[Volume 6] Takahiro Yano

During your university years, campus life and where you live are important. In my case, for financial reasons, I lived in a dormitory that only accepted students from my hometown (Fukui Prefecture). I remember the dorm fee was only 15,000 yen per month, despite being located in Kichijoji. Because of this, I tried my best to speak standard Japanese at the university, but I would slip back into the Fukui dialect when I returned to the dorm. Looking back now, I realize that dialects are not something to be ashamed of, and I wish I had had the spirit to promote my own dialect.

Turning to my studies, at the Faculty of Science and Technology, you have to repeat a year if you don't earn enough credits, so it was tough with mandatory attendance for some classes and reports that had to be submitted (though there were some easy classes too...). Also, the period before exams was a time of intense focus. Looking back, I think my student life had a good balance of work and play.

Next, I'll talk about my work. I currently work in the Citizen's Tax Division at Fukui City Hall in my hometown. My job involves levying resident taxes, which might seem like an unrelated field for a graduate of the Faculty of Science and Technology, but I feel that what I learned in my university classes has been extremely useful. I am proud to say that the way I think and perceive things is something I acquired precisely because I was at the Keio University Faculty of Science and Technology. Furthermore, the work of a local public servant is interesting because you are close to the residents, making their problems your own, and the fields are diverse. On the other hand, dealing with the wide variety of residents can be challenging.

Reflecting recent trends, many new employees are graduates of famous universities. My current division has just under 30 people, and one of them is a junior from Keio University. They graduated from the Faculty of Business and Commerce, by the way.

Finally, let me promote Fukui City. In the "All-Japan Livability Ranking" published annually by Toyo Keizai Inc., Fukui was ranked number one overall among 678 cities for two consecutive years in 2001 and 2002. If you have the chance, please come and visit Fukui. The winter Echizen crab is exquisite.