At Aogaku, I was a member of the first class of the laboratory of Professor Miki Hasegawa in the Department College of Science and Engineering (now Department of Chemistry and Biological Science) in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. At that time, I was attracted to the photochemistry of complexes using a group of metallic elements called rare earths, and I devoted myself to researching rare earth complexes until I completed my doctoral program.

I don't think it was too difficult, but since I didn't have any seniors to ask about things I didn't understand, I actively read a lot of books and papers to improve my knowledge, and at the same time, Professor Hasegawa gave me careful advice and guidance on everything from the basics of how to conduct research to writing my doctoral thesis, and I was able to carry out my research with his help.

At that time, students in College of Science and Engineering studied at the Atsugi Campus in their first year and at the Setagaya Campus from their second year, but when I was in my fourth year, the campus moved to Sagamihara City. The move was a lot of work, but at the same time, it was a rare and valuable opportunity to move research and experimental equipment.

Professor Hasegawa, who has many connections with researchers from other universities and research institutes through collaborative research, offered me the opportunity to continue my research during the move, and I was given the chance to temporarily go to Hokkaido University to conduct research for a few months. During that time, I used a high-speed emission spectrometer that can sequentially observe the emission of molecules at the picosecond level for the first time, and measured a rare earth complex that I had synthesized. For the first time, I was able to capture the transfer of energy from organic molecules to metal ions within a molecule. When I saw the data results, I was shocked. I had originally been considering going on to a doctoral course at graduate school, but this experience was the deciding factor in my decision to continue.

It's really good that such a system exists. However, I think there are still many people who don't know about it, or who are hesitant to continue to graduate school due to financial or career reasons. So, in order to let people with such concerns know about it, I think it is important for graduate students who are using this system, like Hashimoto-san, to clearly appeal to them what kind of experiences they have had and what kind of support they have received. Rather than from faculty, it would be best for students to talk to each other and share real information, encouraging those who are considering continuing to a doctoral program.

In Professor Hasegawa's laboratory, I was immersed in research aiming for unknown discoveries, but at the same time, I was able to gain experience in guiding junior colleagues and how to manage a laboratory. And above all, I saw Professor Hasegawa leading the laboratory with a smile even in difficult times, and with a bright and powerful attitude, so I definitely dreamed of having my own laboratory in the future. However, after researching rare earth elements for a long time, I also felt that I could not see how I could contribute to society. I felt like a frog in a well, and I thought that I could not continue like this, when a researcher from Sony Corporation (hereinafter Sony) contacted me through Professor Hasegawa about starting a new project. So I decided to go outside the university for a while and think about what society wants and what I can do, and decided to join the company.

I was involved in research to develop imaging elements (semiconductor sensors that convert light into electrical signals) using organic molecules. I was able to gain a wide range of experience, including working on the semiconductor manufacturing process from scratch, how to approach the business division with research results, and how to work together to create products, so the things I learned there are still useful in my current research.

I didn't think like that. I joined the company intending to work for a company for a long time, but of course a company has to bring products to market, so no matter how many interesting properties I found in my research, I was faced with the dilemma of not being able to continue research that didn't lead to product development. Research aimed at commercialization is a little different from research at a university. I wanted to pursue research into the unknown, so I decided to return to university.

During my time at the company, my only achievements were patents, and because of my research theme, I didn't have many opportunities to give presentations at academic conferences, so it was tough. I applied for an assistant professor position through a public recruitment, and was lucky enough to be hired as an assistant professor by Professor Miyasaka Tsutomu of Toin University of Yokohama. Professor Miyasaka had also done research in a company, and he welcomed me with the feeling that he would be very happy to accept someone with a track record in the company. However, since it was a fixed-term employment, I continued to look for the position I wanted and apply for public recruitments.

Not at all. I am currently conducting basic research at a university, but I have a strong awareness that it must become a product or have some other shape in the future. Since it is not possible to commercialize something on one's own, I believe that my role is to promote the results of my basic research to companies and contribute to improving Japan's technological capabilities through joint research and industry-academia collaboration. I think that this awareness was cultivated thanks to the fact that I was engaged in development aimed at practical application at a company.

There are certainly such concerns. Compared to regular companies, employment is unstable, so in that sense it may be difficult. However, universities offer more flexibility in terms of working hours than companies, so it is easier to work while raising children. In my case, I sometimes take my children to university events, and now academic conferences have daycare centers so I can attend even with my children. Employment types are also changing little by little, and more and more universities are offering "tenure track systems" where you are employed for a fixed term, but if you pass the subsequent screening, you can become a lifetime employee. In addition, there are many grant systems that support the balance of childbirth and childcare and research. I also took maternity leave when I was working in the Miyasaka Laboratory as a JST Sakigake researcher, and Sakigake has a system to support life events, so I was able to extend my research period up to the amount of time I had interrupted. I think it will be fine if you collect information about such systems carefully.

My first child was in the Miyasaka Laboratory, and my second child was in the Hasegawa Laboratory. At the time, I was employed on a fixed-term basis, and although I was able to take maternity leave, I couldn't take childcare leave unless I had a certain amount of term left at the time of application. Now, the conditions have been relaxed, and it seems that it is becoming easier to take childcare leave even if you are employed on a fixed-term basis. In my case, I didn't take much childcare leave after giving birth, but everyone around me, including Professor Hasegawa and Professor Miyasaka, was understanding and cooperative, so I was able to balance work and childcare. I am very grateful for everyone's support.

Although there are many and many things I have to do, I've gotten better at managing my time since I started raising my child. I can switch my mind and concentrate on my work while my child is at daycare, and then when I get home I can play as hard as I can with my child. This way I can balance work and childcare, which is refreshing and fun.

In fact, when I was at Aogaku, I also watched Professor Hasegawa juggle work with childbirth and childcare. I was a university student at the time, so it was my first time to see a working woman give birth and continue to work after giving birth. It was a great learning experience, and I followed Professor Hasegawa as a role model. Thanks to Professor Hasegawa, I didn't think it was unusual for a woman to do research while raising a child. Now, the environment is gradually improving, but I think it's because of the efforts made by the professors of Professor Hasegawa's generation. We need to carry on that tradition.

In our laboratory, we develop optoelectronic devices and nanomaterials that make it easier to use "invisible light" and "difficult-to-use light." There is a type of light that cannot be seen by the human eye, such as weak light, near-infrared light, and polarized light. As with the human eye, we can generally only use light in a limited range of the visible spectrum efficiently, but if we could convert near-infrared light into visible light, for example, we could effectively use light that could not be used in solar cells until now.

Perovskite solar cells, which are said to be the next generation of solar cells, are light and flexible and have excellent properties, but they are made of materials that cannot absorb near-infrared light. Therefore, we are working on developing new materials that can convert and utilize the unused light.

Professor Miyasaka is a leading researcher in the field of perovskite solar cells. I started researching perovskites when I was in the Miyasaka Laboratory, but rather than doing research in the very heart of that field, I am currently researching how to improve their functionality while still taking advantage of their properties. For example, if we create a helical perovskite using organic compounds in a clever way, we can detect circularly polarized light, which is invisible to the naked eye. If we can create such an optical sensor, we will be able to capture and use previously invisible light information.

During the doctoral program, it is extremely important to acquire advanced expertise and deep knowledge. The reason is that if you try to tackle a wide variety of things at the doctoral program stage, your knowledge will become shallow. A doctorate is a qualification for specialists in a field, so if you obtain the qualification properly and then interact with people in different fields, you will be able to come up with ideas from a different perspective than those in that field. I am currently working on a large project with professors from various fields, and although our fields are completely different, such as organic synthesis, physics, and information optics, we are all specialists, so it is very fun to talk to them. I'm sure that Mr. Hashimoto's knowledge and experience are expanding rapidly right now, so you'll be fine. There is no need to worry about not being able to come up with ideas.

Nowadays, companies need new things, and the demand for people with doctorates is increasing, which I think is a very good direction. Japan's biggest weakness is its lack of resources, so we need to create new value, and we need to be able to develop technology and manufacturing. I personally do research with the desire to improve Japan's technological capabilities, and I think it is very important to nurture students with high technical skills. In other words, I strongly want to contribute to improving Japan's technological capabilities through research and education. Like a "servant leader*" who embodies Aoyama 's school motto, "Salt of the earth, light of the world," I would like to continue to work hard to contribute to society as a researcher and educator. I'm sure that the high level of expertise and knowledge that Mr. Hashimoto has cultivated at Aogaku will be useful wherever he goes.

*A person who discovers his or her own mission, willingly serves people and society, and is guided by that way of life.

It's the joy of discovering something unknown. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything else. Research is not a hobby, so it's important to have dreams and passion to pursue.

I may have felt down at times, but there were few doctoral students around me, so I had to gather information myself to survive, and if there was something I wanted to know, I had to approach my professor myself. It felt like I was constantly training myself. In a lab with few people, it can be tough to be entrusted with a position of responsibility, but in the end, I think that experience helped me develop the ability to act proactively.

It's important to worry. Worrying is never a waste of time. Choosing a path without thinking is out of the question. No matter how difficult it may be, you should definitely worry. If you choose a path after worrying, you will never regret it. I want to tell students that even if you make a mistake, you can always start over. Your first job does not determine your future. For example, you can go back to school in your late 30s to get a doctorate, or you can switch from a research position to a position in the humanities. If you believe that you can always start over, I'm sure you will be able to make bold choices.