Toronto), and after starting my career, I lived in Pittsburgh, USA. Both are "favorite cities" with fond memories. Waterloo is a beautiful university town near a major city, about an hour's drive from Toronto.

When people hear "Pittsburgh," they immediately think of a steel town and don't believe me when I say it was once chosen as "America's Most Livable City." However, with no murders or other such crimes, it is a very safe city for the US. In the 80s when I lived there, the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers and MLB's Pirates were quite strong teams, and the city was energized by many passionate local fans. Compared to Tokyo, there may have been far fewer delicious restaurants, but there was almost no traffic congestion, and the environment where you could immediately play golf or tennis in municipal parks was wonderful. Furthermore, there was a small ski resort nearby, making it a great city for raising children. It's true what they say: "Home is where you make it."

Finally, which city is best for travel?

A historic European city where time seems to move slowly is nice, as is a town within a magnificent national park in Canada or the US where you can walk through dynamic nature. But I think Florence, with its delicious food, wonderful scenery, and the world's oldest museums, might be the one. Am I the only one who wants to savor that delicious food again while drinking Super Tuscan wine?

(Date Published: 2009/12/03)