HIROSHIMA UNIVERSITY UPDATE
October 2017
News
The lecture meeting of Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General High
Representative for Department Affairs United Nations was held
On August 6, 2017, Hiroshima University invited
Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, the first Japanese woman
to work as an Under-Secretary-General High
Representative for Department Affairs United
Nations taking her position since this May, andheld a lecture meeting at the Higashi-Senda
Innovative Research Center.
A total of 220 people, including faculty andadministrative members, students, and local
citizens, participated in Ms. Nakamitsu’s lecture
titled, “Challenges for Disarmament in 21
century”.
Before the lecture, President Mitsuo Ochi greeted,“Hiroshima University contributes to create apeaceful and an international society. I hope
today’s lecture meeting will be a chance to think
about what we can do together for disarmament
and world peace.”
In the beginning of the lecture, Ms. Nakamitsu
spoke to the young generation of the 21st century
to make the lecture a chance for them to think
what they can do.
Afterwards, she talked about the “Treaty on theProhibition of Nuclear Weapons”, a treaty toprohibit the development or the possessing of
nuclear weapons, adopted in the United Nation

this July and said, “The United Nation is trying tofind challenges that go with both the nuclear
power nation and the non- nuclear power nation
so that the gap between these countries won’t getbigger.”
She talked about disarmament of Weapons ofMass Destruction（WMD） in terms of both
nuclear and non-nuclear weapons, as on Arms
Trade Treaty（ATT）, Cyber and AI technologies,
urging overall understanding towards security
and disarmament while sharing her ideas about
the expected, possible, and emerging roles of theUnited Nations.
In the questions and answers, university students
and the high school students asked various
questions about peace education, passing on thememories of war, and helping the conflict areas.
Ms. Nakamitsu used all of the time provided andanswered each of the questions.
In the end President Ochi gave Ms. Nakamitsu athank you letter and a gift and closed the lecturewith a big round of applause.
The original article:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/41267

Chinese Consul General in Osaka, Mr. Li Tianran, Visits HU
HU is committed to expanding its student andacademic exchange activities with universities in
China.
In this spirit, July 11 saw a delegation from the
Chinese Consulate-General in Osaka, led by
Consul General Mr. Li Tianran, visit HU’s
Higashi-Hiroshima Campus, where they had
meetings with President Mitsuo Ochi and
Executive and Vice President Toshiyuki Sato.
An active discussion on human resource
development in the era of globalization took

place, with particular emphasis on how to train
the next generation to face future challenges headon - and how universities can play their part in
this.
There are currently around 800 students from
China studying at HU, many of whom took partin an informal gathering held for the visiting
dignitaries.
The original article:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/40799

Conclusion of Inter-university agreement with National Autonomous
University of Mexico (UNAM)
Hiroshima University (HU) and National
Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) havebeen collaborating on entrepreneurship education
since the end of last year, which resulted in the
talk about the possibility of concluding an interuniversity agreement. Many consultations
between the two parties followed, and eventually,on 31st August 2017, a signing ceremony for theagreement was held. From the UNAM, Prof. Ken
Oyama, Vice President (International
Development) attended on behalf of the President
and Prof. Takashi Takata, Executive & Vice
President, attended as a representative of HU.
At the ceremony, both sides agreed to promotestudent exchanges. Another proposal includes ajoint seminar on specific themes. The newpartners will start a detailed discussion on these
initiatives.
During their visit, Prof. T. Takada, Executive &Vice President and Prof. N. Hirami, Global
Innovation Division Head of Center for
Collaborative Research and Community

Cooperation (HU) met with Prof. Juan ManuelRomero, Vice President of UNAM (in charge ofinnovation and technology transfer), and Ms.
Jessica Asai. They exchanged opinions on
potential collaboration regarding industryacademia collaboration and entrepreneurshipeducation.
The original article:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/41713

Recent Topics
INU Student Seminar and Master’s Summer School on“Global Citizenship & Peace” 2017

From Aug 4 to Aug 12, the International
Network of Universities (INU) Student Seminarand the INU Master’s Summer School, which
provide a forum for students to discuss topics
on “Global Citizenship and Peace” (GCP), were
held at Hiroshima University. This year 11 INU
member universities from 10 countries sent 67
students and 10 faculty members/staff for theStudents Seminar and 11 students and 2 faculty
members to the Master’s event.
The participants visited the Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Museum and listened to thetestimony of Hibakusha, an A-bomb survivor.
Other activities included workshops and a mock
United Nations

General Assembly role-play where participants
were divided into 10 groups of delegates
representing different countries. The topic for
discussion was, “Free and Equal: The United
Nation’s turn to Human Rights Protection Basedon Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,”
which provoked much serious and heated debate.
Hiroshima University and the INU have jointly
held this seminar annually since 2006 with theaim of promoting educational exchange anddialogue amongst member institutions.
The original article:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/41360

Delegation from Pusan National University College of Humanities (Korea)
On June 22, 2017, the Graduate School of Lettersof Hiroshima University (HU) welcomed the
Pusan National University (PNU) College of
Humanities from Korea and had a researchexchange.
The party included 30 researchers specializing,
Japanese literature, English literature, Western
Philosophy, and Oriental History, and not only
did they have a whole-group (college-level)
exchange, the researchers also had an exchange ingroups of their research field. Furthermore, theparty observed the automatic book storage in theCentral Library.
In the whole-group exchange session, HU’s
Graduate School of Letters and PNU’s College of
Humanities introduced themselves using DVD.
In the group exchange session, researchers ofboth universities were able to have a productive

exchange of views on their research, and current
situation of education and research.
We all had a meaningful time with the help from
Korean students studying at HU and a HU staff
member with a study-abroad experience at PNU
as interpreter.
Official Website of the School/Graduate Schoolof Letters:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/bungaku

Building up Research Network
Department of Economics of School of Social
Science at Hiroshima University recently joined
the Research Centres Networking Group (RCNG).
The signing ceremony was held on 3 August 2017
at Mandarin Orchard Singapore Hotel. RCNG is avisiting research program that aims to facilitate
research between faculty and research follows
across the network. The hub of RCNG is
Economic Growth Centre of Nanyang

Technological University in Singapore, and thegroup is comprised of ten academic institutions
located in Singapore, Australia, China, Korea,
Vietnam, and Japan.
Official Website of the Graduate School of Social
Sciences:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/social

Peacebuilding Collaboration with the Philippine Government: HU Training the
Local Youth from Bangsamoro
Graduate School of Social Sciences, Hiroshima
University, is helping the Muslim population in
Mindanao, the Philippines, prepare for theirprospective autonomous government in
Bangsamoro area, which was promised in aframework agreement for peace in 2012 by thePhilippine Government, following nearly a half
century of Muslim struggles. Practical public
administration skills based on academicallyexamined ideas have been imparted to more thanfifty Bangsamoro youths since 2014 through aunique peacebuilding collaboration between thelocal government (Hiroshima Prefecture) and theuniversity, and more collaboration is expected infuture. A sizable build-up of Hiroshima trainees
in Bangsamoro is certainly a foundation for astable and efficient public service in the making.
This project also gives Hiroshima a chance toknow the reality of peace and conflict, and thus
enabling it to pursue a research for practicalpeacebuilding.
Official Website of the Graduate School of Social
Sciences:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/social

Agreement on Scientific and Educational Cooperation between Federal Medical
Biophysical Center, Russia and RIRBM, Hiroshima University
On 7th September 2017, the Research Institute for
Radiation Biology and Medicine (RIRBM),
Hiroshima University, concluded an agreement
on a scientific and educational cooperation with
the Burnasyan Federal Medical BiophysicalCenter (FMBC) of Federal Medical Biological
Agency, Russian Federation. The FMBC holds
more than 1,000 researchers and about 7,000
students who have been studying radiation
health risks, nuclear medicine, radiologicalemergency responses, etc. The two institutions

will collaborate to promote scientific research andalso to improve education programs in thosecommon fields, sharing their extensive
experiences and lessons obtained through theradiation disasters such as the Fukushima Daiichi
accident, Chernobyl accident, nuclear testing andatomic bombing.
Official Website of the Research Institute for
Radiation Biology and Medicine
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/rbm

18 trainees from conflict affected countries in Africa visited Tokyoand Hiroshima
HU hosted trainees from six African countries aspart of the “Teacher Training and Development
for Peace-Building in the Horn of Africa andSurrounding Countries” project. The Japan Study
Tour, co-organized by UNESCO-IICBA and theCenter for the Study of International Cooperationin Education -Hiroshima University, was held 2 9 August.
Participants included 18 technical staff fromministries of education, teacher trainers, andsecondary school teachers from Eritrea, Ethiopia,

Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda.
In addition to lectures at HU, they visited
Japanese MPs, former UNESCO DG Mr.
Matsuura, MEXT, JICA, UNITAR, Sophia
University and the University of Tokyo, and had
the honor to attend the annual Hiroshima Peace
Memorial Ceremony.
The original article:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/41690

Book Fair at Mexico National Polytechnic Institute (IPN)
Hiroshima University (HU) signed the interuniversity agreement with National Polytechnic
Institute (IPN) in Mexico City on February 28,
2017. At their request, HU donated books writtenby the university’s faculty and researchers to theinternational book fair held at IPN at the end of
August. At the fair, Prof. T. Sato, Executive &Vice President (International Relations) of HU
gave an invited lecture on HU's approach on
peace education (Spanish interpretation byProfessor N. Hirami), and the participants weredeeply interested in the presentation. After thelecture, HU delegation received an interview

from the local media which strengthened thepresence of HU in Mexico.
The original article:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/41712

Research News
Newly discovered brain chemical “NPGL” controls appetite and body fat
composition
The latest discovery by the group of Professor
Kazuyoshi Ukena, along with collaborators fromJapan and UC Berkeley, adds to ourunderstanding of how the brain regulates energy
usage and feeding habits – the control
mechanisms of which are not yet fully
understood. They found that NPGL, a recently
discovered protein involved in brain signalling,has been found to increase fat storage by the body– even when on a low-calorie diet in rats. In
addition, NPGL was shown to increase appetite
in response to high caloric food intake. This latest
research into NPGL has greatly increased ourunderstanding and should guide scientists infinding ways to assist the evolutionary-survivalist
human body to adapt to a calorie-intense 21st
century environment.

Endocrinology 158:1120-1129 (2017)
doi: 10.1210/en.2017-00064
Press releases:
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/41277
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/news/39342
Profile of Professor Kazuyoshi Ukena:
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.d20d4908f81dd6d2520e17560c0
07669.html

Related articles:
Iwakoshi-Ukena E, Shikano K, Kondo K, Taniuchi
S, Furumitsu M, Ochi Y, Sasaki T, Okamoto S,
Bentley GE, Kriegsfeld LJ, Minokoshi Y, Ukena K.
Neurosecretory protein GL stimulates food intake,de novo lipogenesis, and onset of obesity. eLife
6:e28527 (2017)
doi: 10.7554/eLife.28527
Matsuura D, Shikano K, Saito T, Iwakoshi-Ukena
E, Furumitsu M, Ochi Y, Sato M, Bentley GE,
Kriegsfeld LJ, Ukena K. Neurosecretory protein
GL, a hypothalamic small secretory protein,
participates in energy homeostasis in male mice.

Dysregulated energy balance can result inobesity and metabolic syndrome.

New deep sea amphipod was described
Ms. Sachi Matsukami, a former undergraduate
student at the School of Education and iscurrently a master’s student at the Graduate
School of Advanced Science of Matter, has jointly
described a new species of the pardaliscid
amphipod “Nicippe recticaudata” with hersupervisor Dr. Ko Tomikawa (associate professor)
and Dr. Takafumi Nakano (Research Fellowshipfor Young Scientists) at Japan Society for the
Promotion of Science. The paper in question was
a product of her study for graduation at the
School of Education in FY2016 (Heisei 28).
The specimens of Nicippe recticaudata werecollected from off Cape Toi in Miyazaki
Prefecture about 300 meters below the surface ofthe sea. By examining the morphologicalcharacteristics and the DNA data, this research
has revealed that the specimen in question is a
new species distinct from its congeners.
The discovery is one of the findings that typicallydemonstrates that there still are numerous specieson this planet which have not been identified
with and named yet, and that much needs to bedone for unravelling global biodiversity. After
this study, it is expected that more studies will be
undertaken globally to further clarify thebiodiversity of the members of this new species.
This study was undertaken as a graduation work
which serves as a compilation of theundergraduate course curriculum at the School of

Education. In this work, students are expected toexperience the following three steps of the basic
science study: 1) examining earlier studies, 2)
conducting their own studies, and 3) presenting
the research findings in English scientific journals.
We would like to contribute to cultivate futureteachers who are not only “equipped withknowledge” in Biology, but also who “canexplore a new field with the spirit of selflearning” through conducting the basic science
research.
On 12th April 2017, the findings was published in“ZooKeys,” a Bulgarian international academic
journal mainly specialized in publishing articles
related to the discoveries of new animal species.
Reference:
Sachi Matsukami, Takafumi Nakano, Ko
Tomikawa. A new species of the genus Nicippefrom Japan (Crustacea, Amphipoda,
Pardaliscidae). ZooKeys 668: 33-47 (12 Apr 2017)
doi：10.3897/zookeys.668.12181
Profile of Associate Professor Ko Tomikawa
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.c500681f4dfedb5a520e17560c00
7669.html

Water in the Earth’s interiors
Dr. Toru Inoue joined the Department of Earthand Planetary Systems Science, Graduate Schoolof Science, Hiroshima University, as a professor
from this April. His research interests include a
topic to understand the effect of water in the
Earth’s interiors. He found that high pressurepolymorphs of olivine, wadsleyite andringwoodite, which are the most abundant
minerals in the Earth’s mantle, can containsignificant amounts of water (~3 wt. %) in theircrystal structures1. This suggests that the part ofthe mantle (the mantle transition zone) become astrong water reservoir in the Earth’s mantle. His
opinion was demonstrated by the funding of thenatural mineral in the diamond inclusion2. Now
he is investigating the water in deeper Earth’s
interiors. Recently, a new research center,
Hiroshima Institute of Plate ConvErgence Region
Research (HiPeR), has been established. Please

see the following website for more details.
(http://hiper.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/index.html)
References:
1. Inoue, T., H. Yurimoto and Y. Kudoh, Hydrous
modified spinel, Mg1.75SiH0.5O4: a new water
reservoir in the mantle transition region. Geophys.
Res. Lett., 22, 117-120, 1995.
2. Pearson, D. G., et al., Hydrous mantle
transition zone indicated by ringwoodite
included within diamond. Nature 507, 221-224,
2014.
doi:10.1038/nature13080
Profile of Professor Toru Inoue
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.fd6e39c23d242398520e17560c00
7669.html

Quantum evidence for the violation of Newton's first law
According to Newton's first law, particles in freespace should always move along straight lines.
But is this law still valid in quantum mechanics?
Surprisingly, this question is extremely difficult
to answer because the uncertainty principle
prevents us from catching a particle "in the act".
In the present paper, I show that unambiguous
evidence for the violation of Newton's first law
can be obtained from the statistics of particle
positions at three different times by exploiting aquantum interference effect between states ofwell-defined position and states of well-defined
momentum. The analysis of the particle
distributions at three different times shows that atleast eight percent of the particles are not moving
along straight lines, providing the most striking
evidence available to date that quantum
interference effects can result in a violation of

Newton's first law.
Reference:
Holger F. Hofmann. Quantum interference of
position and momentum: a particle propagation
paradox. Phys. Rev. A 96, 020101(R)(2017)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.96.020101
Read the full story at:https://www.hiroshimau.ac.jp/en/adsm/news/41629
Profile of Associate Professor Holger F. Hofmann:
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.5a6018b52481bb7d520e17560c0
07669.html

interference effects can result in a violation of

Telomere G-tail length is promising future risk of age-associated diseases.
Our research is focused on Aging and Cancer,
and we established novel technology such as
telomere G-tail measurement method and DSEFRET assay. Telomeres are essential DNA–
protein complexes at the ends of eukaryotic
chromosomes, which are essential for genomic
stability and integrity. Very end of telomere iscomposed with a single stranded G-rich telomere
DNA, the so-called “G-tail”. Little is known
regarding the association between G-tail lengthand the risk of age-associated diseases. We
established the technique, G-tail telomere HPA,
to measure G-tail length from biological samples
such as blood cells and tissues (1). Using thistechnique, we found that telomere G-tail length isstrongly associated with cardiovascular disease(2,3). Importantly, we found the reduction of
telomeric G-tail length is associated with the risk
of future cardiovascular events in hemodialysis
patients (3), therefore G-tail length could be a
promising biomarker for future risk of ageassociated diseases.
References:
1. Tahara, H., Kusunoki, M., Yamanaka, Y.,
Matsumura, S., & Ide, T. (2005). G-tail telomere
HPA: simple measurement of human singlestranded telomeric overhangs. Nat Methods, 2(11),829-831.
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth797

2. Nezu, T., N. Hosomi, T. Takahashi, K. Anno, S.
Aoki, A. Shimamoto, H. Maruyama, T. Hayashi,
M. Matsumoto and H. Tahara. "Telomere G-tailLength is a Promising Biomarker Related to
White Matter Lesions and Endothelial
Dysfunction in Patients With Cardiovascular
Risk: A Cross-sectional Study." EBioMedicine
2(8): 960-967.2015
DOI:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ebiom.2015.05.025
3. Hirashio, S., A. Nakashima, S. Doi, K. Anno, E.
Aoki, A. Shimamoto, N. Yorioka, N. Kohno, T.
Masaki and H. Tahara. "Telomeric g-tail lengthand hospitalization for cardiovascular events inhemodialysis patients." Clin J Am Soc Nephrol
9(12): 2117-2122.2014
DOI: 10.2215/CJN.10010913
Profile of Professor Hidetoshi Tahara
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.98a277349a3000df520e17560c00
7669.html
Official Website of the Department of Cellular
and Molecular Biology, Hiroshima University
Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences:
http://www.telomere.jp(Nezu et al., EBioMedicine 2(8): 960-967. 2015)

Nano/subnano-tuning of silica-based microporous membrane:
Beyond the border“Membrane” can be defined as a selective barrier
to separate mixtures into two streams. For
example, purified water can be produced fromseawater, and hydrogen can be highly purified
from the mixtures. Separation Engineering
Laboratory, cooperated by three faculty members,
T. Tsuru, M. Kanezashi and H. Nagasawa, at
Department of Chemical Engineering, has beenworking on inorganic microporous membranes,
especially focusing on silica-based membranes,from the viewpoints of membrane development
and applications to gas and liquid-phaseseparation [1].
Figure 1 shows the typical structure of porous
ceramic membranes. The separation top layer,
which has separation ability and must havecontrolled pore sizes suitable for specificseparation, is formed as thin as possible on theintermediate layer and supports. Membrane
performance can be compared using two
important parameters: selectivity andpermeability, and the two parameters generally
show trade-off lines, that is, higher permeability
with lower selectivity. Our team has beenworking hard to develop silica-based membranes,
the separation performances of which are beyond
the border [1].

conditions.
Another recent progress is doping fluorine into
silica networks, which enables the tuning of silica
networks in large and uniform pore sizes (Figure2) [2]. We also developed a novel processing
technology by atmospheric-pressure plasmaenhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) for
the fabrication of silica membranes for gas
separation (Figure 3) [3].
References:
1. Tsuru, T., Silica-Based Membranes with
Molecular-Net-Sieving Properties: Development
and Applications, Journal of Chemical
Engineering of Japan, in press.
2. Kanezashi, M., T. Matsutani, T. Wakihara, H.
Tawarayama, H. Nagasawa, T. Yoshioka, T.
Okubo and T. Tsuru, Tailoring the Subnano Silica
Structure via Fluorine Doping for Developmentof Highly Permeable CO2 Separation Membranes,
ChemNanoMat 2, 264-267 (2016)
3. Nagasawa, H., Y. Yamamoto, N. Tsuda, M.
Kanezashi, T. Yoshioka, T. Tsuru, AtmosphericPressure Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor
Deposition of Microporous Silica Membranes for
Gas Separation, J. Membr. Sci., 524, 644-651 (2017)
doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2016.11.067

We proposed the use of organosilica top layer,
which shows very high flux and selectivity for H2
and CO2 by tuning the network pore sizes (Figure2). In addition, organosilica membranes were
found to show stable desalination performance,that is, ROBUST properties, even in harsh

Profile of Professor Toshinori Tsuru
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.c24ddc6f9a2c256a520e17560c00
7669.html

Fig. 1. Cross section of SiO2-based membranes

Fig.2 Subnano-tuning of silica networks

Fig.3 AP-PECVD for silica membranes

Unravelling the Mechanism of the Decline in Fertility with Age & Developing a
Technique for Ovarian Rejuvenation
Fertility decreases slightly in women around theage of 30, but is clearly evident at a median age of
40. As a consequence, many women in developed
countries including Japan, USA, UK and EU
countries rely on assisted reproductive
technology (ART) to become pregnant. However,the success rate of ART in women more than 40
years old women is low.
In our study (Umehara et al., Aging Cell 2017),
using the unique ovarian aging model mice, we
revealed that the growth of fibrosis tissue inovarian stroma is induced by the high serum
levels of LH present with increasing age. The
fibrosis is associated with the arrest of folliculardevelopment. Thus, GnRH antagonist treatments
might provide a new, non-invasive strategy for
improving fertility in a subset of non-responder
aging women before menopause.

Kawashima, Katsuhiro Tanaka, Satoshi Okuda,
Hiroya Kitasaka, JoAnne S. Richards, Masayuki
Shimada. The acceleration of reproductive aging
in Nrg1flox/flox;Cyp19-Cre female mice. Aging Cell
(2017)
DOI: 10.1111/acel.12662
Profile of Professor Masayuki Shimada
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.421632da20fa61ea520e17560c00
7669.html

Reference:
Takashi Umehara, Tomoko Kawai, Ikko
(Umehara et al., Aging Cell 2017)

A New Landscape of Multiple Dispersion Kinks in a High-Tc Cuprate
Superconductor
Conventional superconductivity is caused byelectron-phonon coupling. The discovery of hightemperature superconductors raised the questionof whether such strong electron-phonon couplingis realized in cuprates. Strong coupling with somecollective excitation mode has been indicated by adispersion “kink.” However, there is intensive
debate regarding whether the relevant coupling
mode is a magnetic resonance mode or an oxygen
buckling phonon mode. This ambiguity is aconsequence of the energy of the main prominent
kink. The research group of Associate Professor
Akihiro Ino shows a new landscape of dispersion
kinks. They report that heavily overdoping a
Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 superconductor results in a
decline of the conventional main kink and a riseof another sharp kink, along with substantial
energy shifts of both. Notably, the latter kink canbe ascribed only to an oxygen-breathing phonon.
Hence, the multiple phonon branches provide a
consistent account of their data set on themultiple kinks. Their results suggest that strong
electron-phonon coupling and its dramaticchange should be incorporated into or reconciledwith scenarios for the evolution of high-Tc
superconductivity.
Reference:
H. Anzai, M. Arita, H. Namatame, M. Taniguchi,

M. Ishikado, K. Fujita, S. Ishida, S. Uchida, and A.
Ino. A New Landscape of Multiple Dispersion
Kinks in a High-Tc Cuprate Superconductor.
Scientific Reports 7, Article number: 4830 (2017)
doi:10.1038/s41598-017-04983-0
Profile of Associate Professor (Special
Appointment) Akihiro Ino
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.344df66cc4e3e6da520e17560c00
7669.html
The Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center(HiSOR) calls for collaborative research proposals
using synchrotron radiation in the vacuum
ultraviolet and soft x-ray regions. Please visit the
webpage (http://www.hsrc.hiroshimau.ac.jp/english/index.html) for details.

H. Anzai, M. Arita, H. Namatame, M. Taniguchi,

Wearable electronic devices made practical due to HU innovation
The development of flexible electronic devices,worn over our skin as clothing, could catapult us
into a sci-fi wonderland of wearable andinteractive technology.
However, materials required to realize suchdevices for everyday use would need to be, notonly lightweight and flexible to ensure user
comfort and safety - but also produced using
methods that are practical, safe and cost effective.
Researchers, led by Professor Ken-ichi Saitow,from HU’s Natural Science Center for Researchand Development, believe they have found a way
to realize such materials for a mass market.

pattern due to binding of the cellulose to glass.
The resultant uni-directionality of molecules
within the clear film meant that electricity could
flow through its regular structure without
obstruction – allowing for electronic efficiency
with minimal heat gain – very important for
devices intended to cover your skin!
It’s simple low-temperature production, andextreme thinness, makes it even more
outstanding and could see a whole swath ofsmart clothing in your wardrobe very soon.

Their production method, carried out at room
temperature, is not only extraordinarily simple
but the material that results performs far better
than those previously produced using methods
requiring temperatures in excess of 120ºC.

Reference:
Masayoshi Imanishi, Daisuke Kajiya, Tomoyuki
Koganezawa & Ken-ichi Saitow. Uniaxial
orientation of P3HT film prepared by soft friction
transfer method. Scientific Reports 7, Article
number: 5141 (2017)
doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-05396-9

By simply brushing a glass surface using a velvet
cloth, the researchers were able to manipulate thesurface structure so that its molecules aligned in asingle direction.

Profile of Professor Ken-ichi Saitow
http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.fc8cbe3928a119ac520e17560c00
7669.html

When a conductive polymer, a cellulose material,
was then applied to the glass surface, using amethod known as spin coating, an extremely
lightweight and transparent film was produced
whose own molecules aligned to the same regular

Official Website of Saitow group:
http://home.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/saitow

Schematic diagram of a new method, soft friction transfer
method, conducted at room temperature and in air to prepare aoriented polymer film.

Electroluminescence (EL) from a lightemitting device composed of oriented
polymer film. EL light is polarized alongbrushing direction.

Coherent spin phase order on macroscopic length scales in structurally chiralmagnets
A team at the Center for Chiral Science (CCS) in
Hiroshima University has explored chiralmagnetism and obtained a globally renowned
reputation as one of the pioneers. In particular,
our research group found out a coherent spin
phase order which appears on macroscopic
length scales in structurally chiral magnets. Basedon the concept of phase coherence, one may
couple distinct macroscopic responses among thespin phase coherent states in chiral magnets, thecharge coherent states in superconductors,
and/or optical coherent states of laser (Fig. 1).
Indeed, taking advantages of the spin phasecoherence unique to the chiral magnetic system,
we have succeeded in observing thediscretization effects of electric responses in chiralhelimagnet CrNb3S6 crystals (Fig. 2), which cancontribute to the device applications of the nextgeneration ultrahigh-density memory*. The
coherence of spin phase order also enables aninformation transfer with almost zero energy,
providing a tantalizing glimpse into the future
devices. We believe that a hyper energy-savingsociety can be realized using the chiral magnetic
system. Chirality is indeed an essential concept inour research and we are now making enormous
efforts to establish the “Chiral Material World,”
an interdisciplinary research field for worldchanging innovations.
*This study was reported at the press conferenceof the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) in 2015.
Official Website of the CResCent (Chirality
Research Center):
http://home.hiroshimau.ac.jp/kotai/KibanS/t005/t005/index_e.html
Profile of Professor Katsuya Inoue (ResearchGroup Leader):http://seeds.office.hiroshimau.ac.jp/profile/en.419c8c1beb2a2224520e17560c00
7669.html

Fig. 2: Micrograph of a chiral magnetic crystal of
CrNb3S6.

Fig. 1: The phase coherence of spin, charge, and optical systems

Schools and Graduate Schools
Schools

Graduate Schools

For undergraduate level, Hiroshima University
consists of 11 schools which provide
undergraduate courses including majors in thenatural sciences, humanities, the social sciences,and many others.

Graduate level studies at Hiroshima University
consist of 11 graduate schools including Education,
Biomedical & Health Sciences, Engineering, andmany other majors. In addition, two uniqueprogram offerings: “The Phoenix Leader Education
Program for Renaissance from Radiation Disaster”
and “The Taoyaka Program for Creating a Flexible,
Enduring, and Peaceful Society”, combine graduatelevel academic coursework with integrative
research components.

School of Integrated Arts and Sciences
School of Letters
School of Education
School of Law
School of Economics
School of Science
School of Medicine
School of Dentistry
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences
School of Engineering
School of Applied Biological Science
School of Informatics and Data Science(To Be Opened in 2018)

Advanced Course

Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences
Graduate School of Letters
Graduate School of Education
Graduate School of Social Sciences
Graduate School of Science
Graduate School of Advanced Sciences of Matter
Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences
Graduate School of Engineering
Graduate School of Biosphere Science
Graduate School for International Development andCooperation
Hiroshima University Law School

Special Education Major Program

Interdisciplinary Graduate Educational Program
Phoenix Leader Education Program (Hiroshima Initiative) for Renaissance from Radiation Disaster (adopted by
MEXT), TAOYAKA PROGRAM for creating a flexible, enduring, peaceful society (adopted by MEXT) and Education
Program for Global Environmental Leaders.

Please visit our website for more details!
About Schools and Graduate Schools
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/schools
About Resercher Interviews etc.
https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/research

Education
Student and Faculty Numbers
Undergraduate Students 10,887 (As of May 1, 2017)
Graduate Students 4,520 (As of May 1, 2017)
Academic Faculty Members 1,726 (As of May 1, 2017)

Networks and Overseas Bases
Overseas Bases
HU has estabished overseas bases in 14 countries/regions (As of May, 2017)
Number of Overseas Bases 16 (As of May,2017)
International Exchange Agreements (As of October 26, 2017)
University-level: 274 Agreements with 251 Organizations in 47 Countries/Regions
Faculty / Department-level: 342 Agreements with 312 Organizations in 50 Countries/Regions

International Exchange
Number of International Students 1,443 from 72 Countries/Regions (As of May 1, 2017)https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/enhttps://www.facebook.com/HiroshimaUniv.en
Hiroshima University
https://www.facebook.com/HiroshimaUniversityResearch
Hiroshima University Researchhttps://www.youtube.com/user/HiroshimaUniv