[No. 210] Eiko Takayasu (née Kimura)

My name is Eiko Takayasu, and I work for the East Japan Railway Company (JR East).

I am very grateful for this opportunity to contribute to the "Jukuin Raiō" alumni series. Looking back, I spent my student life truly immersed in what I wanted to do within the liberal academic culture of Keio University. I now work at JR East, and I often feel that the fundamental knowledge, perseverance, and approach to work that are essential for my job are all based on my experiences at Keio University. I hope that sharing my experience will be helpful to everyone considering enrolling in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University.

My father was a professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, so students and alumni from his laboratory often visited our home. I grew up in an environment where I had many opportunities to talk with students and alumni of the Faculty of Science and Technology from a young age. Graduates who had advanced into various career paths would gather and talk about the joys and challenges of their work and research. I admired how everyone, regardless of gender or age, was so vibrant, taking pride and confidence in their work and research. Influenced by these alumni and students, I had hoped since high school to study a specialized field at the Faculty of Science and Technology and find a job where I could contribute to society. My father recommended a field of study that involved learning a wide range of subjects to solve social problems, and so I entered the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering from Field of Study 2 (now Field of Study C).

During the six years I spent in undergraduate and graduate school, I devoted myself to everything I wanted to do—club activities, studies, and fun. My home was right in front of the Keio Athletic Association's Shimoda Ground, and I had often watched the women's field hockey club's games since I was a child. I was interested in the sport, thinking the uniforms were cute and the game looked fun. Coincidentally, on the day of my entrance ceremony, I was recruited by a member of the Athletic Association's field hockey club wearing the uniform. I joined with the casual thought that I'd like to wear that uniform, too. I was worried about joining an official university team with no prior hockey experience, but it turned out that all the other new members were also beginners. Even during tough practices, we would joke with each other, turning hardship into fun and spending our time filled with laughter. Field hockey taught me the importance of running with all my might until the ball is out of bounds, and I learned a "never give up, no matter what" spirit. I believe this spirit is still alive in my approach to work today.

In terms of academics, I have many memories of my friends helping me out. While many of my friends could understand ten things after hearing just one, I often struggled to keep up. After class, I would frequently have my friends explain the lecture content to me in the library. In high school, exams were based on a defined scope from the textbook. But in college, the material taught in lectures was the foundation, and exams required its application and our own ideas. This change made me realize the importance of discussions with friends, as memorization alone was not enough to pass. Before exams, there was an atmosphere of "let's get through this together," and we would study cheerfully in the library and classrooms. I still have dinner parties and catch up with the friends I made in college.

In the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, I studied a wide range of subjects, including statistics, programming, financial engineering, ergonomics, and laboratory work. I was particularly interested in statistics and ergonomics, and from my fourth year of undergraduate studies, I joined the Okada Laboratory, which specializes in human factors (ergonomics). During my fourth year and my two years in graduate school, I focused on human error, conducting research on the management of medical errors and how personality affects work characteristics. I have a vivid memory of my master's thesis for graduate school; I struggled to make progress, and Professor Okada worriedly asked if I was okay, but I managed to submit it after a desperate last-minute push just before the deadline.

After graduation, I joined JR East. My motivation for joining was the desire to apply the knowledge of human error and work characteristics I researched in the Okada Laboratory to my job, as well as the hope of using the statistics I learned in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering to create efficient train schedules.

I am now in my 18th year with the company and have been involved in a variety of roles, from front-line operations to planning department roles. For the first five years, I mainly experienced on-site work, including maintenance of Yamanote Line train cars, serving as a conductor on the Chuo-Sobu Line (Local), a train operator on the Yamanote Line, and a dispatcher in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area control center. After that, for about 10 years, I was involved in the training of train operators and conductors and in management duties when incidents and accidents caused by human error occurred.

Railways are systems that are largely protected by safety systems, but as long as humans are the ones operating these systems, human error, both large and small, will occur. When an incident happens, blaming the individual who made the error does not lead to a fundamental solution. Instead, we focus on the organizational structure and environment to identify and address underlying latent causes. This process of focusing on latent factors to find solutions is based on the way of thinking I cultivated in the Okada Laboratory. Furthermore, when conducting data analysis, I often have the opportunity to use the knowledge I gained as a student, and I truly feel that the subjects from the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering are extremely useful in the professional world.

Additionally, railways are a 24-hour operation, and we must respond to accidents and incidents at any time, day or night. The mental and physical stamina and the never-give-up spirit required to handle anything at any time are things that I developed in the field hockey club that have proven useful.

In fiscal year 2013, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study for one year at the Kiyoki Laboratory on Keio University's Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC). In the Kiyoki Laboratory, I conducted research on analyzing data from customers who used our stations and railways, including data acquired by sensors, to propose new services and added value. It had been eight years since I completed graduate school, so at first, I was very anxious about whether the students would accept me. However, the students in the lab welcomed me warmly, and I spent my campus life feeling as if I had returned to my early twenties. I feel that I was able to complete the entire process of theme selection, data collection, data analysis and implementation, and thesis writing within the limited time of one year because I had a foundation of knowledge in programming languages and statistics that I learned in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

Also, during my time at SFC, I had the experience of presenting at an international conference held in Indonesia. I received multifaceted advice from many professors and students. Although I was disappointed by my lack of English proficiency during my first presentation at an international conference, I was able to learn about the research of scholars from other countries, which was a very valuable learning experience.

My studies at the Shonan Fujisawa Campus led me to my current position in the Corporate Strategy and Innovation Headquarters. I collaborate with external companies and research institutions to conduct proof-of-concept experiments using JR East stations and other facilities as a field to test new technologies and services. In my current work as well, the knowledge I gained in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering is being applied in areas such as system architecture, data analysis, and user interface verification.

In my personal life, I am busy raising my two children, one in elementary school and one in preschool. Even when I feel stressed from work, my children's innocent smiles blow away my fatigue and bring me comfort. I often feel that there isn't enough time to balance housework, childcare, and work, but with the help of my husband and my parents, I am enjoying watching my children grow.

During my student years, I enjoyed my studies, club activities, and social life to the fullest. As I look back on this opportunity to contribute to "Jukuin Raiō,"

I have come to realize once again that Keio University is a school that embraces students' desires and allows them to take on challenges freely. It also has a culture that generously accepts failure. There is so much to be learned from failure. To all the students reading this column, I hope you will cherish your own desires and take on challenges without fear of failure.