[No. 49] Masao Chino

I, an author with no awards to my name, received a request to write this article. I was quite embarrassed to accept, knowing it would mean passing over many senior alumni who are active in various fields. When I asked for the reason, I was told that I had been chosen with the hope of "showcasing the diversity of Keio University." I understood that they wanted to feature both outstanding graduates and those who are working hard. I was won over by the Juku's enthusiasm.

When I was a student, Class III of the Faculty of Science and Technology, which consisted of the Department of Applied Chemistry and the Department of Chemistry, offered students a wide variety of classes, including organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry, and analytical chemistry. Among these, the most memorable was the plant internship in the summer of my third year. This off-campus course provided a three-week opportunity for hands-on training at a corporate site for students who had only experienced laboratory experiments. Being the pragmatic person I am, I was drawn by the words "round-trip travel expenses covered and accommodation in a company dormitory with three meals a day," and chose Ube Industries in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Mr. Inoue, who did the internship with me, was assigned to the hollow fiber membrane division, which was a cutting-edge technology at the time. I was assigned to the chemicals division (the department that produced their main product, ε-caprolactam). At that time, I believe Ube Industries' ε-caprolactam had the fifth-largest market share in Japan. The plant where I was assigned boasted one of the largest production capacities in the country.

(Note) ε-caprolactam is the raw material for the synthetic fiber nylon 6.

For me, more than the descriptions "main product" or "one of the largest in the country," what made me happiest was seeing the Beckmann rearrangement, which I had learned about in class, taking place in the large reaction vessel right before my eyes. Even for the same chemical reaction, a factory is quite different from a university. In a place like the central control room of a nuclear power plant, the input of raw materials and reagents was controlled by button operations while monitoring the internal temperature of the reaction vessel on instrument displays. It was almost impossible to see what was happening inside the giant reaction vessel. After a set amount of time, the "kama-dashi" (unloading the vessel) was performed, again by button operation, and a dark purple solution of ε-caprolactam would emerge. Inside the vessel, a tremendous amount of cyclohexanone oxime had chemically transformed into ε-caprolactam. Next, this purple solution was passed through a large ion chromatography column to remove impurities and complete the purification process. At the time, I spent my days simply overwhelmed by the massive equipment, but as I later gained experience in the research lab, I came to understand the high precision of the Beckmann rearrangement that had unfolded before me. Although numerous chemical reactions have been reported to date, not many are used in actual production. The high purity and chemical yield of the produced ε-caprolactam, along with the cost-effectiveness supported by a lean process, were proof of a "powerful" reaction put to practical use. During the training period, I also conducted a study on purifying ion-exchange resins to further improve the production efficiency of ε-caprolactam. I didn't fully understand the background leading to this study, but through the experiment, I was able to grasp the company's passion for cost reduction.

My daily life was a routine of commuting with my seniors in the department, working at the plant according to the manual, and leaving in the evening. However, I have fond memories of occasionally going out drinking late into the night in the town of Ube with people from my department, including the hostesses at the "snack" bars. Currently, regional economic revitalization is one of the national issues, and I experienced firsthand how corporate business conditions support the local economy. Also, at drinking parties, the "ojichan" (older men) from the plant taught me that "reliably completing ordinary daily tasks leads to stable production." ε-caprolactam is one of the chemical substances listed in organic chemistry textbooks, but at Ube Industries, it was a symbol of the integration of various academic fields such as chemical engineering, ion-exchange resins, and physical property analysis. And stable production is only achieved through the efforts of the "ojichan" at the plant and the families who support them. In pharmaceutical companies as well, the development of new drugs is achieved through the integration of diverse research fields such as organic chemistry, pharmacy, medical sciences, analytical chemistry, and statistics. In the past, the mass media was abuzz with words that derided Japanese management, such as being "a member of the organization" or "a cog in the machine," but you cannot build a castle if you neglect even a single stone in its wall. Looking back, I believe those three weeks were precious days that laid the foundation for my later research life. I am grateful to the "ojichan" at the plant who taught me that the accumulation of small efforts can result in such a huge plant, and to the curriculum of the Faculty of Science and Technology that gave me the opportunity for this internship.

There are indeed many people affiliated with the Juku who are active in the academic societies I belong to. Considering that scientists from national universities come from multiple faculties—such as the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Faculty of Agriculture—the number of Keio affiliates originating solely from the Faculty of Science and Technology is astounding. I believe this is a testament to the diligent and enthusiastic guidance that many professors have provided since the university's founding. Nothing in life is a waste. To all you budding researchers with bright futures ahead, please continue to persevere with steady and tireless effort.