[No. 204] Rieko Tabata

I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to write for the "Keio University Alumni Connections" column.

And to all the readers who have taken the time to read this column, thank you very much.

I hope this column may be of some small help in your own thoughts and choices, and I would like to write about myself as I am.

I was interested in the systems wriggling inside human beings. To me, a human being is an elaborately constructed system. When I thought that even these emotions of joy and sadness were products of that system, I was able to see myself objectively and come to "like" myself.

Therefore, I aspired to enter School Category 3 (now School Category E), which allows students to advance to the Department of Biosciences and Informatics within the Faculty of Science and Technology. I was successfully admitted, which has led me to where I am today.

The university provided a wonderful environment for my studies and research, and I was able to devote myself to them to my heart's content.

In the Biophysics and Neuroinformatics Laboratory where I belonged, I conducted electrophysiological experiments on neurons in the brains of zebra finches. I recorded and compared the changes in the brains of female zebra finches when they heard the courtship songs of males.

The major underlying theme was how "like" is encoded in the brain. The research I was conducting was for zebra finches, by zebra finches, and about zebra finches, so of course, there is an unbridgeable gap to understanding the systems in the human brain. However,

① They like their partner's courtship song the best.

② They seem to have a ranking of "I like it!" and "Not so much" even among the courtship songs of other males.

③ There seem to be popular and unpopular males.

Discovering these things was very interesting for me personally. It felt so much like the human world that I could sense a certain harsh reality in the world of zebra finches, and looking at the analysis results, I felt an indescribable affinity for the birds. I never knew that learning and feeling like I understood something could broaden my world so much.

For me, learning about something or feeling like I understand it is not just about finding the phenomenon "interesting" or "moving," but it also adds color to my daily life, increases my options... It has become a way to enrich my life.

For now, I have said a temporary goodbye to the zebra finches. My original interest in the systems within humans has taken a slightly different form—understanding people through behavioral observation and interviews—and I feel this connects to my current interests and work.

When I'm asked about my memories of university, the first thing that comes to mind are the professors, friends, and upper and lower classmen who were part of my life.

I was able to continue my research on zebra finches for three years thanks to none other than the help of my professor and lab colleagues. The regular opportunities for discussion and progress reports allowed me to check and revise my research approach each time. The lab community itself had a strong culture of respecting individuals as individuals, so I could listen to and express frank opinions without stress. Thank you very much for your guidance on my research and for creating more than an adequate foundational environment.

And my friends.

Friends with whom, even now at 30, I can share a meal, go out with, who support me in tough times, and with whom I can laugh and talk about nothing in particular.

Friends I met at a time when we had the common community and topics of a student club, with whom I shared joys and sorrows, ate ramen, and traveled to various places—friends who are still a constant and close presence in my life.

Meeting such friends and the time we spent together are my irreplaceable treasures.

Germany, which I visited for my undergraduate graduation trip. The one-liter beer mug, which looked like it could get you drunk just by looking at it, was bigger than my face, and I was incredibly surprised by the local next to me who polished it off with ease.

Yellowknife, Canada, which I visited for my graduate school graduation trip. The actual aurora seen with the naked eye was far fainter than in photographs, and I was moved by the advancement of technology.

Hawaii, which I visited after starting my career. I was able to order what I wanted to eat without relying on the friend who always helped me, and I almost became confident in my clumsy English.

I am happy that everything I felt in the places I visited still holds vivid color in my mind today.

For me, having moved to Tokyo for university, everything about university life was new. The trains coming every five minutes, the fact that there were more train lines than just JR, my body tilting on the commuter train, and the fact that the meals I cooked for myself weren't delicious. In an unfamiliar city where I didn't know anyone, it was undoubtedly my friends who supported me and added color to my days.

There were many days I cried over my own clumsiness and inadequacy, but I had my friends and I had myself, and looking back now, even those days have become good memories.

Keio University is a large university. There are many people. Everyone I met had a wonderful individuality. It's not just that the academic environment is well-equipped. It's a place where you can meet wonderful people. I feel very happy to have been able to attend such a university and to have spent my undergraduate and graduate school life there.

To everyone who has been a part of my life. Thank you so much for shaping who I am today and for being there for me.

After graduating from graduate school, I have been working at a manufacturing company. After five years at the Research Centers and Institutes, I am now involved in product development. Rather than developing the product itself, I conduct customer research to select the best sample from multiple options for market launch. What "value" are customers looking for? What "features" does that translate to in terms of product specifications? I enjoy my current job, which involves skillfully interpreting the trends in human thinking that emerge from this research and connecting them to the product.

Lately, my personal trend is to simply live enjoyably. There was a time when I thought that the more choices I had in my daily life—be it clothes, cosmetics, or food—the richer my life was, and I think that's fine too. It's just that my current trend is to try living with significantly fewer things, without sacrificing my own "joy."

The "joys" that remain close to me after this paring down have become all the more precious, and I enjoy my days by playing the piano, reading books, and so on.

I want you to enjoy each day without trying too hard. Don't strain yourself.

There's no need to overreach, and there's not a single thing you "must do" or "must be." The very act of thinking about various things, experiencing them, crying and laughing, and living each day true to yourself will become your most irreplaceable treasure.

For me, that was an iPhone Live Photo taken unknowingly during a university lecture.

Just three seconds.

The sound of a math lecture in the background, snippets of trivial conversation, whispers. A happy exchange with a friend. I believe our days are filled with such treasures.

Please don't let them slip away. I hope you will continue to have the eyes and hands to hold onto your own "joy."