[No. 181] Hayate Okuhara

“Buon giorno!” I decided to go to Italy without knowing even this simple greeting, and I am now at the University of Bologna as a research fellow, conducting research on hardware such as integrated circuits. I was honored to be asked to write for the Keio University Alumni Relay Column, so I thought I would write a little something, hoping that my experiences might be of some interest to the students who come after me.

I originally enrolled in an undergraduate program (Department of Information and Computer Science) at another university, and the reason I chose it was something like, “Well, IT is the future, right?” I admit it was a very casual start, but a certain hardware-related class (computer architecture) became a turning point for me. I remember being amazed, thinking, “So this is how a PC (my vocabulary at the time) works!” Even the complex-looking processors in your electronic devices can be understood by and are interesting to undergraduate students if you extract the simplest ideas. This made me want to study the field more and more, and I became eager to study in one of the top laboratories in Japan. After researching various labs, I eventually applied to the Amano Laboratory in the Department of Information and Computer Science for my master's program. The deciding factors were that it was a place where I could compete globally in hardware research, design and test chips myself, and it was close to my family's home.

Once I was assigned to the long-awaited Amano Laboratory, I was in for a number of shocks. In particular, I remember feeling anxious about the amount of knowledge possessed by students who had thoroughly studied pure computer architecture, as my undergraduate focus had been on a part of hardware that was more like integrated circuits. On the other hand, I had wonderful experiences, such as being able to conduct research that utilized both the knowledge I had cultivated and the knowledge I gained at the Amano Lab, presenting at international conferences from my first year of the master's program, and having my ideas implemented on actual semiconductor chips. In addition, there were many international students in the lab, and it's a fond memory that I was able to make friends with people from various countries. I used to be extremely bad at and disliked English, but my casual conversations with them contributed greatly to my improvement. Thanks to being in such a blessed environment, I eventually went on to the Doctoral Programs and spent five years at Keio University.

After completing my doctorate, I had the good fortune to be hired by a hardware research group at the University of Bologna, and my life in Italy began. Here, I participate in a hardware project called PULP, where I spend my days designing, writing papers, and so on. This is a project that has open-sourced the design of hardware systems, and the designs are also applied to actual products.

Now, before coming to Italy, I was bracing myself, recalling a certain celebrity's comment that “it's rude not to hit on women you see.” In reality, of course, nothing of the sort happens, and I'm living peacefully. There are quite a few differences from my prior image. At least in Bologna, public transportation is punctual, though not to the same degree as in Japan. There are cheerful people and shy people. There are even rare individuals who tolerate cream in their carbonara (though the majority reaction is “Nooooo!!!!”). Also, while there's an image of Italians not working much, at least the people around me work intensely and then take their breaks seriously. It's true what they say, “seeing is believing,” and I feel you really can't know something until you see it for yourself. On the other hand, some of the negative reputations found online also hold true: it can take half a year to get a residence permit, shady (illegal?) street stalls are brazenly set up right under the noses of the police, and there's a high probability of getting the wrong change at the supermarket, revealing a rather casual (or laid-back?) side to things.

Currently, Italy is being hit by the second wave of COVID-19, and a light lockdown policy is in place despite it being the New Year's holiday, so everyone is staying quiet. However, the New Year's fireworks were spectacular and could be seen from my balcony. I feel there's a deep-rooted mentality here of not forgetting to enjoy life's small pleasures, even in this tragic situation. From this perspective, I find it extremely interesting to be exposed to a different culture while living abroad, and it feels stimulating for someone like me who has spent 28 years in Japan.

Looking back on various things from my perspective as a young man (or so I think of myself), if there's one thing I want to convey to the current students and those preparing for entrance exams, it would be this: “If you keep pursuing what you want to do at each moment, it feels like life will somehow move in that direction.” For me, it all started with just a hardware class, but I began casually reading thick textbooks, moved to Keio University, earned my doctorate, and now have my current job. It's never too early or too late to pursue a field you're interested in, so if you have something like that now, I strongly encourage you to go for it.