[No. 39] Yukiko Isomura

Life is a series of choices. Without any firm goals for the future, I was often hesitant and wavering, and I seriously doubt whether I have always made the best choices. But I am grateful for a life where I can make choices, and I have enjoyed the process of pondering them. The greatest advantage that graduating from Keio has given me is the feeling that I always have several cards in my hand whenever I stand at various crossroads.

My life changed completely when I entered university. It was a complete shift from the all-girls' school I had attended for 12 years to a co-ed world. In addition, I was at an age where I was easily distracted by things other than my studies. Every day was a picture of youth, an endless summer. I remember the fun general education classes, the linear algebra that immediately crushed me, holing up in coffee shops to write reports during free periods, and getting a major scolding from a professor for sneaking out with my entire group to the co-op cafeteria for ramen during an experiment. The hardship of the 10:30 p.m. curfew that continued until I graduated from graduate school, the heated inter-laboratory softball games at Yagami, and the graduation thesis I finished overnight (and of course, my master's thesis too—I'm the type who doesn't learn). I'd say my memories are about 30% studying and 70% everything else. It was a picture-perfect university life.

In my fourth year, I was doing numerical analysis of fluids and joined the Ando-Tanahashi Laboratory, which was praised as the smartest lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the time. For a year, I researched the numerical analysis of the temporal change in the internal temperature distribution when one side of a box containing air is heated. That year passed in a blur, so I went on to graduate school. In an era when there were still few women in science and engineering, a major reason for continuing my studies was to eliminate any potential disadvantages. What I gained by delaying my entry into the workforce by two years was, well, a vague sense of confidence and overcoming my allergy to the dimensionless numbers of fluid dynamics that persistently appeared. I finally graduated with a grasp of what fluids were all about.

Then came job hunting. In the midst of the bubble economy, when there was a notable trend of moving away from manufacturers, I wanted to be involved in *monozukuri* (manufacturing) and had no hesitation in choosing a manufacturer. At first, I considered the air conditioner research institute of a home appliance manufacturer, thinking I could leverage both my research theme and the fact that I was a woman. I was hoping to work for Mitsubishi Electric, which was close to my alma mater (junior and senior high school) and from which I could receive a school recommendation. However, my perspective completely changed after a company tour. In addition to its home appliance research institute, Mitsubishi Electric has its Kamakura Works in the Kamakura area, which develops artificial satellites and equipment for the Japan Defense Agency. An alumnus from the company showed me the satellite assembly plant and a wind tunnel facility dedicated to missiles, and then came the killer line: "Since you're joining a manufacturer, why not get involved in cutting-edge technology?" I found myself saying "yes" on the spot.

And now, I am in charge of designing the airframe shape of missiles for the Japan Defense Agency. It's a niche world, and my team is full of people from aeronautical engineering departments, but within that, someone with a pure Department of Mechanical Engineering background is quite valuable. What is needed to create something is the ability to balance the pursuit of technology and performance with other factors, and the drive to eliminate the many difficulties that arise once a goal is set. I was probably placed in this role as such a balancer. It's just as I learned in the mechanical element design lecture at university: "Mechanical engineering is the cornerstone of *monozukuri* (manufacturing)." In this department, depending on your own will, it's possible to be involved in all aspects of development. This includes business-like tasks such as proposing new equipment and calculating development costs, as well as the traditional technical work of a mechanical engineer, like creating models, conducting wind tunnel tests to determine the optimal airframe shape, designing the product's mechanism, and creating drawings. You can even choose your preferred design method, be it theoretical, experimental, or numerical analysis. The moment I touch a product that has become a reality from a design I agonized over is when I am grateful to have become a mechanical engineer. Furthermore, the exhilaration and sense of accomplishment when watching it fly in a launch test are simply beyond compare.

Both at work and in my private life, my principle of action is clear: a policy of "enjoying everything." Therefore, being stress-free is fundamental. I try to ensure that my team members can be in charge of duties they want as much as possible, and that they can go home early to enjoy their private lives as well. There are many graduates from Keio University at my company, and I notice that many of them are flexible in their thinking, accept all situations as they are, are not uptight, have peace of mind, and seem to be enjoying life to the fullest. It seems that this attitude naturally opens up new paths for them.

Well, 17 years after joining the company, I reached a major milestone last year. I had a child. Mitsubishi Electric is very generous about returning to work after childbirth, so I took about a year and a half of leave and then returned to the same workplace, deciding to work shorter hours in a staff-like role for the time being. At first, I was worried about the feeling of being left behind due to the gap from childbirth, but I soon realized that I was in the lucky position of being able to greatly enjoy both work and child-rearing, and I decided to gradually return to the front lines while watching my child's progress. I went on maternity leave saying I would return early and immediately work at full capacity, but once my child was born, I found them so adorable that I couldn't imagine leaving them to go to work. Right now, work is completely out of my mind, but as I want to have one or two more children, I'm spending my happy days idly wondering if we could set up a daycare center within the company.