Vol.11 July 2015
CONTENTSNews ...................................................... 1-6
Greetings.................................................. 8

Overseas Offices ................................................ 7NewsYoshinori CHAYAMA of the Iaido Club Wins the All Japan Student
Iaido Tournament
On November 23, 2014, the 29th All Japan Student
Iaido Tournament was held at the Fukakusa Campus
Gymnasium of Ryukoku University, where Yoshinori
Chayama (third year, Faculty of Science andEngineering) won the title in the individual event.
Comment from William Brier, manager of the Iaido
Club:“I’m very pleased to announce that our team captain,
Yoshinori Chayama, won the student Iaido
championship in the individual event. I’d like to takethis opportunity to thank all the related people for theircontinued support, including all those at Doshisha
University’s Department of Students Sports Support forproviding a superlative training environment.
Chayama has dedicated himself to hard training days and nights, while, as a captain, bringing together theclub member and boosting the team’s morale. I feel his committed and self-reflective attitude helped toearn him the victory.
I hope our club’s second consecutive championship win will help to motivate and inspire Doshisha’s sports
teams, which are becoming more active and motivated as we head toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”
William BrierManager of the Iaido ClubGreat Voyage

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News
Research Finding of Two Doshisha Professors Published in Neuron
A research article by Associate Professor Shinya Kawaguchi(Organization for Advanced Research and Education) and Professor
Takeshi Sakaba (Graduate School of Brain Science) was published inthe Neuron online journal on February 26, 2015.
In the research, the two professors succeeded in direct patch-clamp
recording from the axon and terminal of a cultured cerebellar
Purkinje cell (1-2 μm in diameter), and identified the mechanism inwhich action potential amplitudes are attenuated around axon
terminals depending on action potential frequency, resulting in plasticchanges in synaptic transmission. The finding, which demonstrates
that the axon does not always transmit neural information as
faithfully as had been thought, but rather positively modulates andtransmits the information, is considered to provide new insight into
activation patterns of neural networks.

Recording simultaneously from the front
and rear part of a synapse

Title of the Article:‘Control of inhibitory synaptic outputs by low excitability of axon terminals revealed by direct recording’Authors:
Shinya Kawaguchi and Takeshi Sakaba (2015)

Assistant Professor Daigo Yamamoto, Professor Akihisa Shioi, andProfessor Kenichi Yoshikawa have discovered a new spatio-temporal
pattern of fluorocarbon droplets
The design of dynamically self-assembled systems isof high interest in science and technology. Here, wereport a unique cascade in the self-ordering ofdroplets accompanied by a dewetting transition. The
dynamic self-emergent droplets are observed when athin liquid layer of an immiscible fluorocarbon oil(perfluorooctyl bromide, PFOB) is placed on a water
surface (Fig. 1a, b). As the PFOB gradually
evaporates, the system exhibits characteristic pearling
phenomenaconsistingof
four
successive
non-equilibrium events; event I: (c-i) A water hole isgenerated through the evaporation of PFOB molecules and the dewetting transition; event II: (c-ii)
Fluorocarbon humps are formed on the rim of the water holes, which causes circular pearling of the dropletarray; event III: (c-iii→v) Appearance of linear pearling (1D array), where droplets are
generated periodically; event IV: (d) A regular hexagonal 2D structure is formed over the entire water
surface accompanied by rhythmical shrinking and expanding motion, and remains for a relatively long time
as a stable pattern. Finally, the arranged droplets disappear within 20 s due to evaporation. This simple
synthetic system, exhibiting unique spatio-temporal structure, appears to mimic collective behaviours foundin nature and may serve as a model for the study of dynamically assembled systems.
Nature. Communication. Home Page
http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/150522/ncomms8189/full/ncomms8189.html
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21NewsArticle of Prof. Kenmotsu, Prof. Yoshikawa (Faculty of Life and MedicalSciences) and Others Published in The Journal of Chemical Physics
An article written by Professor Takahiro Kenmotsu, Professor Kenichi
Yoshikawa (Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences) and others was
selected as Featured Article in The Journal of Chemical Physics, while
the article’s image of ‘the fluctuation of a single genomic DNA
molecule’ was featured prominently on the journal’s front page.
Genomic DNA in a cell is a very long chain polymer (mm-cm-sized in
total length), though the properties of a polymer when its chain length
is increased remain largely unknown. In this research, theyquantitatively measured the fluctuation of a genomic DNA using asingle molecule measurement technology, and discovered that therelaxation time of a circular DNA is shorter than that of a linear chain
by at least one order of magnitude. This tendency was reproduced bynumerical simulations. The researchers clarified that this is one of thecharacteristics of a long-chain DNA by applying the scaling theory.
Name of Journal
The Journal of Chemical Physics, Volume 142, Issue 14, 2015
Title of the Article‘Marked difference in conformational fluctuation between giant DNA molecules in circular and linear forms’Authors
Takafumi Iwaki, Tomomi Ishido, Ken Hirano, Alexei A. Lazutin, Valentina V. Vasilevskaya, Takahiro Kenmotsu
and Kenichi Yoshikawa

Associate Professor Yoshiro Saito (Faculty of Life and MedicalSciences) and Others Develop Oxidized-DJ-1-Specific Antibody
Associate Professor Yoshiro Saito (System Life Science
Laboratory led by Professor Noriko Noguchi, Department ofMedical Life Systems, Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences)and others developed an antibody for the detection ofoxidized DJ-1. Merck EMD Millipore Corporationcommercialized and started selling it as Anti-oxDJ-1
Antibody.
This antibody is a reagent for research use that specificallyreacts with Parkinson’s disease-related molecules, DJ-1
oxidation. It has been developed with the aid of the Michael
J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Description of the Figure:This antibody specifically reacts with oxidized DJ-1 (Cysteine is oxidized as SO2H and SO3H).
Oxidized DJ-1 can be detected through the Western blot analysis (upper right of the figure) or theimmunostaining method using this antibody (lower right of the figure).

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31News
Japan Education Fair in Turkey 2015 Held in Istanbul
On March 14, the Japan Education Fair in Turkey
2015 took place in the former office of theConsulate-General of Japan in Istanbul. The event
was co-organized by Doshisha University and theConsulate-General of Japan in Istanbul.
As part of MEXT’s Project for University Network
for Internationalization (Global 30), the fair wastargeted primarily at students who wish to study at
graduate schools in Japan. A total of about 320
people visited the fair, including more than 200 local
students, representatives from four universities (theUniversity of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Keio
University and Doshisha University), theConsulate-General of Japan and the news media.
At the beginning of the fair, a principal consular
officer of the Consulate-General of Japan in
Istanbul, Mr. Sasatani, gave an opening address toparticipants. Participating universities held special
sessions to introduce their respective educational
institutions and ongoing research projects, and alsooffered one-on-one consultations for interested
students. Staff of the Consulate-General of Japan in
Istanbul also talked about the scholarship program,which runs for two consecutive years. All the eventswere very well received, demonstrating a highinterest in studying in Japan.
The fair has been held for three consecutive years,
and feedback from participating students in that timeshows a gradual shift in attitude from vague feelings
about studying in Japan to more concrete thoughts
and firmer intentions more recently.
Due to the unstable situation of several countries
close to Turkey, we were concerned about attracting
enough visitors to the fair. However, attendance byboth applicants and visitors was up on last year,
indicating that the fair has gained real recognition
among students in Turkey. We intend to continue
with our efforts to attract competent and highly
motivated students from all over the world.

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News
Saika Minegishi (Graduate School of Science and Engineering)
Receives Best Poster Award at Asian Cyclodextrin Conference
At the 8th Asian Cyclodextrin Conference, held from May 14 to16, 2015, Saika Minegishi (Major of Applied Chemistry,Graduate School of Science and Engineering) received the Gold
Prize of the Nagai Poster Prize. Her poster presentation, as well
as 10 minutes’ oral presentation in English, was highly evaluatedamong competing entries from 47 students and adults, all under
the age of 40. Minegishi’s Gold Prize came after acomprehensive judgment on the quality of both research andpresentation.
Minegishi developed a technique for investigating the biologicalrole of carbon monoxide molecules which are constantly
produced in a mouse’s body by using a supramolecular complexof iron(II)porphyrin and cyclodextrin.

Title of Presentation‘Removal of CO from the blood of mice by an iron(Ⅱ)porphyrin/cyclodextrin supramolecular complex’
Presenter
Saika Minegishi
A second-year Master’s student (Major of Applied Chemistry), Functional Organic Chemistry Laboratory,
Graduate School of Science and Engineering(graduated from the Department of Molecular Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Science andEngineering)
Co-authors
Hiroaki Kitagishi (Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering)
Koji Kano (Professor Emeritus, Doshisha University)

2015 Spring Semester Foreign Language Honors Recognition Ceremony
On June 4, the 2015 Spring Semester Honors
Recognition Ceremony in Foreign Language was held atClarke Chapel. Established in 2006, the Foreign
Language Honors Program honors high-achieving
students in foreign languages with the aim of producing
graduates with a high level of language proficiency, as
well as international vision and perspective.
At the ceremony, presided over by Dean of Academic
Affairs Yu Kamitani, President Koji Murata gave acongratulatory speech and presented a recognition
certificate and a commemorative gift to each of the 36
honored students.

Great Voyage

5NewsReport: "Let's Kabuki ~ Kabuki for beginners ~" was heldOn July 9th, “Kabuki Workshop” was held at Presentation
Court in Learning Commons, supported by Office ofInternational Students and Anesta Incorporation. TheKabuki actor Iemon from Miyabiya appeared on the stage
along with the sound of wooden clippers and gave agreeting to the audience in Kabuki style called “Koujou”.
Learning Commons turned into Kabuki theatre. After
explaining the historical background of Kabuki, Mr. Iemon
demonstrated how to strike a “Mie” pose and how to makehimself look feminine for a female role called “Onnagata”.
Subsequently, he showed how he put Kumadori, kabukimakeup, on himself at the backstage. According to hisexplanation, Kumadori stands for blood vessels.
Red-colored Kumadori is for a hero who fights for justice,
blue for enemy or evil characters and brown for a ghost,monster and ogre. The audience was amazed by the processof the makeup he showed right in front of them. When heasked “Does anyone want to try Kumadori on your face?”,some of the audience raised their hand. An exchange
student from Denmark was chosen for a model, and she wassurprised at her own face after the makeup. She was a bit
shy at first but readily took pictures with other students.
After a short break, Mr. Iemon performed a famous drama“Kagamizishi”. Wearing a stunningly gorgeous costume andlong wig, he danced passionately and moved around thestage. Every time he got close to the audience and the wig
touched them, they got excited with a big cheer. After theshow, they made a long line to take a commemorative photowith Mr. Iemon. Nowadays, Kabuki is seen as a prestigious
traditional culture. Originally, however, Kabuki was a
popular culture among the public, like a musical. Mr. Iemon
introduced Kabuki as an approachable popular culture in awitty and friendly way so that the young generation could
touch the world of Kabuki. It seemed that the participants
enjoyed the performance to their hearts’ content and found
Kabuki appealing.

Hazardous Preparedness Manual was published by JAPUC
The Japan Association of Private Universities and Colleges (JAPUC)
issued HAZARD PREPAREDNESS MANUAL in Japanese andEnglish. This manual is for those who support international students,and will be used as a standard in case of massive disasters. On theassociation’s website, “Handbook for International Students”
published by Doshisha University” is introduced as an example ofmanuals or guidelines made by its member universities.
For further details, please check the link below.
http://ois.doshisha.ac.jp/en/news/2015/0202/news-detail-204.html
Great Voyage61Overseas Offices
Doshisha University’s overseas offices were established in order to further promote its rapid and effectiveinternationalization. At our overseas offices, we are implementing mainly public relations activities to increase theprofile of Doshisha University, while at the same time making the most of the characteristics unique to each office. Inaddition, we are undertaking various efforts to recruit overseas students, support our students while they are studying
overseas, and provide on-site support to members of our faculties while they are overseas.

Taipei, Taiwan

Beijing, P. R. China

Address : Doshisha Taiwan Officec/o DSS-CLOVER International Co.
6F-15, No. 57, Chong-Qing S. Rd.
10045 Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: +886-2-2331-1278
Fax: +886-2-2331-1397
Email: ji-int24@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

Address : Doshisha Beijing OfficeRoom #323, Sinology Pavilion ofRenmin University of China
59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District
Beijing, 100872 P.R.China
Tel/Fax: +86-10-6251-4227
Email: ji-int23@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

London, United Kingdom

Shanghai, P.R. China

Address : Doshisha London Officec/o Daiwa Foundation Japan House
13/14 Cornwall Terrace, London
NW1 4QP U.K.
Tel: +44-77-4892-5687
Email: ji-int21@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

Address :Doshisha Shanghai Office
Center for Japanese Studies
Fudan University221 Hantan Road
Shanghai, 200433 P.R.China
Email: ji-int25@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

Hanoi, Vietnam

Seoul, Korea

Address : Doshisha-Vietnam Cooperative Office
4F Polymer Centre
D1 Building – Hanoi University of Technology
1st Dai Co Viet Road – Hanoi, Vietnam
Tel: +84-4-3623-1276
Email: ji-int22@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

Address : Doshisha Seoul OfficeSeoul YMCA
2 Ga 9, Jongno, Jongno-gu
Seoul, Korea 110753
Tel: +82-2-732-7704
Email: ji-int28@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

Istanbul, Turkey
Address : Doshisha Istanbul Officec/o ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC SOLIDARITY WITH PASIFIC
COUNTRIESAhmediye Caddesi No:44/2 34260 Aksaray– Istanbul, TURKEY
Email: ji-int26@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

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7Message from Director of International Center
The Road Less Travelled By
It was six years ago when I first assumed an administrative position at theInternational Center as a staff member—and I joined the team again this year. During
these past six years, Doshisha has acquired two governmental grants to promote theinternationalization of higher education. In order to accommodate increasing demand,
the number of the office staff almost tripled, and, by the concerted effort with faculties
and departments, the number of inbound students doubled and outbound students morethan quadrupled. Now the International Center plays a core role in the globalization ofDoshisha, giving study-abroad opportunities to both domestic and foreign students.
Studying abroad has occasionally been advocated mainly from a utilitarian point of view, such as
improved language proficiency and better job opportunities. However, the true benefit of the study-abroad
experience lies in the holistic development of youthful minds. Those students who have decided to go abroad
are curious and brave enough to go out of the world of the known and comfortable, in which so many of theirpeers abide. Having them experience culture shocks, overcome difficulties and reflect on themselves,
study-abroad experience broadens their perspective, promotes cultural understanding, nourishes moralresponsibility, and thus equips them with the qualities to be global citizens. Let us help them choose, as
Robert Frost once said, the road “less travelled by,” believing that it will make “all the differences” in theirlives in the years to come.
Haruo NishinohDirectorThe International Center
Doshisha University

Warm greetings from Kyoto and we hope thismessage finds you in bright spirits.
Many traditional festivals are held in Kyoto
during the summer, including an event called“Five Mountains Bonfire Festival,” in which five
giant bonfires, each shaped distinctly,
are lit on the mountains surrounding the city. We
believe the spirits of our ancestors visit
this world in the middle of August, and thisfestival signifies the moment when the spirits
are returning to the spirit world as the smoke ofthe bonfires goes up to the sky. During thisfestive season, families often gather forreunions and visit their family graves.
There is plenty to experience and hope you have an opportunity to visit Kyoto some day during thesummer traditional festivals.
Best wishes,
Office of International Affairs

Great Voyage is published by the International Center at Doshisha University.
Please direct inquiries to:
Office of International Affairs, Doshisha University
Karasuma-Higashi-iru, Imadegawa-dori, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8580 Japan
Tel: +81 (0) 75-251-3260
Fax: +81 (0) 75-251-3057 Email: ji-kksai@mail.doshisha.ac.jp

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