[No. 153] Masato Inoue

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for this invaluable opportunity to write for the Keio University Alumni Relay Column. I spent exactly ten years at Keio University, from my time as an undergraduate student to my work as a research associate. To this day, Keio University represents the springtime of my life—a precious and special place where I experienced everything, from the greatest joys to the deepest sorrows, like never before. As a graduate of the Faculty of Science and Technology, I would like to share my journey, from taking the entrance exams and my time as a student to my experience as a research associate at Keio University and my current work.

Since high school, I had been interested in architectural design, especially Sukiya-zukuri architecture, and I wanted to join a department where I could study it. In between studying for my entrance exams, I attended special lectures by architects and professors from other universities' architecture departments. At the time, the Faculty of Science and Technology did not have an environment for studying architecture. However, I happened to read an article in a specialized architecture magazine that suggested there were plans to establish a program at Keio University in the future that would allow students to qualify as architects, so I decided to take the entrance exam for the Faculty of Science and Technology.

The year I enrolled, 1996, was when the faculty and departments were being reorganized. I entered Gakumon 4, but by my second year when it was time to choose a department, no architecture professors had yet been appointed to the newly established Department of System Design Engineering. However, I thought that studying a different field as an undergraduate to broaden my perspective before pursuing architecture in graduate school might expand my possibilities. I also knew that the renowned architect Yoshio Taniguchi, whom I had admired since high school, was a graduate of Keio University's Department of Mechanical Engineering. Therefore, for my undergraduate studies, I chose the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where I could learn about design in a broader sense.

Thinking back, I realize I was also interested in machines and their design. As a child, whenever my parents gave me a broken watch or camera, I would take it apart to see how it worked and even draw my own "blueprints" so I could reassemble it later. Recalling these memories, my interest expanded to comprehensively designing the environment and relationships between people, objects, and events, which led me to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Then, in my fourth year, I joined a laboratory that researched design theory and methodology.

For my club activities, I joined the Faculty of Science and Technology Athletic Association Tennis Club and the Keio Sado Society. I devoted myself to both activities so much that I had almost no days off, leading a fulfilling life with my friends. Being part of two groups with such different natures—one dynamic and one tranquil—I feel that the time I spent talking daily with a diverse group of friends has shaped who I am today. As for the tea ceremony, I initially started because I was interested in the tea rooms themselves. However, it has since proven useful as a communication tool, as I often have opportunities to introduce the tea ceremony, a part of Japanese culture, when interacting with foreign researchers.

As I progressed with my graduation research, I found enjoyment in the research process—identifying a problem, proposing a solution, and verifying it through case studies—so I decided to advance to graduate school within the same laboratory. Then, partly because a relatively large number of my friends from my club and department were also going on to Doctoral Programs, I was drawn into enrolling in the Doctoral Programs as well. In my lab, my cohort was small, with just three of us including myself, but two of us decided to enter the Doctoral Programs, and we both aimed to become university researchers. My lab mates from that time are irreplaceable to me. We stayed in touch, shared our worries, and encouraged each other, both during our time at the university and, of course, after we left. Even if we are too busy to meet often, I consider them my soulmates.

While still in the Doctoral Programs, I began juggling two roles as a research associate and a graduate student. My duties as a research associate mainly involved overseeing student experiments and seminar courses. At times, I was responsible for as many as ten classes a week per semester, and I spent my busy days writing my dissertation in between my duties. This teaching experience proved to be extremely valuable later on when I was job hunting for a university faculty position.

Upon the expiration of my term as a research associate at Keio University, I transferred to the University of Electro-Communications, a national university corporation, as a research associate. Three years after my transfer, a professor in my laboratory gave me the opportunity to conduct research abroad, and I spent eight months at the Technische Universität Berlin in Germany. As I advanced my research in design engineering, I became very interested in Germany's manufacturing processes and environmental initiatives. Furthermore, a student of my age from TU Berlin (now a professor at a German university), whom I had befriended at an international conference, recommended it. So, I decided, "I'll go to TU Berlin to study design!" and made the trip. It was my first long-term stay abroad, and the connections I made there continue to this day.

When my term at the University of Electro-Communications ended, I moved to Meiji University. Having worked in fixed-term positions for nine years, I was overjoyed to finally secure a tenured position and was filled with a desire to contribute to Meiji University for hiring me. It was here that I had my own laboratory for the first time.

Three years after my appointment, I was given the opportunity for a one-year research stay in Germany, and I lived in Cologne. It was my second long-term stay in Germany, and I made a new discovery: the differences in design processes and methodologies between Japan and Germany are rooted in their respective lifestyles, cultures, and histories. Subsequently, my efforts in establishing an inter-faculty agreement with a German university, fostering international exchange by hosting overseas professors and students, and the results of international joint research were recognized, and I received the JSPS Alumni Club Award from the Deutsche Gesellschaft der JSPS-Stipendiaten e.V. in Germany.

To all prospective students, I imagine you will face many crossroads in your life from now on. University entrance exams are one of them. In some cases, you may feel that the path you are on is not the one you most desired. However, I believe that the path you arrive at through your earnest efforts at each moment will, in the long run, become the most suitable path for you to walk. Also, university life may not always be fun; there may be hardships. But those who have experienced hardship become people who can understand the pain of others. No matter how successful you become or what great university you attend, if you look down on others or cannot understand their pain, you are empty inside. I, too, have faced painful farewells with close friends and hit various walls, but those experiences support me today. Human connections are incredibly important. I hope that all of you will not get carried away by immediate results, but will cherish each encounter and do your best in the environment you are given.