Women

Women

Into an Age of
Women Spreading their Wings

Nagasaki University
Center for Diversity and Inclusion
1-14, Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki, 852-8521
TEL: +81-95-819-2889 / FAX: +81-95-819-2159
https://www.cdi.nagasaki-u.ac.jp

Nagasaki University
Women Researchers
Role Models VI

Contents

More freely and true to oneself
turning points in their careers, and advice fromIt gives me great pleasure to present“Nagasaki University Women Researchers:
senior researchers to their juniors. By gaining aRole Models VI” to you all.
glimpse into the way of life of women
researchers we have provided an opportunity
This is the sixth volume of the collectionof role models published by the Nagasaki
for readers to think about to how they would
University Center for Diversity andlike to see themselves in ten years’
Inclusion.
time, and it is our hope that we
can spread these messages inPrevious volumes have covered
an array of themes, and this newand beyond the university, andone will feature “the careers of
together give serious thought towomen researchers.”
what Nagasaki University should
be like and the future of Japan
Nagasaki University’s women
researchers are affiliated to 10
itself.
schools/faculties, seven graduate
In 2019 Nagasaki University
was selected to participate in theschools and a large number of
Ministry of Education, Culture,
specialist research institutions
Sports, Science and Technology(centers), at which they are(MEXT) “The Initiative for the
pursuing educational and research
Director,
Implementation of the Diverse
activities based on each of theirNagasaki University
Research Environment (Advanced
missions. The routes they have
Center for Diversity and InclusionType)”, and is providing
taken and their career paths vary
comprehensive support to women
greatly. We believe that readers ofProf. Yuri YOSHIDA
researchers. We hope to continue toRole Models VI will be able to gain
walk ahead hand-in-hand with nota real feeling about the fact that
only the researchers spoken to in this volume but
there is no single road to becoming a researcher.
all of the university’s women researchers.
In this volume we have made a specificeffort to ask women researchers about what
We hope that everybody will continue toprovide us with their views.
they have had to struggle with thus far, the1

How to approach troubled children
It s a matter of unravelling rather than questioning2

Knowing my own strengths and weaknesses,
and working with self-set rules

3Life has its ups and downs,
but all s well that ends well4

I don t give up on what I really want to do
Talking to students is one part of research

5

Taking her child to participate in academic meetings
Opportunities to show what the job of a researcher is

6With ideas outside of the box
Sincerity to own interests

7

Students are like cute eggs,
with enormous potential

8

Taking on a new position at full power,
an attitude that leads to a fresh awareness9

Shows nimble footwork to visit and listen to people
regardless of their specializations
or departments once motivatedProf. Narumi UCHINO

Assoc. Prof. Yuko AKAZAWA

Assoc. Prof. Eri SAKUDA

Assoc. Prof. Hee-Jin KIM

Assoc. Prof. Naomi TANOUE

Prof. Eri OHASHI

Assoc. Prof. Sunhee SUK

Prof. Mana MIYAKODA

10

Wants to choose researchthat the world will need in 20 years time

11

Creating chances to perform on the world stage
and seeing students happy faces as a motivation

12

Analyzing and clarifying the associations
between medical and drugs

13Your road will open up before you
if you keep on pursuing action

14

The pleasure of clinical practice iswhen I have completed a diﬃcult mission

Prof. Mariko NAITO

Prof. Chieko KONDOU

Prof. Xu YANG

Prof. Izumi SATO

Assoc. Prof. Keiko IWAMOTO

Role Models

Assoc. Prof. Yuri HASEGAWA

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Women

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Women Role Models

How to approach troubled children
It’s a matter of “unravelling”
rather than “questioning”

1
No.

Women
Role
Models2

Practicing school counsellingat the Graduate School of Education
where she works.
Prof. Narumi UCHINO, whose field of expertise isclinical psychology is a practitioner faculty member at
the Graduate School of Education.
The Graduate School of Education is a place forteachers who have experience of teaching in schools to
study again. As a specialist in clinical psychology forchildren I speak about the methodology theory of school
counselling and ways of being there for children.
What’s the secret of getting children to talk?
Clinical psychologists undergo training. We aretaught that rather than “question” children we shouldtake the approach of “hopefully they will talk,” andwithout putting pressure on them. If they don’t come tocounselling there is doubtless a significance or some
sorts of conflicting feelings behind that. So my work is todecide what to do next and “unravel” matters.
Little by little, speaking in a manner that’s notpushy, you’re a real professional.
A student asked me: “Professor, is this a‘technique?’” But I’ve always spoken like this, so I don’t
really know myself (laughs).

wondering what was happening to all the other childrenthat led me to become a school counsellor. My seniorcolleagues told me that I was the 17th clinicalpsychologist in Nagasaki Prefecture; they were allseasoned professionals. Also at that time I was told that
“This is a period of transition which will decide whether
or not clinical psychologists become established as aprofessional body, so please just take on work.” This is
why I worked as if I had an unquenchable thirst.
You still continue with your school counselling workat elementary, junior high and high schools. Do you
think that children have change over the past 20 years?
I don’t think they have intrinsically changed, butthey seem to be busier now. More children go to cramschools, and if they play computer games they don’t
have enough time. I have a feeling that they have lesstime to just sit and do nothing in particular. Having
enough time to do so, even to the extent of slightboredom, is actually important as it can provide themwith hints about how to sort out matters that havebecome muddled. If they’re too busy they rapidly reachthe conclusion “Oh, I’ve had enough!” These are things
that I feel at the present moment.
There is something persuasive in the words of aperson who has made observations from a fixed point.

The gravitas ofbeing just the 17th clinical psychologist
in Nagasaki Prefecture
20 years devoted to thirstily working

Prof.

Narumi UCHINO

Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (Education)

Graduated from the Graduate School of Education, Nagasaki University.
After serving as a school counsellor for the Nagasaki Prefectural Board of
Education, and then a consultant at the Nagasaki University Faculty of
Education’s General Teaching Practice Center, left for a new post at theGraduate School of Education (Department of Teacher Training andPractice)in 2008. She has held her current position since 2020.

UCHINOWhy did you choose this path?
I was studying at Nagasaki University to become anelementary school science teacher, when my teacher at
the time recommended that I studied at a
psychology-oriented graduate school. So while at thegraduate school I started to work as an assistant at a
special classroom attended by children who found it
difficult to go to school, and ended up being employed
there. In those days, there were about 300 suchelementary and junior high school children in Nagasaki
City, around 30 of whom attended the class. I was

Narumi

Little props that are useful in creating chances to talk withchildren. Apparently incorporating activities such as
throwing a dice to decide what theme to talk about makes it
easier to speak, and simple games can help to loosen up thechildren’s feelings.

3

Women Role Models

Knowing my own strengths
and weaknesses,
and working with self-set rules

2
No.

Women
Role
Models4

Assoc. Prof.

Yuko AKAZAWA
Atomic Bomb Disease Institute

Graduated from the School of Medicine, Nagasaki University. M.D.,
Ph.D. After working at the Nagasaki Municipal Hospital, the Omura
Municipal Hospital and the Nagasaki Municipal Chronic Disease
Center, she became a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic in the US.
Took up a position at Nagasaki University Hospital after returning toJapan in 2010, and has held her current post since 2019.

AKAZAWA

Conducting clinical practice,pathology and basic research to look at
diseases from a multilateral perspective
Assoc. Prof. AKAZAWA’ s field of expertise isnonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which has
become a problem in the US and Europe and more
recently in Japan.
As a result of lifestyle habits such as eating andobesity, fatty liver similar to that observed inalcohol-related liver disease can occur, and whenaccompanied by inflammation it can become the causesof liver cirrhosis and cancer. I had been working as aclinician in the Department of Gastroenterology andHepatology when, for three years from 2006 to 2009, I
had the opportunity to take part in basic research into
the liver at the Mayo Clinic’s laboratories in the US.
Bringing the experience to Japan, I have developed myown research project. When fatty acid comes into
contact with liver cells the cells start to die, thus
triggering inflammation; if the inflammation is
prolonged it leads to cirrhosis. My hope is that byinvestigating this feature at cellular and tissue level. I
hope my findings will applicable in medical treatment
and diagnosis.
So your work includes not only research but clinicalpractice?
Yes, my main work is in diagnostic pathology andbasic research, but once a week I hold outpatient
consultation. From the point of view of the disease it
doesn’t make any difference whether it is examined froma clinical perspective or a basic research perspective.
This is why I want to look at the disease from different
angles. I think: “This is where the patient is suffering, so
let’s find out the cause through cellular level
observation.” So I’m sort of going back and forth in aborderless state between clinical practice, diagnostic
pathology and basic research.”

Do something unrelated to work once a day,and aim to sleep eight hours a night
I’m interested various things and find it difficult todo the same thing all day long. I’m like one of thosefishes that dies if it stops moving! (laughs). If I reallyconcentrated on deepening my investigations on one
area, I might be more successful . But I feel that making
the most of my personality and collaborating withpeople from other laboratories is more suited to me. I
am a forgetful person, so I sometime miss important
things when I’m busy. I always tell my junior medicalcolleagues “I’ll probably forget, so keep remindingme!” It’s important to show your shortcomings to othersfrom the beginning.
How do you maintain your work-life balance when
you are so busy ?
I’m single, and I try to finish work by 8pm and do atleast one thing that is unrelated to my job. Last night I
raced off in my car to a yoga lesson. In the summer I go
swimming and snorkeling; being in the water helps me
to reset my mind. I also sleep for at least seven to eight
hours. If I don’t do so I can’t do intensive work likewriting academic papers.
Smartly dealing with your own traits is the “key” forworking women.

Assoc. Prof. AKAZAWA likes to go down to Isahaya when
the weather is good, and race along the embankment on her
bicycle. “Unlike in Nagasaki City there’s a long single roadthat goes on and on, and it’s really refreshing to cycle along.”

Yuko

5

Women Role Models

Life has its ups and downs,
but all’s well that ends well

3
No.

6

Women
Role
Models

Assoc. Prof.

Eri SAKUDA

Institute of Integrated Science and Technology (Engineering)
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. Completed the doctoral program, Departmentof Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University. Doctorof Science. After working concurrently as an assistant professor at theGraduate School of Science and Graduate School of Chemical Sciencesand Engineering, Hokkaido University, and a PRESTO researcher, joined
Nagasaki University in 2015, since when she has held her present post.

SAKUDA

Off to study abroad
despite just getting married
For women researchers, balancing research and life
events such as marriage and childbirth is always ananxious task, and they are constantly standing at a
crossroad. Assoc. Prof. Eri SAKUDA has packed thatrollercoaster ride in the space of three years. Her field ofexpertise is photochemistry.
My research is into the origins of light in organic
electro-luminescence, which is used in the display
screens of digital devices. If it is possible to createcompounds that give off light with small amounts ofelectromotive force it will lead to the development of
products that save energy and last a long time. It’s acase of just how far we can achieve lightness, thinnessand high-purity light. I am analyzing the process of lightemission at the electronic level.
This work led you to study overseas in Germany in2018.
Yes, I’d just got married but my overseas study at TU
Dortmund University had all been finalized. I had to ask
my husband “I’ve got to go straight after we getmarried, is that OK?”
Not the sort of question you want to be asked.
(laughs)
Age-wise I also wanted to have a child soon, but I
went to Germany first. I went under the JSPS programin which several professors go on a shift basis, staying
twice for a total of ten months. In the end I was able toperform some really enriching research.

earlier than the baby was due – my water broke on thenight before the day in which I had three meetingsplanned before starting my maternity leave, and in
between bouts of labor pains I had to hastily send emails
to people saying “I can’t make the meeting today….”
It must have been like walking a tightrope.
It’s not a thing that you can schedule (laughs), but
personally it was very interesting. Since then I’ve put
our child in a nursery school and through some mum
and dad teamwork I am managing to carry on. Our
daughter is nine months old now and quite a handful, so
I can’t do any work while she’s awake. As I basicallyprioritize the education of students when I am at theuniversity, I take home the writing of researchsummaries and literature to be made for lectures and doit while she’s asleep. Fortunately she’s a good sleeper.
On days when I’m more exhausted we sometimes justfall asleep together. It’s a tough challenge just to do thebare minimum, and for the time being it will be a battle
between me and my greed.
Assoc. Prof. SAKUDA’s great strength is her ability
to laugh off her worries, anxieties and risks with an“all’s well that ends well” attitude.

Organizing own schedule
after suddenly breaking waterand suffering labor pains
You came back to Japan in January 2020. I hear thatyou experienced pregnancy and childbirth in the midstof the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic.
It was a great help that online lessons had juststarted and I didn’t have to stand in the classroom. I justabout managed to get over morning sickness, but was
thrown into panic as the delivery date was three weeks

Eri

Assoc. Prof. SAKUDA and her nine-month-old daughter.
Will she make friend with the other mothers at theon-campus nursery school? “Just like me, all the mothers use
their maiden name but their children’s surnames are different
so I don’t know who is who!” (laughs). And that’s often thecase at a university nursery school.

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Women Role Models

I don’t give up on what I really want to do
Talking to students is one part of research

4
No.

8

Assoc. Prof.
Women
Role
ModelsHee-Jin KIM

Institute of Integrated Science and Technology (Fishery Science)
Born in Busan, South Korea. Graduated from Pukyong National University.
Worked as a research intern at the National Institute of Fisheries Science ofSouth Korea, and then graduated from the Department of Marine Scienceand Technology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nagasaki
University, receiving her doctorate in fisheries science. After working as a
postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Fisheries, Nagasaki University she
took up her present post at Nagasaki University in 2018.

KIM

Fascinated by the plankton
that sustain the wide oceansSouth Korea-born Assoc. Prof. Hee-Jin KIM cameto Japan in 2008 to pursue her doctorate degree at theGraduate School of Nagasaki University. Coming toJapan meant a decision to give up her position at a
research institute in South Korea.
I had been studying zooplankton in theundergraduate program at Pukyong National
University, but after my supervisor retired, and I shifted
my master’s specialization to crabs. I was also assigned
to be in charge of working on benthos at the National
Institute of Fisheries Science. But I really wanted to be
involved again in the study of plankton, which was why
I knocked on the door of Prof. Atsushi HAGIWARA, aworld authority on the subject.
Why were you so fascinated with plankton?
I’d loved the sea since I was a teenager. It isplankton, the food of marine creatures (particularly
juveniles) that protect and support the ecosystems ofmany of these creatures. Plankton support the vast
oceans with their tiny bodies. Unlike humans, plankton
are complex with some species that repeatedly undergo
bisexual reproduction and unisexual reproduction in aneffort to survive amidst changes in the environments.
They are courageous and charming, and the more one
studies them the more one is moved by them. In
Nagasaki, where aquaculture is widespread, thequestions is just how far plankton can be efficiently
increased as fish food. Elucidating the relationships
between plankton and multiple marine environmental
changes due to global warming, acidification andmicroplastics are also some of my research themes.

Munching on some tteokbokki
when feeling a little homesick
Culture experiments in which you manage several
little bottles and give the plankton food. What’s thedifficulty in this?
The food has to be given on a regular basis, so I

Hee-Jin

can’t take any time off. But when I’m in the lab thestudents come and ask me questions. These discussions
with students are really enjoyable, and I am made torealize certain new things that I hadn’t noticed; for me,
my conversation with students is part of my researchwork. As one would expect on a comprehensive
university, I find it very helpful to be able to use an
equipment form other faculties through online
application. I still use the School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences’ PCR system on an almost weekly basis, andthe expert technicians show me how to use theequipment which is broadening the horizons of myresearch.
Eleven years in Japan – don’t you ever miss Korea?
Yes I sometimes do. I get a desperate craving for
spicy food, and make it at home. When I’m stressed out
and feel like I can’t go on I secretly heat up sometteokbokki in the research lab’s microwave (laughs) torelieve my tension. The power of food is amazing.
Assoc. Prof. KIM smiles and says that she is glad of
not giving up on her dreams. Having a single-minded
approach is the perfect role model for the next
generation.

Assoc. Prof. KIM (center) and Prof. HAGIWARA (right) at theWorld Fisheries Congress that took place in her hometown ofBusan. She was awarded the Achievement Award for Young
Scientists in Fisheries Science by the Japanese Society for
Fisheries Science. “I was surprised to see researchers fromaround the world gathered at the Congress, talking with suchpassion on the single theme of rotifers, and I felt as though I
wanted to be in the midst of that. Being able to meet a rolemodel like Prof. HAGIWARA makes me think it wasworthwhile coming to Japan.”9

Women Role Models

Taking her child to participate
in academic meetings
Opportunities to show what the job of a researcher is

5
No.

10

Women
Role
Models

Assoc. Prof.

Naomi TANOUE

Institute of Biomedical Science (Dentistry)

Graduated from the School of Dentistry, Nagasaki University.
Joined Nagasaki University in a professional capacity in 1989,
since when she served as an assistant and lecturer at the Nagasaki
University Hospital of Dentistry, and since 2016 in her current post.

TANOUE

Development of new and useful instruments
for application in treatment
with the cooperation of medical doctors
and engineers
Affiliated to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry
and concurrently working on diagnosis, treatment andeducation at the Department of Special Care Dentistry,
Assoc. Prof. Naomi TANOUE is the holder of two
patents.
One is for a holder to depress the tongue towards thelarynx, which was completed with the help of the thendirector of the Center for Industrial Academic
Government Cooperation Strategy Headquarters
Tomoaki SAKATA, and Hideki HISADA, who is atechnical specialist at the School of Engineering. It won
the Gold Award in the Instruments Prizes conferred by
the Japan Society of Dental Equipment.
It represents a result of cooperation between
medical doctors and engineers.
Medical practitioners often think “it would be useful
if I had this sort of instrument,” but they don’t know how
to make it. If professionals collaborate well with eachother then I think that an array of inventions will bepossible in the future.
You pursued the field of prosthodontics for a longtime.
Prosthodontics is like carpentry work for the mouth,
with the creation of molds and insertion of false teeth orcrowns and so on. It’s a manufacturing job, so I suppose
I had an interest in tool-making. False teeth are an
essential part of maintaining the QOL of elderly people
in particular. New functions lead to dramatic changes; Ifeel a sense of having been useful to people when I see
them being able to eat things they couldn’t eat before.
Although cutting-edge techniques are important,treatments that have been around for a long time like
false teeth are particularly vital in community medicine.
I hope to continue my research based on the focal pointof dentistry that will help the sick, disabled and thoseundergoing treatment at home.

Naomi

The Articulating Paper Holder Equipped with Tongue
Depressor sold as a product by J. Morita Corp. “Before thiswas invented a dental assistant had to hold down the patient’s
tongue. Unfortunately the patent isn’t making me rich(laughs) but it is an essential instrument, particularly during
general anesthesia treatment. At least I have the personal
satisfaction of knowing that I needed it so I made it.”

There is an option to choose
You don’t need to give up overseas
experience nor childrearing
Assoc. Prof. TANOUE says that she had always
wanted to study overseas in order to refine her ability inthe themes of her work. But she put off the idea as she
couldn’t find time in the series of the life events ofmarriage and childbirth and so on.
I couldn’t really take that step when my child waslittle. So I wondered if it would be possible to take himwith me and earnestly searched for information about
overseas nursery schools, but meeting the conditions
was too tough. In the end, I left my four-year-old sonwith my husband and went to the UK for just one month.
It was only a short visit but I experienced enrichingresearch activities. After that, we started to go tooverseas academic meetings as a family, and my son
was able to see me make a presentation. He’s an adultnow, but as he appears to be interested in research. I
think that he learned through the natural course ofthings about the fact that the profession of research
exists.
It’s a real case of “like mother, like son.”11

Women Role Models

With ideas outside of the box
Sincerity to own interests

6
No.

12

Women
Role
ModelsProf.

Eri OHASHI
Center for Language Studies

Born and brought up in Nagasaki Prefecture, not far from Nagasaki University
itself. Completed a doctoral course at the Department of Literature, Rennes 2
University in France, earning a Diplôme National de Doctorat (National
Doctoral Degree). Took up a position at Nagasaki University in 2011 aftergaining positions at Kyushu University and Oita Prefectural College of Arts andCulture, and has held current post since 2013.

OHASHI

Dig deep into spasfrom a multilateral perspective,
and culture and literature bubble to the surface
Prof. Eri OHASHI of the Center for Language
Studies teaches French, one of the compulsory courses
offered to all students at Nagasaki University. Her fieldof expertise is French literature, but she has also
published research papers on the spas of Japan andEurope. What’s the connection between French
literature and spas?
I actually studied in France because I was doingsome research on the drafts of Gustave Flaubert, a 19th
century author. Flaubert is probably best known for
Madame Bovary. And he left behind numerous drafts sothat there’s no shortage of research material. Just when
I had received my doctorate and felt I had somebreathing space, I became interested in the fact thatmany authors of Flaubert’s period gathered at spas.
Ever since the days of the ancient Roman Empire hotspring water had been considered as a gift from theGods to heal sicknesses. Europe’s spas also served as
the stage for interaction between the nobility androyalty, and places transmitting culture. There aresimilarities in Japan, with Natsume Soseki setting
several novels in spas and Basho composing haiku insuch places. This is why I have spent the past few years
researching spas and literature. Compared to my
specialized research into Flaubert all sorts of countries
and authors appear in spas, and it is great fun.
The scope of your research broadened quite
naturally.
I would like students to understand more about theculture of linguistic regions other than just English. It
will help them appreciate the fact that the “common
sense” of Japan is not that of the rest of the world. For
example, there are many people in Japan with nointerest in politics, but in France even high school
students express their political wills and participate indemonstrations. The awareness that “politics is

Eri

Starting with studies on Flaubert, Prof. OHASHI’s researchroom is absolutely packed with books. “I’ve been a bookworm since I was in nursery school. After I retire I want towork somewhere close to books, like a library.”something that you change yourself” has permeateditself as one would expect in the nation of the French
Revolution.
There are many students who first encounter French
culture through Prof. OHASHI, and she has connections
with the students of the School of Medicine wishing to
be involved in healthcare in Africa, where the official
language of many nations is French.

Making a point of tackling themesthat feel a little difficult
Do you have a message for the next generation
aiming to become researchers?
I just want them to try to go overseas. Even if they
are not recognized in Japan, going to international
academic meetings leads to personal encounters, andthe inspiration of new ideas. Another thing is that you
had better set your hurdles slightly higher. In just thesame way that world record in sports are broken over a
few years the world is changing at a rapid pace, so I’dlike students to take on challenges that look as though
they may be unattainable; this is something that they
can do because they are young. However, be carefulwith your mental health. I strongly suggest maintaining
a network of people with similar sets of values such as
senior and junior university friends.
This is an adage you might expect from Prof.
OHASHI, who has the experience of immersing herself
in overseas research.

13

Women Role Models

Students are like cute eggs,
with enormous potential

7
No.

Women
Role
Models14

Assoc. Prof.

Sunhee SUK

Institute of Integrated Science and Technology (Environmental Science)
Born in South Korea. Graduated from the Graduate School of Economics,
Kyoto University. Doctor of Economics. After working at the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific andthen the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), she joined
Nagasaki University in 2019, since when she has held her present post.

SUK

From environmental engineering toenvironmental economics
A person putting into practicethe integration of arts and sciences
Assoc. Prof. Sunhee SUK first arrived in Japan fromSouth Korea on an overseas student exchange programin 2005. She subsequently gained her master’s degreeand doctorate from a Japanese university, and built up
her career at a government thinktank.
At the Ministry of the Environment-affiliated IGES,
I was involved in climate change policy andcollaborative projects between Japan, China and South
Korea. My grounding was in environmental
engineering, but when I was working for the United
Nations I conducted analyses on the impacts of social
investments on water infrastructure and economics. I
realized that what is important for the environment is
not just engineering technologies but also an economic
approach, therefore I studied environmental economics.
This is why I hold in high regard the integration of artsand sciences at the Faculty of Environmental Science.
Your area of expertise is carbon pricing, a phrase wehear a lot about recently.
The idea is to attach a price to carbon dioxide (agreenhouse gas) and make the people emitting it pay forthe emissions; so in a way it’s the same as charging
customers for plastic bags at cash registers in shops. By
introducing this system in Japan, China and South Korea,
a market for carbon trading will be created, and I am
analyzing its medium-to-long-term impact in this area.

I learned a new word the other day – “egui”[meaning “gross” in English]. “I’ve never heard thatword. What’s that?” I asked, and the students said “Itexpresses a situation worse than ‘yabai’ [meaning“risky” in English] but you shouldn’t use it!” (laughs)
Talking to students is great fun.
The walls of your research office are covered withposters of students from seminars
I’m currently mentoring four masters and doctoral
students, and they are all really exceptional. I’m
Korean, they’re Chinese, and we’re at a Japanese
university. That’s why I’m looking for joint projects
between China, Japan and Korea. I also feel a
responsibility towards them as they will one day become
my colleagues.
Assoc. Prof. SUK casts a kind gaze over her doctoral
students as “cute eggs.”
Having research occupation is wonderful as itallows you to specialize in an area in which you can dig
as deep as you like. Nonetheless, I did go through a dark
period, and I felt I couldn’t do anything compared withothers, which was discouraging. At that time a friend
advised me to stick resolutely to my work and see itthrough to the end, and that if I did so I would start tosee results, objectively. I want to tell my students, who
may be going through similar anxieties, that “you’ll befine.”
Students who can spend their time in the company ofan educator such as Assoc. Prof. SUK are indeed
fortunate.

Feeling discouraged is aninevitable part of research,
but “don’t worry, everything will be OK!”
Now in her third year since joining Nagasaki
University.
I had previously worked almost entirely with people
older than me, so at first I spoke to the students using theformal form of address. This surprised the students, who
said “being addressed like that by a teacher makes us
feel uncomfortable.” (laughs)

SunheeAt an international exchange event held by the Faculty ofEnvironmental Science. International students from the US’s
UC Berkeley and Taiwan, and Japanese students gathered.
Assoc. Prof. SUK is surrounded by a line of students with atruly international flavor.

15

Women Role Models

Taking on a new position at full power,
an attitude that leads to a fresh awareness

8
No.

Women
Role
Models16

Prof.

Mana MIYAKODA

Institute of Biomedical Sciences (Pharmaceutical Sciences)

Born and brought up in Yonago City, Tottori Prefecture. Completed the doctoral course, Graduate
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki University. Doctor of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Studied overseas at the Wistar Institute in the US. From 2004 she served as a postdoctoral
researcher and then an assistant professor at Division of Immunology, Infection Research,
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, and since 2018 has been a professor
at the Research and Education Center for Drug Fostering and Evolution, School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, and Department of Clinical Research Pharmacy, Nagasaki University.

MIYAKODA

Scurrying around through each daywith a meticulously planned schedule
In the morning Prof. Mana MIYAKODA instructs
students in their graduation research at the Bunkyo
Campus. Then at the Nagasaki University Hospital she
has the boxed lunch she buys on the way to the hospital,and spends the afternoon on training at the hospital orsometimes checking animal experiments at the
Sakamoto Campus. She then goes back to the Bunkyo
Campus and attends meetings or teaches. This is an“average day” for Prof. MIYAKODA. That’s quite abusy schedule!
I’m always rushing about. I sometimes conductatrial fibrillation screening events with my students at
commercial facilities. The pharmacists of the future will
be required to enthusiastically involve themselves inpreventative medicine in the community.
With the rising demand for masks in the midst of the
COVID-19 pandemic, the research results you
announced about the masks’ prevention capability
against droplet infection caused a stir in the media.
We artificially generated aerosols using a nebulizer,
and by each type of mask material we measured thenumber of aerosols by size. We discovered that when
polyurethane masks are used both large and small
aerosols burst out and diffuse providing hardly any
protection, compared to the non-woven fabric masksthat provide almost 100% shielding. Around the sametime, the university began encouraging the use of
non-woven masks.

radiation biology. Fourteen years after I switched my
specialization to infection immunology I heard the
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences was looking for aprofessor dedicated to pharmacist education anddecided to take on that challenge; so my work is now
based on the twin pillars of pharmacist education andinfection immunology research. When you have a family
you can’t just choose jobs according to your own
circumstances. I thought that abandoning the results I
have previously built up and starting again from zero
was a waste, but eventually came to realize that being
involved in immunology while also having a knowledgeof radiation biology was actually my strength.
Immunology studies the relationships between cells.
Radiology is about what is inside cells, so there is a link
between the two fields.
Having several careers is certainly an aspect of yourindividuality. How do to balance work and home life?
I really, really relegate housework (laughs); I don’t
do the laundry until there’s nothing left to wear andrealize “Oh no! I haven’t got any socks!” (laughs).
Obtaining a balance is an urgent issue but I switch backand forth from periods of “I can’t go on” feelings of
exhaustion and “Hey, you can really do this if you try.”
I will shortly be taking charge of new lectures in clinicalpharmacy and am up to my eyes with preparing for this.
But looking back on my experience so far, I have always
exerted every ounce of strength when new positions
come along; right now is a period of transformation.
That career is also serving as a mental support forProf. MIYAKODA.

Knowing about this and that is a strengththat makes up for not being able to say“this is my field off expertise”
The career of Prof. MIYAKODA, who devotes
herself to rearing the next generation of pharmacists,
has had its ups and downs.
I don’t really have what could be described as a fieldof expertise. I majored in radiation biology at Nagasaki
University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, andthen went to study overseas. After marrying and comingback to Nagasaki there were no available posts in

Mana

Prof. MIYAKODA’s schedule on her smartphone. The different
colored periods show a packed schedule.

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Women Role Models

Shows nimble footwork to visit and listen to people
regardless of their specializations or
departments once motivated

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No.

Women
Role
Models18

Analyzing at a genetic level the actually
scary bad bacteria in the mouth
Strokes and cancer can be cited as causes of death,but in many cases the final decisive factor is pneumonia
caused by bacteria. This is the bacteria that is said to be
the cause of pyorrhea. If the mouth is kept clean people’s
life spans are definitely extended.
The field of expertise of Prof. NAITO, who starts off
with this chilling fact, is microbiology and oral
infection.
The fact that in times of disaster a great many
victims at evacuation centers die of pneumonia has
become an issue. So in recent years dentists have been
promptly visiting evacuation centers and improving thestate of evacuee’s oral hygiene. My work is research into
the basis of this knowledge. By investigating all thegenes of oral bad bacteria the special characteristics ofit emerge.
The notebooks packed into Prof. NAITO’s
bookshelves are a database of 30 years’ work.
The influence of a researcher’s first teachers ishuge. In my case, the teachers I worked under as an
assistant professor were extremely strict. They would
check my notebooks and say “Don’t ask again aboutsomething you’ve been taught once.” I felt a sense oftension every day, but it’s thanks to them that I got towhere I am today.

An unexpected research result leads tomore interests in other fields.

Prof.

Mariko NAITO

Institute of Biomedical Science (Dentistry)

Graduated from the School of Dentistry, Nagasaki University. From1992 served as an assistant professor and later associate professor in the
Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, School of Dentistry,
Nagasaki University. Has held her current post since 2019.

NAITO

Nagasaki University, which has an Institute ofTropical Medicine, holds a special significance to Prof.
NAITO
Nagasaki University is unique in Japan in that it has
so many infection researchers that their expertise cancovers virtually every pathogen. It’s a fantastic place.
There’s always a link forward: “If it’s this field, I can
ask this professor.” In my case, when I make an unusual
discovery I want to see what lies beyond it and rapidly
knock on the doors of other fields, in an incessantly

MarikoProf. NAITO’s experimental record notebooks, all written in
English. However, at high school English was her weak subject
and she still claims to be bad at it even now. “I understandtechnical terms, but my English conversation skills are
non-existent. I’m trying to read the Lord of the Rings, but I
never even get outside of Hobbiton.” she laughs.

spreading manner. I have received instruction in peptide
synthesis from a professor in the School of Engineering.
If researchers can properly explain themselves they
won’t be given the cold shoulder. And of course if I am
asked something I comply without any fuss about loss
and gain.
Once you become a professor you are inundatedwith meetings – doesn’t this hamper your research
efforts?
Research is a habit for me; stopping research ismore stressful than continuing. However,microbiological experiments are fairly easy tocoordinate. Forgetting to feed microorganisms for one
day doesn’t make them angry, unlike mice that I haveforgotten to feed (laughs). Moreover, meetings havebecome online as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,
and time losses can be kept to a minimum. I’m a little
scared about what will happen if Covid-19 actually diesout (laughs).
As she owes much to many other professors, Prof.
NAITO gladly laughs as she describes using her time on
students as a way of repaying her former mentors. She isan out and out researcher.

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Women Role Models

Wants to choose researchthat the world will need in 20 years’ time

Dividing work beyond national borders
to find that certain substanceProf. Chieko KONDOU’s field of expertise is thechlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in air conditioners
and refrigerators
CFCs were previously said to be a cause of ozone
layer depletion, and the substances used to replace them
are now said to exert an adverse impact on thegreenhouse effect. This is why I am searching formaterials that are planet-friendly and have high safetylevels. It looks as though such materials will soon be
found but the regulator standards pursuant to COP26
are very stringent and it is proving to be a difficult task.
There is a limit to what one nation can do on its own, so
several countries have joined together and the divisionof work is progressing on the lines of “we’ll do themeasurements so you create the calculations program.”
Doing what nobody else does is enjoyable.

Doesn’t build up stress
Secures adequate sleeping time

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No.

Women
Role
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20

Prof.

Chieko KONDOU
that the world will need in 20 years’ time

Born and brought up in Osaka. Completed the master’s program, Department of MechanicalEngineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Doshisha University. After working at Hitachi
Appliances, Inc. (formerly Hitachi Air Conditioning Systems Co., Ltd.) she completed thedoctoral program, Department of Energy and Environmental Engineering, the Interdisciplinary
Graduate School of Engineering Sciences (IGSES), Kyushu University. Following a spell ofoverseas study at the University of Illinois in 2009 she worked as a research assistant professor
at a graduate school in Kyushu University, and then took up a position at Nagasaki University
in 2015. Has held current post since 2019.

KONDOU

Following this career path resulted from the single
word of a second-grade junior high school teacher.
The teacher told me “In terms of economic theory ofprobability, there is a statistical tendency for an
economic depression to come when you students will
start to work.” Surprised and feeling the need to learn a
trade, I decided that I was more suited to machines thanliving organisms.
As her teacher had predicted, in the midst of what is
known in Japan as the “employment ice age” Prof.
KONODU found employment at Hitachi. Posted to thedevelopment division, she was hand-picked to serve on
the joint research staff with Kyushu University.
I went back and forwards between the university and
Hitachi, glared at by my senior colleagues as I didn’t
answer the phone like new employees are supposed to(laughs).
Prof. KONDOU then went on to follow the path of afully-fledged researcher.

ChiekoA machine that measures surface tension when pressure isapplied to liquids. It reveals the characteristics of liquids.
Conducting experiments and making measurements withstudents is an enjoyable time for Prof. KONDOU. “The students
are nearly all mischievous boys. Just because it’s mechanicalengineering doesn’t mean it’s hard physical labor (laughs). I
really hope that I am joined by more female students.”

I’m not married, and suppose I haven’t had the timeas I’ve been dedicated to my research. There were times
when I spent half the month on business trips and didn’t
go home. Now I’m leading a more human life (laughs),
and make a point of being sure to find enough time tosleep. It could be “dangerous” if I became unable tosleep, so I don’t let stress build up (laughs).
At what sort of times do you feel stress?
Mainly due to personal relationships. The world of
mechanical engineering is overwhelmingly male so there
is some unrealized sexual harassment. For example,
when I went to dinner on a business once the topic cameup that “Prostitution is a job that’s been around sinceancient times so it’s odd that it’s considered bad.”Did you feel too awkward to say “that’s sexual
harassment?”
I’ve seen plenty of cases of people being cut off fromwork for pointing out things like that. But not overseas.
I think it’s proof of the immaturity of Japanese culture.
Have you undergone any changes since becoming aprofessor?
Yes, for example I’ve started to realize that myweapon is the way I try to do research that will be
required in the world in 20 years’ time, research thatdefinitely has to be done regardless of whether it gets
any funding or not. I never thought like that when I wasworking under other people; it’s something that I thinkhas changed since I became a professor.
It’s vital to change your perspective and look at the
future from a researcher’s viewpoint.

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Women Role Models

Creating chances to perform on the world stage
and seeing students’happy faces as a motivation

11
No.

Women
Role
Models22Prof.

Xu YANG

Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (Economics)
Born and brought up in China. Graduated from Kyushu
University (Graduate School of Law and Faculty of Law).
Doctor of Laws. Joined Nagasaki University in 2012 after spells
at a certified public tax accountant office, Shimonoseki City
University, and Kyushu Kyoritsu University. Has held hercurrent job title since 2011.

YANG

Work encompasses
overseas exchange projects
and corporate environmental problems
The Faculty of Economics concluded an exchange
agreement with the Southwestern University of Financeand Economics (SWUFE) in Chengdu, China and has adouble degree system in place. It was Prof. Xu YANG
whose efforts led to the conclusion of the agreement.
The procedural work was really difficult, but we willreach the tenth year of the agreement in 2022. SWUFE isa famous university in the finance world, and some of its
students take up employment at the People’s Bank of
China and the Ministry of Finance of China. The waythat such excellent Chinese students come to study with
us in Nagasaki is helpful in creating a future network
between China and Japan. In addition, we takeshort-term exchange students from Japan to Chengdu
each year, and they experience university tuition andtraining at banks and corporations. These opportunities
have led the Japanese students to study overseas,
spreading their wings and performing on the world stage.
Prof. YANG’s fields of expertise are financial
accounting and Company Act accounting, and over the
past three years she has received a grant and pursued thetheme of environmental accounting.
The SDGs are a closely-watched concept, but it isdifficult to engage in environmental problems on acompany unit basis. The key point in sustaining
businesses is efficiency in manufacturing, and I am
researching the costs of manufactured goods andrecycling from an accounting perspective. If a model
applicable to Japanese corporations becomes approved
it could serve as the first step in changing the world.

Still helps out at a certified public
tax accountant office
What is the real reason for this?
Prof. YANG was born and brought up in the Chinesecity of Shenyang. After coming to Japan, she was
employed by a certified public tax accountant officewhile she attended the Graduate School, and is a hard
worker who obtained a doctorate.

XU

During the short-term training in Chengdu. “This is a phototaken when we visited a bank that had introduced AI. We also
went to see pandas and eat at the student cafeterias.
True-to-life exchanges serve as opportunities to make thestudents aware of the outside world.”

I worked hard to get the course credits I needed in
six months, concentrating my classes into one day a
week while on the other four days I worked at the tax
accountant office and spent my weekends writing
research papers. It was hectic but also had a synergistic
effect that enabled me to also obtain my tax accountant
license. I actually still help out at the tax account officefrom time to time, obviously without being paid(laughs). I incorporate in my teaching the latest
practices resulting from the ever-changing Companies
Act, tax acts and other laws. The students would get
sleepy if I just went on about theory (laughs). I hope tostir up the interests of students and link it in with volitionon their part to obtain qualifications; my connections
with the tax accountant office are useful in theirjob-searching activities.
Apparently some of those who she teaches alsocome to the “students-first” Prof. YANG to discuss
personal matters.
They tell me about anxieties that they can’t talk about
with their parents, and I sometimes worry over things
together with them. When they come to greet me with
their parents at the graduation ceremony I feel really
happy and glad that I have continued with this job.
What would you like to say to your juniorresearchers now?
Don’t give up on your own targets. If you areambitious you will overcome difficulties.

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Women Role Models

Analyzing and clarif ying the associations
between medical and drugs

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No.

Women
Role
Models24

Prof.

Izumi SATO

Institute of Biomedical Sciences (Medicine)
Doctor of Health Sciences, Master of Public Health, pharmacist. After completing her doctoral
course at the Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, she served as a seniorresearcher at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, then from 2015 to 2021 as aprogram-specific assistant professor and program-specific senior lecturer at the Graduate Schoolof Medicine, Kyoto University. From 2016 to 2020 she simultaneously worked as a researcher at
the Keihanshin Consortium for Fostering the Next Generation of Global Leaders in Research(K-CONNEX), then as a visiting scholar at Rutgers University in the US from 2018 to 2019.
Joined Nagasaki University in March 2021 since when she has held her current post.

SATO

Japan still lagging behind in the use of
medical information databases
Prof. Izumi SATO’s fields of expertise are clinicalepidemiology and pharmacoepidemiology. Do you use
the recently topical big data?
Yes, there is a massive amount of data in the medicalcare field including electronic health records, medical
fee receipts (claims data) and examination results, andrecently progress is being made in turning these into a
database. I use these medical databases (DBs) to
examine the state of use of medications, in epidemiology
of diseases, and the associations between medications
and diseases. One of the targets of my research isclinical epidemiology issues, so the scope is wide and
I’m implementing joint research in collaboration withresearchers in many fields. I personally put lot of effort
into palliative care in cancers and heart failure, andhealth issues surrounding elderly people, many of whom
have comorbidities and use concomitant drugs.
Furthermore, since there are problems about whether
the names of diseases entered are valid when using DBs,
this year I am thinking about returning to my research
into the validation study of disease names.
These are all issues that are close to home, but is thesituation overseas different to Japan?
Compared to Europe and America, South Korea,
Taiwan and so on, the constriction of DBs in Japan islagging behind and there is a shortage of humanresources working in this field. However, in recent years
there has been a sharp rise in the construction of DBs
and the fostering of human resources, so I feel that theiruse is accelerating.

Unidentified infections become visible
if you illustrate with numbers¥
Prof. SATO just joined Nagasaki University in thespring of 2021.
I joined the University in the midst of the Covid-19
pandemic, so I’m still not very familiar with the
University. I heard that Nagasaki is full of hills andsteps so I didn’t bring my beloved road bike.

Izumi

During Prof. SATO’s stay on the overseas research program at
Rutgers University. “This is a photo of me with students
wearing their national costumes to commemorate theUniversity’s Charter Day. Rutgers is a famous university, theeight-oldest in the US. I’m told I have a sharp tongue in Japanbecause I speak my mind, but in the self-assertive US I felt likethe archetypal reserved Japanese (laughs).

You must have felt some anxiety about coming to aplace you didn’t know on top of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When Covid-19 first broke out I experienced thesame sense of fear as many people did. Then I
remembered that I was an epidemiologist (laughs). I
started to check each day for information on Covid-19
not in the news but in the academic papers in top
scientific journals, and evaluated it from an academic
and objective viewpoint. Thanks to that I was able toregain my calm. What I kept thinking about during thatprocess was, compared to Japan, how vastly different
are the capabilities and research environment ofEuropean and American researchers. With regard to
new infections, in countries that make full use of DBs to
rapidly ascertain the situation, identify problems andcreate and evaluate hypotheses, and in countries where
this does not take place, subsequent developments differ.
Prof. SATO hopes in the future to connect with otherresearchers and doctors and carry out research only
possible in Nagasaki.
I hope that by appearing in this publication I will see
further opportunities for encountering other academics…
Of course! Just wait and see!

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Women Role Models

Your road will open up before you
if you keep on pursuing action

13
No.

Women
Role
Models26

Assoc. Prof.

Keiko IWAMOTO

Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (Global Humanities and Social Sciences)
Born and brought up in Sakai City, Osaka. Completed the master's program, Graduate Schoolof Letters, Kyoto University. Served as a guest researcher in the Faculty of Letters, Istanbul
University in Turkey, from 2010 to 2012. Withdrew with research guidance approval from thedoctoral program, West-Asian History, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University in 2013.
Received Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities (Graduate School of Kyoto University) in 2015.
After working as a JSPS research fellow (PD), at the Research Institute for Languages andCultures of Asia and Africa (ILCAA), Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and as a JSPS
overseas research fellow, joined Nagasaki University in 2020 when she had her current post.

IWAMOTO

Historical investigation of
nomadic people in the Ottoman Empire
Here we introduce readers to a typical teacher at the
School of Global Humanities and Social Sciences.
Assoc. Prof. Keiko IWAMOTO's research field is the
lives of the nomadic people in the Ottoman Empire thatspread across parts of Europe, Asia and Africa, mainly
focusing on contemporary Turkey. She has stayed in
Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, and conducted myresearch for many years.
I decipher old handwritten Turkish documents, andinvestigate the societies of the nomadic people in the
Ottoman Empire from the 16th to 18th century. I
encountered the mysterious Arabic script I had neverseen before when I was a high school student, andMiddle Eastern cultures and history enchanted me.
Because of this experience, I decided to study the historyof the Middle East at university. I learned Arabic,
Persian, and Turkish at the same time. Of these, I felt
more affinity for Turkish. Many archives, libraries, andmuseums in Turkey have precise numerical records of
population, agricultural produce, and livestock used to
calculate tax in the Ottoman Empire. As these enable
research into nomadic people's lives and societies,
whose records are not ordinarily kept in otherpre-modern states, I made this my research theme.
The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred while
you were staying in Turkey.
All the images I saw in Turkey were of the tsunami,
and Turkish people thought that the whole of Japan had
been swallowed by the tsunami waves and rendereduninhabitable and radioactive contaminated zone by
Fukushima nuclear disaster. My Turkish friends werereally worried for me, but I stayed in Turkey andfinished my overseas studies as planned.

There are people who are put
at a disadvantage in any system
Can you give us some advice for the next generationof women researchers?
It takes many years to find a stable academic post,

Keiko

From my research fieldnote, This is a photo of visiting Western
Turkey to see the camel wrestling that has been part of the local
culture in 2019. "It was fascinating to see as I had only known
about it from the historical sources. Encountering cultureson-site is a precious experience. The event has been canceled
due to Covid-19 for a few years, so I am glad to get my chance
to see it while I could."

which is a harsh reality for academicians or
researchers. Today, however, we find a larger variety of
support systems and aids than before. You should gather
information about them and use whichever you can. An
increasing number of universities like Nagasaki
University are setting numerical targets and providing
all sorts of empowerment treatment for women
researchers to increase the number of women
researchers. Nonetheless, there are still some men in mygeneration grumbling to me, "Ms. Iwamoto just got
employed through the female quota. We're losing ourposts to the women." I know who spoke ill of me behindthe back. (laughs). I feel like talking back, "You guys
have had a nice time up until now owing to your malequota!'" but it would end as a mud-slinging match(laughs). I'm single, so I lose out on the preferential
treatment for parenting and child care support. In otherwords, new systems always bring someone at a
disadvantage, but if you put yourself in other people's
shoes, I guess we're all the same. Nothing will change if
you don't do anything; the point is not to let things
bother you. And it would be best if you were persistentbecause the doorway to research funding is narrow.
Assoc. Prof. IWAMOTO has managed to get by so
far without entering into academic cliques and relying
on herself. Her comment, "In overseas activities, having
connections with other people gives many chances,"
was memorable for her sense of having worked inacademic fields.

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Women Role Models

The pleasure of clinical practice iswhen I have completed a difficult mission

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No.

Women
Role
Models28

Assoc. Prof.

Yuri HASEGAWA

Nagasaki University Hospital (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology)
Born and brought up in Tokyo. Graduated from the Department of Medicine,National Defense Medical College. Became a medical officer at the National
Defense Medical College Hospital in 2001, and spent a spell on domestic study
at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagasaki University in 2010.
Joined Nagasaki University Hospital in November 2011, and has held hercurrent post since 2020.

HASEGAWAA free-spirited obstetrician/gynecologist
with an unconventional background

Becoming a superwoman isa case of one achievement after another

A former obstetrician/gynecologist who worked for
11 years as a Ground Self-Defense Force official at the
National Defense Medical College. That’s theunconventional background of Assoc. Prof. Yuri
HASEGAWA.
My field of expertise is perinatal care, and myresearch focuses on the placenta. I came to Nagasaki
having been told by my former boss that there weresome amazing professors at Nagasaki University and I
should listen to what they had to say. The placenta is anorgan that is discarded after birth, but it is also a
treasure trove of a research material packed withinformation on the mother and child. The Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology at Nagasaki University has
a long-running history of interaction with the Atomic
Bomb Disease Institute, and a special feature of it is theexcellent teamwork between clinicians and basic
researchers. In addition, it’s an open-minded universitythat gives new participants like me research themes tofollow. This is actually quite an extraordinary thing. I
work in cooperation with the basic research professors
from a clinical standpoint.
Isn’t it hard work at a university hospital where
there is a concentration of so-called “difficult births?”
The hospital was designated as a comprehensive
perinatal medical center two years ago, and the rangeof patients treated has widened. For me personallyclinical practice is a great pleasure. The joy I feel whena difficult pregnancy that could not be dealt withanywhere else ends in successful childbirth, and thesaving of mothers’ live is a feeling I would not exchange
for anything. What’s great about maternity is being able
to say “Congratulations, please come again.”
Nonetheless, when there is a pregnancy I’m worried
about it sometimes appears to me in dreams I suppose
I’m worrying on a subconscious level.

Please urge on our junior medical practitioners.
I’m single and have no children so I’ve always gone
about my work in a free-spirited way and I don’t think I
can serve as a role model for anyone. But there are those
who have children or are caring for others; each andevery one has their own restrictions but I really hopethat they carry on working even if they are just scraping
along. I often hear from people who are nervous about
going back to the clinical practice field after maternity
and child-rearing leave. At the Department of Obstetrics
and Gynecology there are plenty of splendid female
doctors who have both children and careers. The
younger doctors may see these people as“superwomen” but they are just building up theirexperiences. I would like them to think “I can become
like that too.”
How does the free-spirited Assoc. Prof HASEGAWA
spend her time off?
I go mountain climbing. In the summer I go on myown, and in the winter I go up snowbound mountains
with a guide. In the huts near the peaks I spread out amap while listening to information from others and think“I’ll try climbing this one next.” I climb mountains witha sense of being attracted to them.

Yuri

After traversing the route from Mt. Nishihotaka to the
Gendarme and thence to Mt. Okuhotaka in 2017. She’sinterested in photography now, and takes an SLR camera withher. “I wanted to record the views of the beautiful mountains,and ended up finally buying a camera (laughs), though I ought
to be thinking about how to make my luggage lighter.”