[No. 159] Yasumasa Emori

In 1941, my grandfather started manufacturing surfactants, which are essential for the processing steps of the textile industry, in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture. Although our company is now listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, it started as a small "mom-and-pop factory." My grandfather, being an engineer (a pharmacist) himself, valued technology so much that he made the company's creed "We don't sell products, we sell technology." Ever since I was in elementary school, my grandfather repeatedly told me, "It is your destiny to become an engineer and take over Nicca Chemical." As I was naturally good at science, I decided without hesitation to enter a faculty of science and technology. I had a strong admiration for Keio University, which my father also attended, so I decided to take the entrance exam.

I belonged to the Abe Laboratory, an authority on surfactant chemistry and oleochemistry. As for my research, at that time, water pollution caused by algal blooms in Lake Biwa and rivers was a problem. The cause was phosphorus in detergents leading to eutrophication, and my research was to develop a highly biodegradable, phosphorus-free detergent. Now that the SDGs are a major focus, our company also prioritizes the environment in our development. I am deeply moved to realize that I was involved in research that matched today's needs more than 30 years ago. I am also very proud that my former classmate, Mr. Asakura, has now admirably taken over as a professor in the same laboratory.

My student life outside of my studies was also very enjoyable. A group of five or six of us started a club, and it grew to about 20 members, including other students. Just as the bubble era was dawning, we played tennis at the Jingu courts and had ski camps in Tateshina in the summer and Tsugaike or Madarao in the winter. We also went golfing. We also organized dance parties where we rented out discos in Roppongi. Through this club, this serious country boy gradually became more polished, mastered standard Japanese, and broke out of my shell. I feel that I learned about communication and networking through these club activities.

After graduation, I joined Mitsubishi Chemical, but I was assigned to the sales department. I don't know if they valued my communication skills more than my background as a chemist, but I felt no sense of incongruity, only anticipation, at being able to work on the front lines of business. Even in sales, the knowledge of chemistry I had acquired was very useful for providing logical explanations to customers.

I joined Nicca Chemical in 1989 (the first year of the Heisei era) and, just as my grandfather had said, I became president in 2001. Today, we have 12 bases in eight countries overseas and have grown to manufacture and sell chemical products and cosmetics worldwide. Even after becoming president, I make it a point to attend the four research presentations held each year as an opportunity to share in the new discoveries of our researchers. I feel that if I hadn't studied chemistry at university, I wouldn't be able to have deep exchanges of opinion during Q&A sessions. Chemistry forms the basis of a common language in my communication with employees. When I had the honor of serving as chairman of the Japan Surfactant Industry Association from 2007 to 2009, I was exposed to the perspectives of government officials and top leaders in various industries. I was reminded of the importance of not only understanding customer needs and creating products that benefit society, but also of being environmentally conscious.

The times are changing ever more rapidly with Society 5.0 and the introduction of AI, but the importance of chemical technology only continues to grow. For example, from technological innovations like IoT and robotics to protecting human lives with new medicines and improving the global environment, the power of chemistry is indispensable. It may be an exaggeration, but I believe that without chemistry, there can be no human happiness or world progress.

A new era, Reiwa, has begun. With the Tokyo Olympics and the Osaka Expo on the horizon, Japan is attracting increasing attention from around the world. However, for Japan to develop further on the world stage, we need new innovations and new technologies that cannot be created in Europe, the United States, or even in other Asian countries like China. Please take on challenges that may seem unconventional now. Doing nothing is regression, and failure is progress.

There is a saying by Yukichi Fukuzawa, the founder of Keio University: "Be a leader of all society." The Keio Faculty of Science and Technology is a place where outstanding students gather, a place that gives birth to cutting-edge talent in Japan, creating innovation and even launching venture companies. Let's learn at Keio and share all kinds of things with the world. Human happiness and world progress begin with your challenges.