[No. 12] Susumu Ishito

I entered the Faculty of Engineering (now the Faculty of Science and Technology) at Keio University in 1977. Since my days at Keio Senior High School, I had seen university students strolling cheerfully across the Hiyoshi Campus, so when I enrolled, I was filled with hope, thinking that I too would finally get to fully enjoy a "free and fun university life."

I chose the Faculty of Engineering not because I was good at math or particularly fond of science in general, but because my dream at the time was to "design my own unique camera and release it to the world," and I wanted to get a little closer to that dream. Then, when it came time to choose a department in my third year, with the goal of "becoming a camera designer in the future" in mind, I unhesitatingly chose the Department of Mechanical Engineering (without, however, doing much research into my future).

However, after failing to earn the credits for thermodynamics, a required course in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, my choice of direction began to waver. Fearing I would have to repeat a year, I studied thermodynamics intensely for a full year. Perhaps I studied too much, because strangely enough, I ended up falling in love with this incredibly troublesome subject. Driven by a desire to delve deeper into this field, I impulsively applied to join the laboratory of Professor Nagashima, which focused on thermodynamics. I believe that choosing a thermodynamics lab, completely unrelated to my future aspirations at such a crucial time, is a reflection of my personality, which tends to prioritize immediate interests over long-term vision.

In the Nagashima Laboratory, I joined a team working on measuring the viscosity coefficients of high-temperature melts. Here, we conducted experiments that continued day and night for one to two weeks at a time, so for three years, including my master's program, I lived a life where I would stay up for two straight days and go home on the morning of the third. It was a physically demanding life, but I was blessed with unique senior and junior colleagues. I was completely immersed in the Nagashima Lab, which had both the intensity of dedicated research and a free and open atmosphere, and my days were filled with a sense of fulfillment. This May, a reunion for the Nagashima Laboratory alumni was held on a luxury cruise ship in Yokohama. Nearly 200 people, including graduates and current students, gathered, and I was once again struck by the power of the Nagashima Laboratory.

After completing my master's program, I joined Nikon Corporation, just as I had hoped to in high school. At Nikon, although I was not assigned to the camera design department, I was able to work as a technical specialist in the design and production of lenses, cameras, and telescopes for specialized fields, and I spent a fulfilling 15 years there. However, as my career at the company progressed, my duties increasingly shifted toward project coordination rather than direct involvement in design and production as an engineer. I began to feel anxious that I was drifting further and further away from the person I wanted to be. Furthermore, my desire to focus more on photographing European landscapes, which I had been pursuing as my life's work, grew stronger. In 1997, I made the bold decision to leave the company and become an independent photographer.

I did not graduate from a photography school, and as a photographer, I was an outsider to the field. However, my early adoption of digital photography paid off, and my career has been progressing smoothly. I am also in charge of photography for Keio University, so I may be more familiar with Keio University events now than when I was a student.

In addition to photography, I leverage my career as an engineer to conduct camera tests and consulting work in this field, so I am constantly striving to incorporate the latest technology.

What I learned in both my bachelor's and master's programs is not directly useful in my current work, but I believe that the mental aspects I cultivated as a student—the attitude of tackling new technologies, bold ideas combined with steady effort—have a significant influence on who I am today.

The following are photographs of Europe taken by Mr. Ishito. Please take your time to enjoy them. (HP Editorial Committee)