Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
San Francisco Vo l u m e X X V I I I I I s s u e M a r c h 2 0 1 3

EVENTS OF WINTER 2013

Inside this issue:
EVENTS OF WINTER 2013

1-5

“JUMBA 2013”“Symposium with UCB”

JUNBA Held JUNBA2013 on January 11
and 12“Educational Transformation in a Global World beyond

International Exchange Programs”
The Japanese University Network in the Bay Area (JUNBA) held JUNBA 2013 on Janu‐ary 11 and 12, 2013. This event brought together Japanese university leaders to ex‐change views on educa onal transforma on in a global world from the viewpoint of
university management. This event was co‐organized by the Consul General of Japan in
San Francisco and the Japan Society for the Promo on of Science (JSPS), with support
from the Ministry of Educa on, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology‐Japan (MEXT)
and JETRO San Francisco Oﬃce. Over 100 par cipants a ended this event from universi‐
es, educa onal ins tu ons and government oﬃces in Japan and the U.S., including
representa ves from 15 Japanese universi es.

“Fellowship Information
Session at UCI & UCSD”“Gathering of JSPS Japanese
Fellows in JSPS SF Office”

ADVISER’S INSIGHT IN THE 6
BAY AREATHE OFFICE STAFF SWITCH

7BAY AREA & JAPANRELATED NEWS

8-13

“Kochi University”“Tokyo Institute of Technology”“Saitama University”“Hokkaido University”“Tohoku University”

INTERVIEW WITH JSPSFELLOW IN THE U.S

14-16“Dr. Shun’ichiro Akikusa”“Dr. Hiroyuki Chishiro”“Dr. Masayuki Sakamoto”

2001 Addison Street, Suite 260
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA

More Informa on h p://www.junba.org/junba2013.html

Phone: 50-665-1890
Fax: 510-665-1891
Questions or Feedback?
Email: webmatser@jspsusa-sf.org

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 2EVENTS OF WINTER 2013
The symposium held on the first day began with opening remarks by Masato Matsuo, President of JUNBA, followedby two guest speakers from Stanford University who gave engaging presenta ons. Dr. Russell A. Berman (Walter A.
Haas Professor in the Humani es; Professor of Compara ve Literature and German Studies) spoke about “Globalizing
the University ‐ The Stanford Experience” and Dr. James D. Plummer (The Frederick Emmons Terman Professor of Engi‐
neering; Dean, School of Engineering) talked about “Educa ng Engineers and Scien sts for the 21st Century”. Each
presenta on was followed by a conversa onal interview with a JUNBA board member and a Q&A session with thefloor. Through the symposium, we could deepen our knowledge and understanding how Stanford has and will con n‐ue to interna onalize the university, transform their educa on and make school‐based eﬀorts to cul vate a global andinterdisciplinary perspec ve among their students.

(Masato Matsuo, President of JUMBA)(Right: Russel Berman, Stanford University)(James Plummer, Stanford University)

On the second day, Masato Matsuo, President of JUNBA, led the Summit with the opening remarks, followed by Hiro‐shi Inomata, the Consul General of Japan in San Francisco who gave an introduc on on the significance of JUNBA. Next,
Yuichiro Anzai, President of JSPS also gave a gree ng and Kumiko Bando, Director‐General of the Higher Educa on Bu‐
reau at MEXT, gave the keynote speech. Japanese university leaders then presented their ac vi es and experiences on
how they assure a quality of educa on and interna onal compe ve strength so that they can further promote educa‐
onal transforma on. They then exchanged their views and thoughts in the lively discussion which followed. Finally, tosummarize the two‐day JUNBA2013 event, the necessity and importance for Japanese universi es to be proac ve in
addressing university reform and interna onaliza on was recognized and shared among par cipants.

(Kumiko Bando, Director‐General of
the Higher Educa on Bureau, MEXT)JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 3

EVENTS OF WINTER 2013

(Yuichiro Anzai, President of JSPS)

In addi on, JUNBA core member universi es held a Poster Session in the morning of each day, tled “Interna onal
Educa onal Programs that Transform Students”. In this session, each exhibitor introduced its ac vi es and eﬀorts tofoster human resources in a global world, focusing on their dis nc ve and innova ve student exchange programs.

The successful comple on of both days of JUNBA 2013 was achieved through the support and coopera on frommany diﬀerent individuals and organiza ons. JUNBA is planning to hold a similar event next year to promote the en‐hancement of educa on and research ac vi es of Japanese universi es.
Date & Time:

Friday, January 11, 2013: 10:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 12, 2013: 8:15 a.m.- 5:00 p.m.

Venue:

Hilton San Francisco Airport Bayfront

Organized by:

JUNBA (Japanese University Network in the Bay Area)

Co-Organized by:

Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Supported by:

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan (MEXT)JETRO San Francisco Office

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 4EVENTS OF WINTER 2013
Symposium with University of California, Berkeley“The Media Histories / Media Theories & East Asia”
On 7‐8 February, JSPS San Francisco held a jointly sponsored symposium with the University of California, Berkeleyon the theme “The Media Histories / Media Theories & East Asia”. This symposium aimed to foster transna onal andlocal scholarly perspec ves on East Asian arts and media theory in the context of recent cross‐disciplinary arguments infilm and media studies. This symposium featured a retrospec ve of the films by the Art Theatre Guild (ATG), Tokyo’s
center of cinema c innova on from 1961‐1988, hosted by UC Berkeley’s Pacific Film Archive, bringing together fiveinvited media theorists from Japan and nearly 40 interna onal scholars.
The event held on the first day began with introductory remarks by
Prof. Miryam Sas, UC Berkeley, followed by presenta ons on Visuality
and City by Prof. Shunya Yoshimi, the University of Tokyo, and on MediaArt by Prof. Masaki Fujihata, Tokyo University of the Art. Next, panel ses‐
sions by interna onal scholars provided us with a variety of researchachievements on this media research field with a very broad base. At theend of the day, three invited scholars from Japan, U.S. and Europe led
the round table discussion, which featured the prominent film director
Hani Susumu from ATG.

Prof. Miryam Sas

On the second day, Prof. Kuniichi Uno, Rikkyo University, opened theplenary session with a presenta on on “Media and the Body”, followed by a presenta on on “Pop in Japan” by Prof.
Hiroko Ikegami, Kobe University. A er the panel sessions, in the closing round table discussion moderated by Prof. Sas,
all par cipants of the symposium lively exchanged their views and thoughts. They emphasized the importance of en‐
counters between diﬀerent cultures, therefore deepening our knowledge and understanding about Japanese and East
Asian cross‐cultural developments in media theory and culture from the early twen eth century to the present.
This event also gave valuable opportuni es for young scholars in the humani es field to develop an interna onal ex‐perience and demonstrate the accomplishments of their constant eﬀorts.
JSPS San Francisco will con nuously support such ac vi es to broaden networking between Japanese and U.S. re‐searchers and to foster young researchers.

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 5EVENTS OF WINTER 2013
Fellowship Information Session at UCI & UCSDJSPS fellowship informa on sessions took place at the University of Cali‐
fornia, Irvine (UCI) on Feb 14, and the University of California, San Diego(UCSD), on Feb 15. JSPS San Francisco Oﬃce (JSPS‐SF) holds these kinds ofsessions to promote JSPS Fellowship Programs for foreign researchersamong universi es in North America. This me in So‐Cal, the kind support
from Director Michelle Lee of the Graduate Extramural Support oﬃce at
UCI and Dr. Zoe Michel of the Oﬃce of Graduate Studies at UCSD madethese sessions possible.
In both sessions, firstly Toko Ueta, Deputy Director of JSPS‐SF presented
the audience with an overview of JSPS Fellowship Programs and the appli‐
ca on process. Following that, Mr. Colin Haynes, a PhD candidate in the
Department of Structural Engineering at UCSD, featured in both sessions as the guest speaker, showed the ropes
about life in Japan to the enthusias c audience. He par cipated in the JSPS Summer Program / EAPSI in 2012 at the
University of Tokyo.
Mr. Haynes, whose realm of research ac vity had already been world‐
wide even before his visit to Japan, shared his rewarding experiences in
his first visit to an Asian country. His well‐organized presenta on show‐
cased that the 10‐week program and a well‐prepared research environ‐ment enabled an earnest graduate student both to engage in serious re‐search ac vity and to enjoy “cool Japan.”As the rela vely small‐sized audience created an easy‐going atmos‐
phere, the Q & A session became conversa onal. The par cipants raised
many ques ons about detailed eligibility informa on, the language to
use for the applica on, how to obtain a visa, housing in Japan, and so on, all of which only prospec ve candidates
would ask. Hoping more applica ons will be coming in from those ins tutes in the future, JSPS‐SF concluded the ses‐
sions successfully.

The 22nd Gathering of JSPS Japanese Fellows in JSPS SF Office
On February 2nd, JSPS San Francisco held its 22nd “Gathering of JSPS Japa‐
nese Fellows in the U.S.” in Berkeley, California.
This mee ng is aimed to promote enduring rela onships and establish mu‐
tual networks among JSPS research fellows who are ac ve in various fields ofstudy in the U.S. This me, 22 fellows under JSPS Fellowship Programs, alongwith members of JSPS headquarters and San Francisco oﬃce a ended.
The mee ng started with gree ngs from Dr. Seishi Takeda, Director of JSPS
San Francisco. Following that, Mr. Isao Oshiro, Head of JSPS Research Fellow‐
ship Division, gave an explana on on the ins tu onal system of JSPS fellow‐
ships for Japanese doctoral and postdoctoral researchers.
Then each par cipant made a presenta on about their current research ac vi es followed by a lively exchange ofques ons and answers. A er the mee ng, a standing recep on was held and everyone engaged each other in freeconversa on about their diverse ac vi es and experiences in the U.S.
There were many par cipants not only from the west coast but also from distant regions, such as New England.
They appreciated that they were provided a good opportunity to meet other researchers whom they otherwise might
not have met since they work at diﬀerent ins tu ons. This gathering also provides a good opportunity for JSPS staﬀ
to hear from the researchers their thoughts about JSPS fellowship program systems.
JSPS San Francisco will con nue to provide such valuable opportuni es for network building events among young
Japanese researchers.
JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 6

気付き – ADVISER’S INSIGHT IN THE BAY AREA
By Yoshiko Motooka, Adviser of JSPS San Francisco

Polish up the Skills of “Critical Thinking and Discussion”
I was profoundly impressed with the lecture that was part of theIntensive Course in English: “Global World and Academics; Insightsfrom American Universi es” of Osaka University D‐Leaning Series,
oﬀered by Osaka University San Francisco Center. It was a small‐group exercise lesson, given over three days, February 11th‐13th, 2013
Pacific Standard Time. Sixteen freshmen and sophomores from Osaka
University a ended these lectures.
In the first half, Prof. John Ino (UC San Francisco) gave the lecture,taking some controversial but personal issues accompanying the ad‐vances of science and technology; for example, gene c analysis (Dowe consider sex based by gene cs or hormones? Do you want toknow if you have the ‘Divorce Gene’ or ‘Alzheimer’s Gene’?).

Le : Prof. John Ino Right: Prof. Hiroshi Fukurai

In the la er half, Prof. Hiroshi Fukurai (UC Santa Cruz) delivered thelecture with more advanced themes such as the nuclear issue and ci zen par cipa on in law.
I would like to point out the excellent points of this course. The first is the well‐made structure of the lesson. At the
beginning, the students were instructed on cri cal thinking methods. Next, given the examples and basic knowledge on
the subject ma er, they first contemplated on it, and then exchanged opinions within small‐groups and finally shared
the opinions of the groups with everyone. Through numerous examples, they seemed to acquire cri cal thinking skills
and enjoy exchanging their opinions. Beginning with the easier issues and reaching to high‐level policy issues, this ex‐change was so meaningful for these young first and second year university students..
The second excellent point is the student support provided by the staﬀ.. In the classroom in Japan, the professor isthere to help students review the lecture at the end of each day. In the United States, it is said that the main method ofteaching in the classroom is interac ve and on the other end are lectures. As for the lectures, many universi es havesupport systems to help students understand them; for example computer‐based support or teaching assistants, andthey are working well. About ten years ago, when I went to university, the classes were almost all listening based lec‐tures and there were very few interac ve classes. I sincerely hope not only to increase interac ve classes but also toprovide stronger student support systems now and herea er in Japan.

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 7

THE OFFICE STAFF SWITCHJSPS San Francisco Wishes a Heartfelt Farewell to Program Coordinators
Daisuke Iwasawa and Koji Kurita have fulfilled their 1 year training as Program Coordinators for JSPS San Francisco.
Returning to Japan at the end of March, they start working for the universi es which they each belong to. Here aresome comments from our Program Coordinators about their stay in the U.S.
Daisuke Iwasawa, from Tokyo Gakugei University

Koji Kurita, from Kyushu University

Q1. What did you accomplish
during your me here in the
U.S. and with JSPS San Francis‐co?
I learned how to organize aninterna onal, large‐scale sym‐
posium through JUNBA withhelp from my colleagues andmember universi es. I also
visited many universi es in the
U.S. from the North to Southand East to West, cap vatedby their beau fully and orderly
designed campuses. There I could meet diverse, uniquemascot characters of American universi es.

Q1. What did you accomplish during your me here in the
U.S. and with JSPS San Francisco?
I could gain knowledge of the higher educa on systemin the U.S. by visi ng universi es and talking with facul‐
es and administra ve staﬀs. Addi onally, it was a valua‐
ble opportunity for me to know the research ac vi es ofyoung Japanese researchers in the U.S. through the gath‐erings in our oﬃce and by visi ng their laboratories.

Q2. What will you miss the most about America?
I’m sorry that I will no longer be able to see the wonder‐
ful view of San Francisco from my apartment in Albany.
The cityscape of San Francisco lined with skyscrapers andthe red‐colored Golden Gate Bridge with the deep blue
sea and sky have always relaxed me. I will also miss thedelicious pineapple duck curry from my most favorite Thai
‐California Eatery “Gecko Gecko,” which is located just in
front of our oﬃce.

Q2. What will you miss the most about America?
I will miss the beau ful scene
on the coast around the bay
area. Especially, the “Pacific
Coast Highway” is my most fa‐
vorite driving course and I en‐
joyed seeing the landscapewhile driving. The beauty of thecloudless sky and deep blue sea
on the west coast is unforge a‐
bly impressive for me. Of
course, I will also miss my won‐
derful co‐workers and the SFoﬃce.

JSPS San Francisco Always Welcomes Your NewsWe are looking forward to hearing your news regarding interna onal related events and so on.
If you have any news about your ins tu on or your research, please feel free to ask us about including it in thisnewsle er.
This newsle er will be distributed to interna onal sec ons in Japanese universi es and subscribers in the Bay
Area.
Contact: JSPS San Francisco
E‐mail: webmaster@jspsusa‐sf.org / URL: h p://www.jspsusa‐sf.org/index_j.php

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 8BAY AREA & JAPAN RELATED NEWSKOCHI UNIVERSITY
Kochi University Research Project“Center of Biomembrane Functions Controlling Biological
Systems”
The cell, basic unit of life, consists of the genome system (nucleic acids and their primary products, proteins) and themembrane wrapping it, which are both indispensable. The membrane defines the unit boundary in which the genome
system works. The membrane serves as the interface between the cell and its environment, and mediates communica‐
on between them.
In the Center of Biomembrane Func ons Controlling Biological Systems (CBM), we intend to approach biological sys‐
tems from the viewpoint of biomembranes. Biomembranes consist of lipids and glycans that are not a direct product of
the gene. Addi onally, membrane proteins that are a direct product of the gene are integrated into them, forming afunc onal unit (Fig. 1). So far, understanding of the genome system is considerably progressed by genomics and prote‐
omics research. However, li le is known about biomembranes.
In the CBM, we aim at elucida on of the biomembrane func ons to control biological systems (Fig. 2). To this end,
three groups explore the following themes (Fig. 3).
Theme 1: Discovery of unknown components of the membrane structure (by Component Group).
Theme 2: Iden fica on of molecular interac ons in the biomembranes that collaborate for forming a func onal unit
(by Network Group).
Theme 3: Elucida on of signal transduc on pathways from the membrane to the nucleus, and vice versa (by Signal
Group).
In the CBM, experts in a variety of fields of medicine collaborate with each other: biochemists and molecular biolo‐
gists that are experts in carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids; pharmacologists, microbiologist and immu‐
nologist that have concerns about biological phenomena in their respec ve areas of exper se; and pathologists andclinicians that have ques ons in terms of clinical issues.
The CBM will foster youthful scien sts studying biomembranes and also support clinicians and researchers outside
the CBM for their researches at the molecular level.

Fig. 1. Supramolecular assembly
as a functional unit in biomembranes
JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Fig. 2. Aim of the CBM project.

Page 9BAY AREA & JAPAN RELATED NEWS

Fig. 3. Missions of the CBM project.
Contact: Koichi Honke, Department of Biochemistry, Kochi University Medical School,
E-mail: khonke@kochi-u.ac.jp
URL: http://www.kochi-ms.ac.jp/~cbm/english/index.htm

TIER Symposium "Cultivating Global
Leaders through World-Class University Collaborations"
On January 17, 2013, TIER Symposium tled “Cul va ng Global Leaders through World‐Class University Collabora‐ons” was held at Tokyo Ins tute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Ookayama Campus. TIER (Tokyo Ins tute of Technology
Interna onal Educa on and Research) Program, implemented under MEXT’s funding scheme "Re‐inven ng Japan Pro‐ject" is Tokyo Tech’s flagship ini a ve to promote interna onal exchange. In 2012, two unique research‐based ex‐change programs, TKT CAMPUS Asia and TiROP, were launched for this purpose with Tokyo Tech’s designated partner
universi es in Asia, Europe and the US.
This symposium served as a pla orm for Tokyo Tech and its world‐class partner universi es to introduce their own leading interna onal
programs, exchange informa on and discuss interna onal collabora‐
ons in order to cul vate global techno‐scien fic leaders. Approxi‐
mately 150 guests from various world‐class partner universi es, em‐bassies, associated organiza ons as well as Tokyo Tech’s own faculty
members were in a endance for this one‐day event.
Discussions and presenta ons were held throughout the day, oﬀer‐
ing many great ideas and approaches for improving interna onal col‐labora ons between Tokyo Tech and its partner universi es. Tokyo
Tech would like to thank everyone involved in making this event suc‐cessful and will con nue to work diligently towards becoming one of President Yoshinao Mishima giving the opening remaks
the top science and technology universi es in the world.
Invited universi es for presenta ons:
University of Tokyo; Keio University; Korea Advanced Ins tute of Science and Technology; Tsinghua University; Hong
Kong University of Science and Technology; Nanyang Technological University; Del University of Technology; RWTH
Aachen University; California Ins tute of Technology; University of California, Berkeley; Georgia Ins tute of Technolo‐gy.
JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 10BAY AREA & JAPAN RELATED NEWS
Saitama University Brain Science InstituteThe research project of Junichi Nakai laboratory
Saitama University Brain Science Ins tute aims to implement research related to the clarifica on and applica on ofbrain func on from the viewpoint of life science, science, and engineering. Bringing together brain science and thetechnical research related to brain science conducted in Saitama University, we a empt to give the outcome back. In
our ins tute, Professor Junichi Nakai and his colleagues are working to reveal how neuronal networks func on in thebrain. Imaging the ac vi es of individual neurons in vivo with gene cally encoded fluorescent molecular probes is apromising method for understanding neuronal network func ons. Since we published our original green fluorescentprotein (GFP)‐based Ca2+ probe G‐CaMP (Nature Biotechnology 19, 137‐141, 2001), G‐CaMP and its improved variants
have been applied for func onal studies in model animals in various research fields (We have received hundreds ofrequests for G‐CaMPs from researchers in the world, including requests from University of California in the Bay Area
and from Montana State University in northwestern US). We recently developed a high‐sensi vity G‐CaMP termed G‐
CaMP6 and applied this probe for Ca2+ imaging of dendri c spines, the puta ve post‐synap c sites. As a result, withthe use of G‐CaMP6‐ac n, our new probe for spine Ca2+ imaging, we found that even sub‐threshold s mula ons cantrigger spine Ca2+ responses. The laboratory is wide open to graduate students and young researchers who are enthu‐
sias c to reveal how neuronal networks func on in the brain. There is no restric on to na onality. For more details,
please visit <h p://subsi.saitama‐u.ac.jp/>

Fig. 1. Operating principle of G-CaMP

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Fig. 2. Imaging of Ca2+ activities at individual dendritic spines in
response to sub- or supra-threshold stimulations

Page 11BAY AREA & JAPAN RELATED NEWSHOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
Leadership Skills are Keys for Women Scientists
to Break the Glass Ceiling
Modeled a er the ADVANCE program of the Na onal Science Founda on (NSF), the Japanese na onal project start‐
ed in 2006, ini ally at 10 universi es including Hokkaido University. Our aim is to promote representa on of women inacademic science and technology and to support their careers along with their families. Although more than 70 univer‐si es and na onal ins tutes have implemented the project to date, the ra o of women who assume leadership posi‐
ons remains disappoin ngly low.
Hokkaido University has been developing programs to prepare
future faculty by adop ng the methods of UC Berkeley. The sup‐port oﬃce for Female Researchers in Hokkaido University(FResHU) applied UC Berkeley’s methods to devise two days of
instruc ve workshops for young female faculty aspiring to beacademic leaders in science, engineering and agriculture fields.
Instructors Dr. Linda von Hoene and Dir. Sabrina Soracco from UC
Berkeley provided an original, tailor‐made program. Fi een par‐cipants, including four from other Japanese universi es ac vely
promo ng women in science, enjoyed the leadership workshop
at Niseko in September last year and formed a “young girls’ net‐work” to help break ground and ceiling. This fall we’ll be oﬀeringboth introductory and more advanced leadership workshops, of a similar scope, to be led by the same instructors fromBerkeley.
Endowing women scien sts and female mo vated stu‐
dents with leadership skills is a priority at Hokkaido Universi‐
ty and throughout Japan. We now proudly add “Girls” to thecredo “Boys be ambi ous”, which are the immortal words ofDr. William Clark, an American scien st who contributed
significantly to the establishment more than 150 years ago.
Women are poised to be pivotal in future scien fic eﬀorts tosecure sustainable development for our global village. We
Japanese are a few steps behind, but s ll on the same pathand an cipate achieving the same goals. We thus have a lot
to share and gain through the course of steadfast coopera‐
on between our two countries.

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 12BAY AREA & JAPAN RELATED NEWSHOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY
Research and Development of Astronomical High-contrast
Instruments – Towards Discovery of a “Second Earth”
The Laboratory of Photonics Engineering of Hokkaido University has been studying high‐contrast astronomical instru‐
ments called coronagraphs, for observing exoplanets (planets orbi ng around stars other than the Sun). Observa on of
the exoplanets is extremely diﬃcult because planets are very faint compared with their host stars. For example, theEarth is expected to be 10 billion mes fainter than the Sun. Coronagraphs must be designed to eﬃciently eliminate
bright starlight and detect only faint planetary light. We expect that detailed analysis of the detected planetary lightwill enable us to characterize planetary atmospheres and ul mately discover signs of life!
I will be staying at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of California Ins tute of Technology from March to De‐
cember 2013. JPL has a state‐of‐the‐art coronagraph simulator, called the High‐Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT), forsimula ng observa ons from space using various coronagraphs. I plan to research and develop a coronagraph with theul mate aim of discovering a “second Earth”. If you are interested in our research, please contact me during my stay at
JPL.

Contact Informa on:
Contact person: Naoshi MURAKAMI
E‐mail: nmurakami@eng.hokudai.ac.jp
Aﬃlia on 1: Laboratory of Photonics Engineering, Division of Applied Physics, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido
University, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060‐8628, Japan
Aﬃlia on 2: Science Division, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
URL 1: h p://www.eng.hokudai.ac.jp/labo/photonic/index‐e.html
URL 2: h p://science.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm

Fig. 1. Logo of JPL.

Fig. 2. Photograph of HCIT at JPL. A coronagraphsimulator is installed in a vacuum chamber.

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 13BAY AREA & JAPAN RELATED NEWS
Tohoku University
Tohoku University Center Opens at University ofCalifornia Riverside
On February 1, 2013 Tohoku University opened the Tohoku University Center at its partner school, the University ofCalifornia Riverside (UCR) Extension Center. An opening ceremony was held on February 11 (Monday), local me.
Tohoku University (all campuses) was selected for the Japanese government's Project for the Promo on of Global
Human Resource Development.* In connec on with this, the Tohoku University Center will play a role in the cri cal
areas of promo ng the interna onaliza on of educa on and fostering global human resources, by further improving
our overseas study and educa on environment in coopera on with UCR.
Specifically, the center will be Tohoku University's on‐site hub for coopera on and organiza on with UCR in jointly
planning, developing, and implemen ng various study‐abroad programs for fostering global human resources. In addi‐
on, it will provide informa on on studying abroad to both Tohoku University and UCR students and func on as a liai‐
son oﬃce.
The ci es where the two universi es are located ‐Riverside for UCR and Sendai for Tohoku University‐ are sister
ci es. In 2007, four ins tu ons, including UCR and our university, signed a joint declara on to promote the exchangeof educa on, academic research and business‐academic es. This project is expected to be the center of a ripple eﬀect
that will s mulate coopera on with the regional community and internships with local enterprises.
At the event, around 100 people celebrated the opening, including Tohoku University President Satomi, UCR Chan‐cellor Jane Close Conoley, Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey, and representa ves from relevant ins tu ons. In addi on,
current par cipants in short‐term study abroad programs from Tohoku University and UCR students who formerly
studied at Tohoku University were present.
*Project for Promo on of Global Human Resource Development
This project will provide focused financial support for programs that promote globaliza on in university‐level educa on that help Japaneseyouths overcome their "introverted tendencies," increase their interna onal workplace compe veness, and strengthen es between countries,
in order to foster "human resources" capable of ac vely mee ng the challenges of the global stage.

From le : Tohoku University President Satomi,
UCR Chancellor Jane Close Conoley, Riverside
Mayor Rusty Bailey

The UCR Extension Center,home of the Tohoku University Center

Contact email: tuc‐riverside@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp(Tohoku University Center at UCR / Tohoku University, Student Exchange Division)
JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 14INTERVIEW WITH JSPS FELLOW IN THE U.S
Dr. Shun’ichiro AKIKUSA
2006‐2009: JSPS Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo (DC1)
2009: Ph.D., The University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Humani es and Sociology
2009‐2012: JSPS Research Fellow at the University of Tokyo (PD)2009‐2010: Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Wisconsin ‐Madison / theExcellent Young Researcher Overseas Visit Program of JSPS
2012‐: Visi ng Researcher at the Compara ve Literature at Harvard University(Through the Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad)
Generally speaking, savants of humani‐ scholar‐runner, physical condi oning is ama er of ul mate importance. In this re‐es don’t have any lab or prac ce room
for research. Instead of a common labora‐ gard I appreciate Harvard for oﬀering me
tory or compulsory labor, literary scholars not only Bloge pool with abundant water
have the privilege of doing their job any‐
but also Haruki Murakami’s favorite jog‐
where you can indulge yourself in reading ging course along Charles River.
books, e.g. a quiet reading room both in
the library and your own house (if you are Q4: What is your dream? And do you haveany advice about doing research abroada happy bachelor), or a cozy café on afor young researchers?
street corner. From this point of view,
For the first ques on, I would like to
Q1: Why did you choose the U.S. to pursue coﬀee houses in Cambridge are not soyour research?
quote
the answer of Dr. Yukio Nakano, mybad; I assure you that you can taste strong
The reason why I have reached Cam‐
formercolleague in graduate school at thecoﬀee served Japanese style while enjoy‐
bridge is because I would like to reconsid‐ ing free Wi‐Fi at café Dwell me.
University of Tokyo—“My dream is very
simple. To con nue studying litera‐er my works under the term “World Liter‐
ature.” In his monograph, Professor David Q3: What merits do you derive from con‐ ture” (JSPS News Le ers, Vol. 18, June
duc ng your research in the U.S.?
2010). This is a common dream for all lit‐
Damrosch, a leading scholar in this area
I became acquainted with an amicableand my present adviser at Harvard, de‐erary scholars, I believe.
literary professor visi ng here while on hisfines World Literature not as a canon of
For young scholars, I would like to ad‐
texts like old huge anthologies in manysabba cal. He took many courses, played vise you to keep maintaining your aca‐
volumes but as a kind of more fluid sub‐mpani and went to concerts every night.
demic network regularly a er leaving the
stance, a mode of circula on and reading. Although, unfortunately, I am u erly igno‐ U. S. It is a treasure of life, worthy of being
As a World‐literature‐ologist, I myself try rant of how many papers and monographs
revisited again and again. Three years ago,
he would have published in his way of
to circulate through the wider world.
I studied at UW‐Madison for a year,
researching, my approach to literature isthanks to the Excellent Young Researcher
Q2: What is your impression of the re‐diﬀerent from him. Instead of taking many Overseas Visit Program of JSPS. I enjoyedsearch environment in the U.S.? How is it courses, I need a more isolated circum‐
interac ng with grad students and schol‐diﬀerent from your lab in Japan?
stance. Though temporal conversa on
Since I have arrived at Cambridge, I have with erudite colleagues adds relish to the ars in Madison Isthmus. The Madison‐
mafia‐connec on is s ll living and has
been circula ng through splendid libraries cut‐and‐dry life of research, literary study
helpedme ever since. Addi onally, a ersuch as Widner, Lamont and Houghton at is a personal, solitary business as a rule.
experiencing a super hibernal season in
Harvard. I have also visited other universi‐ Studying in a foreign country bestows a
Madison, I feel much warmer in the winterty’s acclaimed archives such as Beinecke
proper solitude with linguis c barriers on of New England.
at Yale and Amherst Center for Russianyou. I always appreciate JSPS for giving me
Culture at Amherst. I have always beenthese two years of solitude in Cambridge.
impressed by American openness which
Instead of cymbals and concerts, I need to
you can find not only in their library’s
exercise every other day, e.g., jogging,open‐stack system but also in their open‐ rope‐skipping and swimming. To bear theminded hospitality towards foreigners.
loneliness of the long distance literary
Dr. Shun’ichiro AKIKUSA has mainly
been studying Vladimir Nabokov and histransla on (including his specific self‐
transla on and transla on theory). He iscurrently studying world literature, e.g.
contemporary Russian immigrant writersand self‐translated writers in the twen ‐eth century as well.

JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 15

INTERVIEW WITH JSPS FELLOW IN THE U.S
Dr. Hiroyuki CHISHIRO
2008: B.S., Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University
2010: M.S., Graduate School of Science for Open and Environmental Systems, Keio
University
2012: Ph.D., Graduate School of Science for Open and Environmental Systems, Keio
University
2012 ‐ present: JSPS Research Fellow (PD) / Visi ng Researcher at Faculty of Sci‐
ence and Technology, Keio University / Visi ng Scholar at The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill
Dr. Hiroyuki Chishiro is a visi ng re‐searcher in the Department of Informa on
and Computer Science at Keio University.
He is also a visi ng scholar at The Universityof North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received
his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Keio
University in 2008, 2010, and 2012 respec‐vely. His research interests include real‐me scheduling, real‐ me opera ng sys‐tems, real‐ me communica on, and distrib‐
uted real‐ me middleware.

from your lab in Japan?
First of all, the labs in the U.S. have fewer
students or visi ng scholars in each oﬃce.
By contrast, in my Japanese lab, all students
work in one oﬃce. In addi on, I share my
U.S. oﬃce with a student from another lab.
Therefore, I can discuss my research not
only with my colleagues but also with othergroups. I think that this is a good system topromote research.
Next, a ending UNC’s events is just as
important as doing research, especiallybasketball games. Though students arebusy doing research, they watch basketballgames and cheer for UNC’s basketballteam. UNC is best known as Michael Jor‐
dan’s gradua ng school. Therefore, I likeand enjoy UNC’s environment, including
both research and daily life.

Q1: Why did you choose the U.S. to pursue
your research?
My research topic, “real‐ me opera ng
systems,” is led by the U.S., especially by
my U.S. advisor, Prof. James H. Anderson.
His lab develops a mul processor real‐ meLinux opera ng system to provide a usefulexperimental pla orm for applied real‐ mesystems research. In the real‐ me commu‐ Q3: What merits do you derive fromnity, many researchers simulate the eﬀec‐
conduc ng your research in the U.S.?
veness of mul processor real‐ me sched‐
The first merit is to get advice from manyuling, but his lab demonstrates it in prac ‐ excellent researchers. I some mes talkcal systems. The research policy of his lab is about my research and get feedback fromvery close to my own so I decided to collab‐ them to improve my research. Without
orate with him.
their feedback, my research could not
becomebe er.
The other reason why I chose the U.S. isgood researchers must have good English
communica on and discussion skills to ex‐
plain their opinions.
Q4: What is your dream? And do you haveany advice about doing research abroad foryoung researchers?
My first dream is to find the best mul ‐processor real‐ me scheduling in real‐ me
opera ng systems. To do this, I collaborate
with Prof. James. H. Anderson. Mul proces‐sor real‐ me scheduling has trade‐oﬀs be‐
tween real‐ me capacity and overhead.
Many researchers in the real‐ me commu‐
nity explore the best real‐ me capacity of
mul processor real‐ me scheduling formany years but never find it. Therefore, I
would like to find and demonstrate that mymul processor real‐ me scheduling is best.

My second dream is to make use of mymul processor real‐ me scheduling in actu‐
al real‐ me systems. For example, autono‐
mous mobile cars are excellent target appli‐
ca ons in my research topic. However,there are many prac cal problems to real‐ize them. For example, they must manage
many sensors and actuators to control
themselves. These tasks require strong real‐me capacity so that exis ng mul proces‐that many products and services made in
The second merit is to collect informa on
sor
real‐ me scheduling is not enough to
the U.S. are popular in Japan; for example, easily. Many leading researchers and devel‐sasfy
it. There is hope that my best mul ‐(i) hardware products (i.e. Corei7, Fusion,
opers come to UNC to talk about their re‐processor
real‐ me scheduling can solve
Cortex‐A9, and GeForce) developed by In‐
search and development projects. In Japan,
these
problems.
tel, AMD, ARM, and NVIDIA Corpora ons,
there are hardly these opportuni es.
(ii) opera ng systems (i.e., Windows andI strongly recommend that young re‐Thanks to these opportuni es, I am ex‐Mac) by Microso and Apple Corpora ons, posed to many state‐of‐the‐art topics insearchers research abroad. Surely, there
and (iii) web services (i.e. search engine,computer science. Acquiring this knowledge will be some problems including English,
storage system, and website design) by
culture, and environment but these prob‐
is important to conduc ng research.
Google and Yahoo Corpora ons. This grants
lems can be solved. If you would like to do
The third merit is to improve English
me an opportunity to study products andexcellent research, you should seek out
communica on and discussion skills. There
services in many leading companies.
solu ons to these problems; research is a
are many opportuni es to talk about myself
inEnglish so that I can explain myself easier challenge!
Q2: What is your impression of the research
environment in the U.S.? How is it diﬀerent than when I had visited UNC. I think that
JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Page 16

INTERVIEW WITH JSPS FELLOW IN THE U.S
Dr. Masayuki SAKAMOTO
2003‐2007: B.S., Department of Pharmaceu cal Sciences, Gifu Pharmaceu cal University
2007‐2009: M.S., Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University
2009‐2012: Ph.D., Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University
2010‐2012: JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scien sts (DC2)
2012‐present: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University
2012‐present: JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad
Dr. Masayuki Sakamoto received his
ed to go abroad and study at the laborato‐
Ph.D. from the graduate school of Biostud‐ ry of Dr. Rafael Yuste. He is a pioneer inthe field of two‐photon imaging in theies, Kyoto University in 2012. He studied
mammalian brain, and kindly allowed me
adult neurogenesis in the Ins tute for
Virus Research (Supervisor: Dr. Ryoichiro to study in his laboratory.
Kageyama). He studied the func onal
roles of newly born neurons in the olfacto‐ Q2. What is your impression of the re‐ry bulb. He found that con nuous neuro‐ search environment in the U.S.?
genesis is required for the innate olfac on How is it diﬀerent from your lab in Japan?
In my opinion, the lab research environ‐‐dependent ac vi es (i.e. ma ng behav‐
ment
is very diﬀerent from Japan. First,
iors, maternal nursing). A er ge ng his
thework‐life
balance is diﬀerent from
Ph.D., he started to work at the Depart‐
Japan.
Unlikeresearchers in Japan, mostment of Biological Sciences, Columbia Uni‐
researchersinthe U.S. do not stay at theversity (Supervisor: Dr. Rafael Yuste). Now
laboratory
late.
They focus on their work
he is learning an imaging technique andbetween9am
to5pm. They cherish theirtrying to visualize neural ac vi es withfamilyandspend
more me with them.
gene cally encoded indicators. This skill isTheseconddiﬀerenceis the organiza on
necessary to understand our brain func‐
of
scien
fic
mee
ngs.
Duringthe mee ng,
on and will lead to the development of
they
thoroughly
discuss
theirresearch
new therapies and drugs for the treat‐with colleagues. Researchers are willing toment of neuronal diseases.
discuss both posi ve and nega ve results.
Q1. Why did you choose the U.S. to pur‐ Furthermore, there are many interdiscipli‐
sue your research?
nary mee ngs which can provide various
Recent advances in science and technol‐ points of view. These mee ngs are very
ogy are remarkable. They make things
helpful for my research.
considered impossible just a decade ago
Q3. What merits do you derive from con‐become possible. One of the powerful
duc ng your research in the U.S.?
tools that I am interested in is a two‐
There are two advantages. The first one
photon microscope. Using this micro‐
iscollabora
on between scien sts inscope, we can monitor neuronal ac vi es
diﬀerent fields. They are very coopera ve,
in living animals. When I was a Ph.D stu‐and I can get helpful comments and sug‐dent, I studied rela onships between
ges ons from various points of view.
adult neurogenesis and brain func ons
with gene c methods. Through this study, Thanks to this advantage, my project pro‐
gresses smoothly. The second one is theI realized that these methods had some
limita ons. In order to understand neural opportunity to experience foreign cul‐
func ons, it is necessary to apply imaging tures. As for New York City, there aretechniques. Two‐photon imaging has been many forms of entertainment, such as art,
music, and sports. We don’t have many
popularly used in the past ten years inopportuni es to get in touch with these
European and American countries. How‐
cultures in Japan. I believe these experi‐
ever, two‐photon techniques have notences will cul vate my sensibili es andbeen widely used in Japanese laborato‐ries. To learn two‐photon imaging, I decid‐ will be helpful to my future.
JSPSSFNewsletter/Vol.29/March 2013

Q4. What is your dream?
And do you have any advice about doing
research abroad for young researchers?
My dream is to clarify neural networks
and func ons that are unknown at pre‐sent, and to apply my findings to clinicalresearch. As you know, our brain has avery complex structure and there are a lotof things that we don’t know. Also, there
are an increasing number of people suﬀer‐
ing from neuronal disease (Alzheimer dis‐ease, Parkinson disease, and Schizophre‐nia). Imaging techniques provide a power‐
ful tool that can facilitate dissec ng com‐plex brain structure and understanding
func onal rela onships within neural net‐
works. I believe that understanding brain
networks and func ons using imaging willlead to the development of therapies anddrugs for treatment of these neurodegen‐era ve diseases.
Finally, as a message to young research‐ers, I recommend them to go abroad fortheir research. Doing research abroad will
be a great experience for your life as well
as research career. Please don’t hesitate
to go abroad. It’s true that Japan has a lotof advantages over other countries andyou may struggle with diﬀerent languages
and cultures. However, you can learn a lotof things, such as the way to work andcommunicate through research abroad.
These skills are indispensable for scien sts
who will succeed in an interna onal com‐munity. Also, you can see Japan from theoutside. English skill does not ma er. The
important thing is a strong will to do re‐search abroad. Doing research in anothercountry will be a precious experience foryour future and will make you a be er
scien st. Therefore, I strongly encourage
young scien sts to go abroad.