Raku-Yu

KyotoUniversityNewsletter

Greetings from Kyoto-U AUTUMN 2003Issue 4

Sankakuen-Shinjyukyo (Bronze Mirrors)

Approx. 22.3cm in Diameter, Made in 3rd Century ChinaFound at Tsubai-Ootsukayama Tumulus, Kyoto Prefecture

Since its discovery in 1953, the Tsubai-Ootsukayama tumulus has yielded up a wealth of buried artifacts that tell us of relations between Japan andChina in the 3rd Century. Of these artifacts, more than 32 "Sankakuen-Shinjyukyo", which were excavated as a set, are of particular interest. They repre-sent about one-tenth the total number of such bronze mirrors that have been found in Japan to-date. Moreover, they are all supposed to be made inChina, thus providing important information with regard to the origins of similar bronze mirrors that have been found at digs all over the country.

A Sankakuen-Shinjyukyo is a mirror that has images embossed on its reverse side, arranged in concentric circles, with a rim that rises in a triangularshape to form an edge. These images typically depict wizards, spirits, and other supernatural beings from Chinese mythology. They are shown in allmanner of placements and sequences, and taxonomical studies of same have begun to reveal a wide range of information, including the eras in whichthey were made and their periods of widespread distribution.

Originally, mirrors were symbols of political authority, bestowed upon those of lower rank by those of higher rank. Conferring a mirror signified thatthe recipient was under the political influence of the one bestowing it. It is men-tioned in the Chinese historical record "Weizhi", of the ancient Japanese,that Queen Himiko, ruler of the Japanese Kingdom of Yamatai, wasgiven 100 bronze mirrors in 239 by the Wei dynasty, in return fortribute paid by her to the dynasty.

These mirrors tell us most eloquently that, although still in itsinfancy as a nation, 3rd-Century Japan was already an actor in thepolitical realm of East Asia.

C O N T E N T S

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“不如学”Nothing is better than LearningMakoto Nagao, President of Kyoto University

Forefronts of Research at Kyoto UniversityMitsuhiro Yanagida, Professor, Graduate School of Biostudies

Tetsuji Atsuji, Professor, Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies

Isao Akaoka, Director, Institute for the Promotion of Excellence in Higher Education

FEATURES

On the Grand Opening of the "Camphora" Cafe RestaurantThe 21st Century COE Program– List of Selected Programs in Kyoto University in FY 2003

The Founding of the "Field Science Education and Research Center" – To Create an Original Kind of Global Environmental Study that Seeks to Explicate Connections Between theEcologies of Forest, Human Habitation and Sea

Essay – Bilqis Amin Hoque, Visiting Professor, Disaster Prevention Research Institute

Interview – Rizaldi, Primate Research Institute

Activity – Sumo Club, Hartwig Handsur, Faculty of Law

Report – Student Lounge "KI-ZU-NA" : A Place for International Bonding

PROMENADE

Shinshindo Café – A Timeless Backdrop for the Lives of Kyoto University Students

Editor in Chief

Junzo Munemoto

Associate Editor

Hiroshi Utsumi

Senior Editors

Naoyuki OsakaJyuichi ItaniKouji AsamiKazunobu NagasakiAkira AsadaYuzuru Hamada

This name was taken from theassembly hall called "Raku-YuKaikan " that commemoratedthe 25th anniversary of thefounding of Kyoto University.

© The Committee of Public Relationsof Kyoto University

A Note on Order of NamesAs a general rule, names appearingin Raku-Yu are written in givenname/family name order.

Raku-Yu means to respect, treasure, and enjoyone's friendship.

Editor's notesThe root of the word "university" is "universitas," which refers to the guilds of instructors (learned men) and the students who learned from them in the

early days of colleges in such cities as Paris and Bologna in the 12th Century. The importance of the fact that "universitas," that is, the word that signifiesthe people who gather in such a place, rather than "studium," the word that meant "school" in those times, became the word that means places of highereducation, was brought home to us anew when we interviewed both leading researchers and students from around the world for this publication. Wewere only able to include the merest fraction of the wide-ranging research conducted at Kyoto University in this volume, to say nothing of the activities ofthe many people who conduct, and learn from, that research: scientists, students, and faculty alike. As editor, my greatest pleasure would be if you, thereader, were to grasp the breadth and depth of the vast desert that is here from this handful of grains of sand that we were able to deliver to you.

Junzo Munemoto, Editor in Chief, The Editorial Committee of Raku-yu

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I recently composed the Chinese calligraphy shown in theaccompanying photograph: "不如学," which means, "There IsNothing Better Than Learning." The expression in the Analects ofConfucius, dating back some 2500 years in Chinese history. Ishould like for us all to consider anew the significance of this idea.

My fellow professor, Isao Akaoka, asked me to do this work,even though I am an amateur calligrapher, engaging in the art as ahobby. In his capacity as Director of the Institute for thePromotion of Excellence in Higher Education, which wasfounded in April of this year, Prof. Akaoka also serves as vicepresident of Kyoto University. The Institute has sole responsibilityfor planning the liberal arts curriculum for the University as awhole, and for freshmen and sophomores in particular. When heasked me to do the work, he explained that he wanted me tocompose something with significance, an admonition to youngstudents, to be displayed in the atrium on the first floor of a newbuilding completed this past April, for the education of allfreshmen and sophomores, inclusive.

Once the majority of Japanese youth go to college, they forgetabout such things as diligence and dedication to learning,spending their time instead in the pursuit of pleasure. They haveno curiosity vis-à-vis scholarship. They lack that frame of mindthat is conducive to settling down to the serious pursuit of knowl-edge, a situation that I believe is down to their not having made acomplete transition from the acquisition of facts that has consti-tuted their studies through high school, to the pursuit ofknowledge that ought to be their objective in college. In response,the faculty of Kyoto University has been expending the utmosteffort to bring our students into direct contact with the waylearning at the university level should be, and thus instill interest inand enthusiasm for academic research, primarily by offeringsmall group seminars of 10 or fewer students and realtime dis-tance learning programs in association with UCLA.

It was in this context that I desired to send our students the

forceful message that they take their studies seriously. With that inmind, I put all my heart and soul into composing the calligraphyin question.

In order that we might reach the new and unique realm knownas creation, we must first have a thorough understanding of theachievements of academic pioneers. For it is only through under-standing what has already been learned that we may begin tounderstand what has yet to be discovered. Our own incursionsinto the unknown are built on the research achievements of ourgreat predecessors in academia. And the achievements of our ownresearches are the inventions, the new knowledge, the new theo-ries, that we are charged with accomplishing at university. Thecharacters of the first seal at the top left of the calli-graphic piece, "習至創" refer to this very idea that a thoroughunderstanding is the way to original creation.

Truly significant creation must explain the raison d'être of theworld. It matters not whether such creations come from thehumanities, social or natural sciences; they must contribute to theadvancement of our understanding of the world in which we liveif they are to have any meaning at all. Such creations underpin theexistence of the world, and are themselves closely linked to thevery roots of existence itself. Genuine creation is closely related tothe concept of "Dasein," or "being-there," as postulated by MartinHeidegger. It was with this idea in mind that I added a seal withthe characters "現存在者", which mean "one who is aware ofone's own 'Dasein'," after my signature on the piece.

It is my hope that upon viewing this calligraphic work, you, ourstudents, will be inspired to engage in research, and approachyour studies with sincerity and earnestness.

Makoto NagaoPresident of Kyoto University

Nothing Is Better Than Learning

Makoto Nagao Born in 1936. Dr. Nagao has spent the vast majority of his life at Kyoto University, first as a student, then a professor, and nowas the president. He has been the president since December 1997 and has dedicated to the improvement of the educational environment of theUniversity. One of the creators of Informatics Dr. Nagao hasstudied a number of fields of scholarship of his own volition.While in the engineering program during his student days, healso took part enthusiastically in literature and philosophycourses, and had participated in a psychological research groupover the past 20 years of his professorship. University studentsshould begin learning from the Doctor's very enjoyment of thepursuit of knowledge, as shown here. And Kyoto University is the

one place where it is possible todo so.

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phase', the resulting chromosomes, whichcontain two duplex DNA (sister chro-matids), are separated and segregated bythe spindle apparatus in a different cellcycle stage called the 'M-phase' (Figure1).Therefore chromosome segregation is apart of the cell cycle mechanism. TheM-phase could be described as a 'cellfestival', as cells become agitated, andmany unusual structures appear withinthe cell. Spectacular chromosome andspindle events occur very swiftly,leading to the culmination of fast sisterchromatid separation in the anaphase.

The high fidelity segregation ofchromosomes is fundamental for cellmultiplication, and cells are able tomanage the control of chromosomebehaviour in the M-phase with surpris-ingly high precision. If segregationbecomes abnormal by mutation, drug,radiation or stress, cells become lethalor aneuploid, leading to various diseasesin human such as Down syndrome, ormore commonly natural abortion.Many researchers suspect that earlycancerous cells contain abnormally seg-regated chromosomes.

My laboratory group has made a sys-tematic approach to develop ourunderstanding of the molecular mecha-nisms for regulation of cell cycle andchromosome segregation. A large numberof mutants defective in chromosomesegregation have been isolated, andtheir genes have been identified bycloning and sequencing. The functionof gene products (such as proteins)essential for sister chromatid separationhave been pursued by various cellularand molecular approaches. The interac-tions among these gene products andtheir roles in cell cycle regulations havealso been investigated. With the use ofthese mutants and identification of variousessential proteins, our research areashave become inevitably very broad.

Many proteins such as DNA topoiso-merase II, condensin, cohesin, tubulin andkinesin were found to be required forproper chromosome structure and spindleformation in the M-phase(Figure2).Furthermore, several kinetochore pro-teins were discovered and their functions

were shown to be essential for equalchromosome segregation. Other essen-tial components discovered include thesubunits of APC/cyclosome, the regulatorof proteasome and serine/threonineprotein phosphatase 1 (PP1).

I have to admit that in the beginningI was rather uninformed about proteindephosphorylation and ubiquitin-medi-ated proteolysis. I was unaware of thevery existence of many protein phos-phatases that later became favouriteresearch projects in my laboratory.

While initially I was an inattentivelistener of proteolysis talks in meetings,I was surprised to find that some geneproducts identified in my lab were veryimportant and extremely interesting,and turned out to be the componentsessential for ubiquitin-mediated prote-olysis. Naturally, we were dismayed byother research groups' discovery thatseveral mutants we were very muchinterested in were actually defective inthe destruction-box dependent polyu-biquitination of mitotic cyclin. Wemissed the existence of an APC/cyclo-some complex essential for this step.We were, however, fortunate to discoverthat the separase-securin (Cut1-Cut2protein) complex plays a pivotal rolefor coordination between sister chro-matid separation and cell cycle control.We found that securin/Cut2 is ubiquiti-nated by APC/cyclosome and degradedby a proteasome complex at the onset ofsister chromatid separation. If securin/Cut2is not degraded, the sister chromatids arenot separated. Separase/Cut1 is acti-vated when securin is degraded. It wasa most rewarding breakthrough to dis-cover that the mode of destruction forsecurin/Cut2 is the same as that of themitotic cyclin, a key regulator of thecell cycle. This discovery demonstratedthe mechanism by which sister chro-matid separation coordinates with thetiming of mitotic exit. Kim Nasmythand Frank Uhlmann showed thatbudding yeast separase/Esp1 has actualprotease activity and cleaves cohesinsubunit Scc1, a structure that adheressister chromatids together. Thus, thereare two steps of proteolysis that promote

Basis of Life Inheritance: How are chromosomes in a mother cellcorrectly segregated into two daughter cells?――The Regulation of Cell Cycle and Chromosome Segregation――

When I was a graduate student of theUniversity of Tokyo in the early sixties,I dreamt of being a laboratory head inthe future, and of studying the molecularbiology of the chromosome. At thetime the chromosome looked a chal-lengingly complex biological structure.It was many years before I had thechance to work on an actual chromo-some, as I spent ten years studying amodel structure, the head of the bacte-riophage T4. In recollection, it was anexcellent experience to engage in thestudy of a pure model organism; fellowinvestigators were friendly and helpful,and there was a warm comradeshipbetween us. In truth however, the headof T4 shares no common features withthe eukaryotic chromosome, except forthe fact that it consists of many proteinsand condensed DNA. What I learnedfrom T4 was the strategy of dissectingbiological problems into molecularterms. When I was promoted to a pro-fessor of Kyoto University in 1977, Ihad full enthusiasm to tackle the chro-mosome structure and the regulation ofits behaviour that was kept in my mindfor so many years.

Which eukaryotic organism should Ichoose to study the chromosome? Thiswas not an easy decision to make. Theorganism had to be amenable fordetailed genetic and biochemicalanalysis. Protozoan Chlamydomonasand yeast Saccharomyces were possiblechoices, but I was not convinced forvarious reasons. One day, MasayukiYamamoto, who later joined our researchteam, showed me a review articledescribing biological characteristics ofthe fission yeast Schizosaccharomycespombe. After reading this article andother related ones that night, I firmlybelieved that this was the organism that Ihad been looking for. The decision towork on S. pombe was like an impulsivepurchase of a new house, as I knew mylife for the next twenty-five years shouldbe strongly influenced by it. Luckily, Ihave been perfectly happy with theoutcome of this "impulsive purchase".

While chromosome DNA replicates ata cell division cycle stage called the 'S-

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sister chromatid separation. The firstproteolysis step is a destruction-boxdependent and ubiquitin-mediatedsecurin destruction that activates sepa-rase. The second proteolysis step is theseparase-dependent cleavage of cohesinthat releases the bonding of sister chro-matids.

A solid foundation is now placed forunderstanding complex molecularprocesses that lead to chromosome sep-aration and segregation in mitosis.However, our knowledge of the mecha-

nism of chromosome dynamics duringthe cell cycle is still limited. We maybe looking at only the tip of an iceberg.The principle of chromosome inheri-tance is conserved from yeast tohuman. As chromosomes are the actualsubstance of a genome, and transmis-sion of chromosomes from one cell toanother is the basis for life inheritance,chromosome biology will becomeincreasingly more important. We canexpect many surprising findings tocome in the future.

Mitsuhiro Yanagida・Born in 1941.・Graduate of the master's program, Graduate

School of Science,The University of Tokyo・D.Sc., The University of Tokyo ・Professor, Graduate School of Biostudies,

Kyoto University・URL http://kozo.biophys.kyoto-u.ac.jp/

"It seems to me that on the whole, Japan's intel-lectual community has been terribly insensitiveto issues of bioethics. I can see no recognition,at any level, that we should help persons inweaker and less fortunate circumstances thanourselves."Kyoto University has a bad reputation among foreignstudents: these are the first words out of the mouthof very likable Professor Yanagida. And, havingrepeatedly made this declaration on important occa-sions, in accordance with his own firmly held systemof values, it seems that he cannot ignore this reality.At the same time, he raises the possibility that totalend-to-end support may not, in fact, be in the bestinterests of the foreign students themselves after all.He emphasizes the necessity for the university tohave an overall vision of how it will deal with thesestudents. His view of the lack of consideration forminorities that underlies this problem is unrelentingin its severity. One can sense it regardless ofwhether he speaks of problems in education at theuniversity, or of the state of our society and how iteffects his own field of natural science research. Hemaintains a certain distance between himself and theworldly acclaim his research findings have received,in the form of numerous awards, by saying, "Theway I view my work is not the same as how othersview it." At the same time, however, on his own ini-tiative he warns of the lack of consideration, in bothJapan's science and technology policy and itssociety as a whole, for persons in weaker and lessfortunate circumstances. In Prof. Yanagida, one hasa sense of what might be one sort of idealized rela-tionship between scientists and society at-large.

In the laboratory, Prof.Yanagida receives reportsfrom students on theresults of their experi-ments.

Figure 1 : Chromosome segregation in cell cycle progression

Figure 2 : Proteins for proper chromosome structure and spindle formation in the M-phase

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Each of the various events at theOlympics is identified with a particularsymbol, known as a pictogram. Thesesymbols are put to good use in indi-cating dates and locations of theseevents. As pictograms deliver meaningvisually, people are able to grasp theirmeanings intuitively, whether theyhave knowledge underlying their sig-nificance or not. The fact that they arenot rooted in any particular languagealso makes them eminently suited fordisseminating information at Olympicarenas, international airports, and otherplaces where people of many nationali-ties, all speaking different languages,are bound to gather. One can see ques-tion marks being used to denoteinformation counters the world over,for example. The same is true of a knifebeside a fork being used to indicate arestaurant.

Another set of symbols used like pic-tograms to convey informationconcisely and efficiently is that of theicons used in computer interfaces. Likepictograms, icons are of simple compo-sition and entirely visual in orientation,and thus, can be understood by anyone,regardless of the language he or shespeaks. By some accounts, however,there are thousands of icons nowadays,with different software manufacturersmaking up their own designs as theyplease. Moreover, the vast majority of

them give no indication whatsoever ofhaving any relation with the softwarefunction that they are supposed to rep-resent. This state of affairs means thatusers must memorize each and everyindividual icon in software that they areusing.

Having come this far, it becomesclear that what we desire in future con-cepts for methods of disseminatinginformation is 1) that it be capable ofcommunicating meaning in a conciseformat, and 2) moreover, that it alreadyenjoy a shared awareness among a widerange of social strata. And as it turns out,there exists a system of symbols very nearto us in our everyday lives that fits theserequirements to a T. I refer, of course, toKanji (Chinese characters ).

Kanji is the only writing system inthe world to have maintained its picto-graphic state from its origins, morethan 3000 years ago, to the present day.Many Kanji are based on representativeshapes of specific things. Characterssuch as 山 "Yama" (Mountain),川"Kawa" (River), 亀 "Kame" (Turtle),鳥"Tori" (Bird) even now retain strongvisual identifications with the real-world object that they represent. Andwe can use these characters based ontheir meanings, without having to knowwhat their Chinese pronunciations are.What this means is that these charactersare, in fact, icons created by the

Chinese 3000 years ago, and are nottied to any particular language. And iftheir representation functionality is sep-arated from Chinese, Japanese, or anyother particular language, they wouldalso be a wholly effective means ofcommunicating information even topersons living in parts of the worldwhere Kanji are not used, either whollyor in part, as the writing system, suchas Europe and North America.

For example, both 即 ("soku": rapid,prompt) and 既 ("sude ni": already,previously) both have the element 皀on their left side. This element is in theshape of food piled atop a plate, bowl,or other container or vessel.Conversely, the right hand portion of即 , 卩 , is the shape of a personkneeling and opening his or her mouthwide (Figure 1). Combined, this char-acter indicates a person about to devourfood in front of them right now, givingit the meaning of "right away, rightnow, any moment now," or words tothat effect. On the other hand, while 既has the same left hand component, itsright hand component, 旡 , is essen-tially the opposite to that of theprevious character. That is to say, thiskneeling person, his or her stomachnow full, has now turned their back onthe food sitting in front of them (Figure2). Thus, this character indicates thatthis person is no longer interested in

Kanji in the Information AgeF

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Figure 1An old-fashionedcharacter for 即

Figure 2An old-fashionedcharacter for 既

Figure 3An old-fashionedcharacter for 育

Figure 4An old-fashionedcharacter for好

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eating, giving it the meaning of "thingsalready having been finished."

In other words, these characters, 即and 既 , are composed of exactly thesame elements. The only differencebetween them is the facing, that is,which way the kneeling person isturning his or her mouth.

Let us now take one more example,that of 育 ("iku," to grow or educate)and 好 ("suki," to like or love). Thecharacter 育 is constructed from old-fashioned characters for 女 , meaning"woman," and子 , meaning "child," withthis "child" element being turnedupside down, and placed on top of the"woman's" pelvis. The image thusdepicted is that of childbirth, and infact, the character 育 originally meant"to give birth" (Figure 3). The reasonthis character was eventually written inwhy its present form was due to the factthat the component for女 was replacedwith 月 ("flesh"), and the positions ofthe two components were inverted aswell. On the other hand, the character好 is also comprised ofthe same two compo-nents, 女 "woman," and子 "child." In this case,the character connotes"liking or loving"through the image of awoman being fond of herown child (Figure 4). Orto put it another way, itindicates that somethingis "good or desirable."The components, however,are placed side by side, ina horizontal orientation.Or, in other words, theonly difference between育 and 好 is the positionand orientation of theircomponent elements.

As we have seen, theposition and orientationof component elements

of Kanji play an important role indetermining their meanings, which inturn specifically indicate the overallmeaning visually in a great manyinstances. And this is the biggest factorbehind the easily comprehensiblenature of Kanji, that is, in making itpossible for people to comprehend themeaning of Kanji the instant they see it.

Today, when our societies are beingdriven primarily by information inter-change, it seems clear that we shouldbe taking another look at the effectiveway Kanji delivery information bytranscending language and beingrapidly comprehended.

The writing system that has been inuse longer than any other in the worldcontains the brightest potential for thefuture.

Tetsuji Atsuji・Born in 1951.・Graduate of the doctoral program, Graduate

School of Letters, Kyoto University・MA, Kyoto University・Professor, Graduate School of Human and

Environmental Studies, Kyoto University・URL http://www.h.kyoto-u.ac.jp/jimu/staff/242_

atsuji_t_0_e.html

"Writing systems are bound up in complex wayswith many aspects of our everyday lives. Theserelations between people and their writingsystems are of interest to me."Kyoto University has a tradition of research into Kanji(Chinese characters) that dates back to before WorldWar II. The scope of Prof. Atsuji 's research,however, does not stop at the traditional focus ofsuch work, interpretation of literature and other docu-ments. Having survived over more than 3000 years,being brought in contact with many different lan-guages over that period, Kanji is a covetous writingsystem, with a vitality that the Professor himselfshares. The inspiration for his ideas about treatingKanji as an implement for use in our everyday livescomes from his own upbringing. The family businesswas that of a printer, and thus, he grew up sur-rounded by rows of typeset characters in print shops.He says that Kanji was literally part and parcel of hiseveryday existence.Increasing adoption of computers has eased theburden of learning and using Kanji on people who donot live in parts of the world where Kanji are used asthe standard writing system. And we welcomeresearchers who come to study here, bringing newand different viewpoints on Kanji from all over theworld to Kyoto University.

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All available space in Prof. Atsuji's laboratory is covered with data files andother texts.

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The Institute for the Promotion ofExcellence in Higher Education wasfounded in April of 2003 to undertake afull range of liberal arts educationalactivities for Kyoto University. Headedby an instructor of vice president level,the Institute is at last commencing in ameaningful way to utilize the fullresources of the college to cultivatewell-rounded students, building on theschool's tradition of teaching oneself.Being a full-purpose campus with par-ticular emphasis on research, KyotoUniversity has been criticized forletting its educational programs, espe-cially its liberal arts curriculum lagbehind its research program. In recentyears, however, some new schemes arebeing tried in some quarters that takeadvantage of the benefits of theschool's wide-ranging research sector.A particularly good example of thisapproach is the "Pocket Seminar"program, wherein instructors from allover the school conduct small classseminars for freshmen, on a voluntarybasis, in their own laboratories, withthe aim of bringing students into directcontact with real, working research. Asthe Institute follows up on this initia-tive, it seems likely that such trends asthis one will pick up greater speed,expanding in the process to encompass

the entire university.Liberal arts education, as espoused

by Kyoto University, has three objec-tives. The first of these is thedevelopment of personalities throughthe acquisition of academic liberal artsknowledge. The second of these is thecultivation of the ability to comprehendforeign cultures, reinforced by strongskills in foreign languages. And thethird of these is learning a wide rangeof basic knowledge that will provide afoundation for high-order researchwork. Developing an enticing cur-riculum is important to achieving theseeducational objectives, as is maintaininga learning environment conducive tothe educational objectives. To this end,modifications to Building A of theFaculty of Integrated Human Studieswill be completed in March of 2004, aspart of the construction of educationalfacilities that will be shared by theentire campus faculty.

There are high hopes that the Institutefor the Promotion of Excellence inHigher Education will send a freshbreeze blowing from the university'seducation facilities, one that will reachinto its research centers as well, ideallygenerating a cycle wherein the twofeed, and are nourished by, oneanother.

Institute for the Promotion of Excellence inHigher Education

Isao Akaoka・Born in 1942.・Dr.Econ., Kyoto University・Professor, Graduate School of Economics・Director, Institute for the Promotion of Excellence

in Higher Education

"These days, the more advanced the research,the more questions there are about the humanity,the ethics, of the scientists involved. In scienceand technology, for example, there is a dangerthat questionable ethical practices on the part ofscientists may lead science itself down dan-gerous paths. Therefore, we must pay sufficientattention to the humanities aspect of education. Ibelieve, however, that good researchers willbecome good educators as well."

The unveiling ceremony of the Chinese cal-ligraphy composed by the president in theatrium

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General Education Building

Study corner

Field studies at the Hokkaido forest research station inthe "Pocket Seminar", undertaken by freshmen. Thepresident takes part as well.

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A relaxing image greets you on yourimmediate left as you enter the maingate of the Kyoto University campus.The red brick facade of the ForeignStudents Center is just visible throughthe leaves of the dense trees you seethere. Now, as of May of 2003, somethingnew has been added: the "Camphora"Cafe Restaurant, with its glossy, all-glass exterior. The name, chosen fromsubmissions submitted from across thecampus, is derived from Cinnamomumcamphora, the scientific name of thecamphor tree, which appears on theKyoto University crest as well.

In recent years, the facilities in thisarea of the campus has undergoneextensive reconstruction, starting with therestoration of the clock tower. MasaoHomma, director-general administra-tion bureau says, "A university is notsimply a place for education," empha-sizing right off the bat the importanceof campus atmosphere. "From the timeI assumed my current post, I havewanted to make a quality space withinKyoto University, a place that would beboth cultured and comfortable," he adds,expressing sentiments that are under-

scored by his own experience as a studentin England and on the staff of Embassyof Japan in France Homma's feelingson the subject would appear to be inline with those espoused by PresidentNagao, to wit, "A weak environmentgives rise to weak ideas." And"Camphora" reflects Homma's tastes inthis regard, from the interior designconcept to the very arrangement of theutensils.

Two months after its grand opening,the seating on its terrace has blended innicely with the surrounding atmos-phere, while inside the cafe, with aFranco-Italian design scheme based inwhite and wood grain, conversationsare springing up everywhere. A man,who serves drinks here, says with asmile from behind the counter, "We getnervous when the foreign studentscome in, because we can't serve themsomething that they'll recognize as notbeing authentic." When we spoke to thecustomers, on the other hand, we got thiscomment from a pair of male seniorsmajoring in economics: "It's really nice,and not very expensive. We're glad to havea place where we can spend our free

time." A female sophomore majoring inletters, however, had this harsh criti-cism: "There's room for improvementin the quality of service." In any case, itwould appear that the cafe is slowly butsurely becoming a full citizen of thecampus, with support from all over.

In November, when the renovationson the clock tower are finished, the areain front of the cafe will open wide.Then we will really start to see how itemanates the hospitality of KyotoUniversity.URL http://www.s-coop.net /camphora/

index.htm (Japanese only)

On the Grand Opening of the "Camphora"Cafe Restaurant

Features1

The 21st Century COE（Center ofExcellence）Program is a supportprogram launched during FY 2002 byMinistry of Education, Culture, Sports,Science and Technology with the aimof raising the level of research and edu-cation at Japanese universities andmaking them more internationally com-petitive. Since the program placesemphasis on promoting the formationof world-class research and educationalcenters, only research projects judgedto have excellent potential are to beselected to receive funding. In prin-ciple, projects that are selected willreceive generous research funds for aperiod of 5 years. Thus, one of the goalsof the program is to encourage a com-petitive atmosphere among universitiesand give new vitality to their researchactivities. During FY 2003 applicationswere made for a total of 15 projects in 5fields solicited by researchers associatedwith Kyoto University, and of these 11

were selected to receive funding.Includingthe 11 projects from FY 2002, KyotoUniversity now has a total of 22 projects.

URL http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/21coe/ (Japanese only)

The 21st Century COE ProgramList of Selected Programs in Kyoto University in FY 2003

Features2

Students bring the cafe to life.

Field of study

Medical SciencesBasic Medical Science

Clinical Surgery

Mathematics

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Mechanical Engineering

Physics

Law and Politics

Economics

Genome Science

Bio-molecular Science

Information in Humanitiesand Social Sciences

COE Formation for Genomic Analysis ofDisease Model Animals with Multiple Genetic

Establishment of International COE for Integration of TransplantationTherapy and Regenerative Medicine

Formation of an International Center of Excellence in the Frontiers ofMathematics and Fostering of Researchers in Future Generations

Center for Diversity and Universality in Physics - Unified Research andEducation on Elementary Particles, Macroscopic Systems and the Universe -

Elucidation of the Active Geosphere: from Asia and Oceania to the World

COE for Research and Education on Complex Functional Mechanical Systems

Program for the Reconstruction of Legal Ordering in the Twenty First Century

Center of Excellence for Interfaces for advanced economic analysis: Innovative creation and fusion of theory, application and policy studies

COE for Microbial-Process Development PioneeringFuture Production Systems

East Asian Center for Informatics Humanities: toward overall inheritance and development of the Kanji culture

Center of Research and Knowledge Information Infrastructure for GenomeScience

Mathematics, Physics,

Earth Sciences

Mechaninal, Civil, Architectural and Other Fields of

Engineering

Social Sciences

Interdisciplinary,Combined Fields, New Disciplines

Branch of learning Program title Program leader

Tasuku Honjyo

Kouichi Tanaka

Masaki Kashiwara

Katsuji Koyama

Shigeo Yoden

Kazuo Tsuchiya

Makoto Ohishi

Takamitsu Sawa

Sakayu Shimizu

Tokio Takata

Minoru Kanehisa

Masao Homma,director-generaladministrationbureau

8

The rich natural environment of ourworld might be described as the fruit ofthe "connections between the forest andsea." And people are beginning to takea new approach to the resolution ofglobal environmental problems, themost serious problems facing the worldin the 21st Century, asking what wayswould be ideal for us to interact with theenvironment.

Opened in April of 2003, the KyotoUniversity "Field Science Education andResearch Center" works to make theschool's traditional field science workmore dynamic than before, by integratingits nine remote research facilities, locatedall over Japan(see the map above).Fields that offer many opportunities forresearch, also offer many opportunities foreducation. And this new center is alsoactively developing educational pro-grams based on field practice.

We spoke with Prof. Masaru Tanaka,Director of the Center, about his outlookfor its future, aimed as it is toward thecreation of new kinds of science andnew value systems alike. He is an advo-cate of the belief that Man and naturemust come together to cultivate the richenvironment of our world

Creating Global Environ-mental Studies Based on Field Research

■Tell us how the Center came about.In the 1990's, a number of problems

emerged that demanded global solutions.And among these were environmental

issues, which gained attention due to theirbeing connected to a wide range of sectors.In 1999, Kyoto University began definingits "Global Environmental ResearchConcepts," conducting numerous studiesfrom different viewpoints as to whatsort of education and research structurewe should establish as part of this scheme.Ultimately, we built this structure onthree core elements. The Center wasfounded as one of the three core elementsof the University's systematical organi-zation for education and research intoissues affecting the global environment.

■ Describe the Center's philosophy andobjectives.

Kyoto University's field sciencework is so extensive that we are some-times referred to as the "University ofExploration." Thus far, however, most ofthis work has been done by individualscientists, working alone. What wewant to do is establish a solid organiza-tion, one that will maintain the continuityof this work, and expand its scope in theprocess. And the building of the founda-tion of this effort is one of the objectiveswith which the Center was founded.

Second of all, research subjects arecompletely independent from oneanother. Specialists in forest research donot work with specialists in marineresearch, while departments working inbasic research similarly have little ornothing to do with departmentsworking in applied research. And yet,the sea and forest are in fact intercon-nected. They have only been separatedfor the convenience of we humans. Avariety of problems occurring in ouroceans arise from the destruction offorest and river systems. As a result, wecannot restore the oceans alone, withoutconsidering everything else. We needto take another look, with a more com-prehensive view, starting with ourforests. And the scientific elucidationof the workings of such connections asthese is the biggest reason that theCenter was founded.

■It would appear that, in so doing, jointresearches and research partnershipswill take on greater importance.

Within the university, we have agathering of scientists, most of whomare doing field-specific research,

The Founding of the "Field Science Education and Research Center"――To Create an Original Kind of Global Environmental Study that Seeks to Explicate Connections Between the Ecologies of Forest,Human Habitation and Sea.

Features3

whether in forest, marine studies, or inareas in between them. What I want todo is get an overview, from a differentperspective, of what we have all beendoing in our respective researches todate, and treat the key connectionsbetween them as subjects for jointresearch, going forward. Even if weshould manage to elucidate thesesystems through the methods of naturalscience, I think it highly unlikely thatdoing so will enable us in turn toresolve our global environmental prob-lems. I believe, therefore, that it willbecome necessary to partner ourselveswith field researchers in subjects suchas human science and social science,which are more closely related to thehuman aspect of our world.

As regards external affairs, KyotoUniversity lies in a temperate zone, andwe are considering founding a newkind of scientific research into the"connections between the forest andsea" by entering into partnerships withthe "Field Science Center for NorthernBiosphere, Hokkaido University" andthe "Tropical Biosphere ResearchCenter, University of the Ryukyus,"because they are located in subarcticand subtropical zones, respectively.After all, nearly 70% of Japan's landarea is covered by forests, and we arecompletely surrounded by the sea, and Iwould like to engage in research thattakes advantage of these unique aspectsof Japan's geography. Research into the"connections between the forest and sea"has not yet been done anywhere in theworld, and thus, I feel that this researchcould become unique to Japan, andoffer some highly important leads tothe resolution of global environmentalproblems. The important perspectivehere is that of maintaining biodiversity,and to that end, we are participating inthe Diversitas Western Pacific and Asia(DIWPA) Project.

■Would it be fair to say, then, that youhope to produce research that repre-sents Japan to the rest of the world?

Well, although Japan is a small place,"connections between the forest and sea"can be found all over that couldbecome research models. Fishermenrealized that "if the forest suffers, thenso does the sea" long before scientists

a

c

b Hokkaido ForestResearch Station

Maizuru FisheriseResearch Station

d Ashiu ForestResearch Station

h Wakayama ForestResearch Station

j Kii-OshimaResearch Station

i Seto MarineBiological Laboratory

f KitashirakawaExperimental Station

e KamigamoExperimental Station

g TokuyamaExperimental Station

9

The Ashiu Forest ResearchStation operations centerand forest surveys (○d )

did. For the past 40 years or more, theyhave been engaged in reforestation inthe Tohoku and Hokkaido regions.While such case histories of "revital-izing the oceans by restoring theforests" exist, we still have no scientificunderstanding of this concept as yet.And I have a feeling that when we dounderstand how this system works, itwill tell us humans anew, scientistsincluded, about the "importance ofcoexisting in harmony with nature." Itis my hope that this research may resultin a persuasive science, one that mayeventually lead us to change our valuesystems and the ways in which we liveour lives.

Developing Education Based on Field Research

■Describe the Center's postgraduateeducational scheme.

As we are bringing numerous researchfacilities together, our postgraduate stu-dents can take advantage of a widerange of research fields as theirrequirements dictate. They can expandthe scope of their research. So we wantto see persons with an interest in so-called"interdisciplinary areas" of research, thesort of thing that they would find hard topursue on the faculty. We want to supportthese persons in their work. We are alsoactively accepting foreign students. Itwould be ideal if they were to enable us tobuild partnerships with field researchersall over the world. And on this point, Iwould like to commence by designatingmodel field research set-ups in SoutheastAsia, which we would then utilize bothfor research and for a living, hands-oneducational program as well.

■Will you also be taking a proactivestance with regard to liberal arts educa-tion?

In this day and age, anyone can use apersonal computer to get all kinds ofinformation, with ease. As a conse-quence, people are finding it harder andharder to distinguish between reality andthe virtual world, a situation that I believeis linked to a number of social issues.This is why I feel that getting in touchwith reality, experiencing things directly,in the real world, is a crucial part of edu-

cation. And I want students to have theexperience of field research immedi-ately upon starting at college: because it iswhen they are most receptive to suchexperiences. We plan to offer practicalstudies in the "Connected Rings of Forest-Human Hobitation-Marine" program insuch locations as Hokkaido, Ashiu,Shirahama, Kii-Oshima, and Maizuru,among others. As a complement to thiswork, we will also offer lecture courses inbiology and other subjects based onfield practice.

Disseminating Information From Field Research: Linking Academia to Society At-Large

■Describe the "Field Museum" Concept.Our field research sites, such as the

forests of Ashiu, are living museums, inand of themselves, each with its ownunique ecosystem. Such places can befound in the seas and the rivers as well.And in conjunction with the "AcademicCenter for Computing and MediaStudies," I want to use what We call a"Remote Ecological ObservationSystem" to communicate the extensiveinformation contained in these fieldsites in a broader fashion. At present,we are laying the infrastructure for thisvery system, one that will enablepersons on campus to view informationfrom field sites in realtime. We will hostan exhibit of the plans for the Center atthe Kyoto University Museum next

spring, wherein we plan to use thissystem to show our "Maizuru FisheriesResearch Station" and our "Seto MarineBiological Laboratory" in Shirahama tovisitors. And it won't just be for facultyand students of the university, either. Ifanything, we want elementary andintermediate school students to comeand see it as well. We intend to put ourenergies into the "Field Museum"concept as much because of its signifi-cance in terms of connecting academiawith society.

Prof. Masaru Tanaka, Director of the Center

Growing up in the vicinity of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake,Prof. Tanaka first acquired his interest in doing science in thefield thanks to an elementary school teacher who would fre-quently take him fishing. One of the current subjects of hisresearch is flatfish. He is interested in the "metamorphosiswith eye migration," as well as the differences in survivalstrategies that emerge as a result of same.

The Aquarium at the Seto Marine Biological Laboratory and fieldstudies open to the public (○i ,top),Marine practice at theMaizuru Fish Market (○c ,bottom)

"The Bamboo House," the specimen gallery at the KamigamoExperimental Station (○e )

ESSAY

10

I come from Bangladesh, a country thatearned independence 32 years ago. It hasbeen over burdened with continuing as wellas emerging various natural environmentaldisasters, worsened through local and inter-national human interventions and/orinteractions. It is a developing country locatedin South Asia. Prof. Y. Hagihara of IntegratedManagement of Disaster Risk Division at theDisaster Prevention Research Institute, DPRI,has invited me to give lectures and providethe necessary technical support for researchon environmental disaster issues inBangladesh. Kyoto University has five alumniwho are Nobel laureates and has a good repu-tation in various fields of science. DPRI isknown for its remarkable contributions in dis-aster related research. I consider mynine-month assignment as Visiting Professorat this prestigious University as an opportu-nity to exchange scientific experience with thereputed academics as well as make friends inJapan.

Kyoto University campuses are so uniquewith green everywhere. Both faculty membersand students are ever ready to communicateabout scientific issues. Although I cannotspeak Japanese, language has not been abarrier at any level. I have had/started usefuldiscussions with Professors from DPRI, CivilEngineering, Food Sciences, EnvironmentalEngineering and other related fields. In fact,scientific work for a sustainable global villagecan go on only if and when there is a teamspirit among the scientists and teachers of the

world. I highly recognize the spontaneousregards for international concerns and respectfor relations with other countries among mostof the Japanese professionals I met in KyotoUniversity, Tokyo University, United NationsUniversity, and other national and interna-tional institutions in Japan. In general,professionals as well as common people inJapan are friendly and helpful. In profes-sionals I do include the university staffwithout whose support I could not carry onany work.

I must say that I admire the women,starting from school girls in their teens toelderly women, in Japan. They are intelligent,well mannered, elegantly dressed and beau-tiful, in addition to being helpful in allpossible ways. I also appreciate the Japaneseculture about respect for parents and elderlypeople. I like the Japanese rice. I highlyappreciate their public transport system, par-ticularly the railways. Their care for theenvironment is so unique. They have sonicely preserved and protected every river,tree and natural resource.

I also noticed that the friendship ofJapanese is so homely. They are great friendswhen I feel homesick or depressed. Theirwelcoming attitude to my family membersduring their visits was also something memo-rable. When our son came to visit me inKyoto, the first thing he ate is sushi. When hewas traveling to Kyoto from Kansai airport hewas amazed with the attractive mix of ricefields, flowers and buildings by both sides ofthe roads. We also loved the trips byShinkansen between Kyoto and other cities.The natural beauty of Kyoto became veryprominent as the train approached Kyoto.

My husband, Dr M. M. Hoque (Professorat Bangladesh University of Engineering andTechnology) and I studied in the USA and UK.Our son, Yamen M. Hoque, currently in thejunior year at the University ofMassachusetts, Amherst, was born in theUnited States. We often visit these countries.Every time we go to those countries we feeland enrich strong bonds with their people. Ithink Japan will take its place with thesecountries in my heart soon.

Scientific Efforts for a Sustainable Global Village - Kyoto University

Bilqis Amin HoqueVisiting Professor, Disaster Prevention ResearchInstitute, Kyoto UniversityChairperson, Environment and Population CenterBangladesh

Dr. Hoque looks elegant in her sari, a garb that shesays she wears wherever she goes. In Japan, asidefrom giving lectures, she is working with 4 associatesfrom other universities to organize and provide technicalassistance for teams to research the environment ofBangladesh. Dr. Hoque describes her admiration forJapanese women by saying "I think it is wonderful that,whether young or old, Japanese women are particularlyhardworking and energetic, and have a high regard fortradition, however modern they themselves may be." Inaddition to being a competent researcher, Dr. Hoque isalso a charming woman and a caring mother.

Dr. Bilqis Amin Hoque

Dr. Hoque is in the courtyard in the laboratory. The Uji Campus is rich in greenery. Her blue sari is accentuated bythe green background.

11

Kyoto University has more than just the onecampus in the city of Kyoto itself. The univer-sity has many bases for research activitiesacross Japan and throughout the world, estab-lished in an effort to find optimal sites for itsvarious field research projects. Rizaldi, origi-nally from West Sumatra, is studying Japanesemonkey at the Kyoto University PrimateResearch Institute, located in Inuyama, AichiPrefecture, some 150km from Kyoto. And it wasthe very growth of field research work at KyotoUniversity that led to Rizaldi's coming to thefacility.

■ What led you to attend KyotoUniversity?

Andalas University, where I got my bach-elor's degree, has been linked to the PrimateResearch Institute since the 1970s, thanks toProf. Shunzo Kawamura (now deceased), therenowned primatologist who first reported onthe transmission of cultural activities amonganimals, such as monkeys washing potatoeswith seawater before eating them. My advisorat Andalas had also taken his Ph.D at KyotoUniversity, and recommended it to me aswell. My personal introduction to the schoolcame when I attended a seminar and work-shop at the Primate Research Institute in1999. I then attended school here as aresearch student between April 2002 andMarch 2003. Since April 2003, I have beenpursuing my master's degree here, on ascholarship from the Japanese government.

■How did you become interested in pri-mates?

I grew up with wild animals all around me.And monkeys especially interested mebecause they do things that other animalsdon't. They hide, they play pranks, that sort ofthing. Moreover, as a resource country,Indonesia is a habitat for many differentspecies of primates and those need to beinvestigated.

■What are your impressions of the Institute?I think it's terrific. The Institute has a great

research set-up in place, from faculty tobuildings to analysis machinery. Now, I amcoming to a proper institute for my study

purpose, where all good facilities and studyatmosphere meet here.

■What kind of research are you doing?I am conducting my research on social

behavior of primate monkeys. I am investi-gating development and acquisition ofsocially-skilled aggressive behavior inJapanese monkeys. Aggressive behavior hasknown to affect performance of social struc-ture of group-living animals. Group residentsshould strive to win any aggressive contest togain best resource and established relativelevel of supremacy among them. It seems tome that such behavior requires acquired"skills" in particular situation, for instances,how to get agonistic support from other, towhom attacks could be directed and allianceestablished, as well as how to overcome thesituation under pressure from individualdominant.

■It's always Summer in Indonesia. So whatdo you think of Japan's Four Seasons?

Spring and autumn are much more com-fortable, I just need a bit effort to habituatewith snowy winter and humid summer inJapan. I experienced winter for the first timelast year. I'd never seen snow before. On onewinter's day, I was going from my residenceto the Institute, and I noticed that there wassome white substance on the roadsides. Icouldn't quite figure out what it was. When Igot to the Institute, I noticed that there was alot of this white substance on the trees aswell, and I asked my lecturer what it was.Whereupon everyone laughed at me and said,"You mean you really don't know?" Well, thatwas snow, as you've probably guessed.

■What do you do when you're not workingon your research?

On Sundays I study Japanese at theInternational Tourism Center in Inuyama,where it's taught by volunteers. They alsohave instruction in the basics of Japaneseculture, including origami and tea ceremony.In the afternoon I join badminton hobby club,in which the members are mostly Inuyamacitizens.

■What are your plans for the future?After I get my master's and Ph.D from

Kyoto University, I plan to go back toIndonesia and study primates native to myhomeland. I want to teach at AndalasUniversity, and increase collaborativeresearch with this institute that was previouslyestablished. My research continues for all ofthese reasons.

Eventually, I Want to Study Primates in My Homeland of Sumatra

RizaldiBorn in West Sumatra, Indonesia in 1971Presently in the first year of master's program at theKyoto University Primate Research Institute

Rizaldi is doing longitudinal observation on agroup Japanese monkey consists of 55monkeys, which individual identification andmaternal lineages are well recognized.

Rizaldi

ACTIVITY

The Sumo Club continued their practice insilence and earnest as a light rain fell withouta break. It was dusk, one day during Japan'srainy season. The wrestlers, seven in all,naked but for loincloths, marched in a linearound the ring, stomping their feet all theway. The slow, steady rhythm of their move-ments seemed to recall the origins of Sumo.The practice began as a Shinto ritual, dedi-cated to the divine spirits worshiped by thattraditional Japanese belief system. AlthoughSumo is designated a national sport in Japan,it has fallen on hard times in recent years.Even professional Sumo is seeing its popu-larity decline, and the Kyoto University SumoClub struggles to maintain its membershiprolls every year. Since a new participantjoined two years ago, however, the club hasdrawn new interest. His name is HartwigHandsur. Originally from Austria, he wrestlesunder the name of Haruto.

When we went to report on the club, Hartwighad a bandage wrapped around his left hand ashe got into the ring. "When I was practicing mytachiai (rising to begin the bout), I broke myhand on my opponent's elbow," he said.Apparently, he had an unfortunate accident in ahead-on face-off, due to the fact that he clearlyhas longer legs than typical Japanese Sumowrestlers. It is said that in Sumo, where thewrestlers hurl themselves at one another, theinitial tachiai determines half the outcome of thematch. "My legs are longer than those of atypical Japanese. Therefore, my opponent alwaysgets inside my reach in the initial face-off, and Ihave a hard time keeping my balance," Hartwigcomplains.My opponent always gets inside myreach in the initial face-off, and I have a hard

time regaining my balance,"Hartwig complains.

Hartwig joined the club in asurprisingly ordinary way: hegot an invitation when he was inthe student cafeteria. He saysthat he gave it a try, and found ita whole lot of fun. "It uses noweapons at all," he says."Instead, it's got a lot of differenttechniques, maneuvers. If youropponent is bigger than you,

you can use his own strength to bring himdown. I weigh 70kg, and I've competedagainst an opponent who weighed 170kg.Admittedly, I lost, unfortunately," he adds,with a smile that shows that he is trulyenjoying himself. Most people, when theythink of Sumo wrestlers, more often imaginethem as having big bellies. Hartwig and theother members of the club, however, tend tobe on the small side, with tight bodies. Itseems that he believes that the core of Sumoas a sport is how to disrupt your opponent'sbalance. Many foreigners who engage inJapan's traditional sport have been captivatedby the spirituality and philosophy thatunderpin it. Hartwig is no exception in thisregard, having respect for the traditions ofSumo. At the same time, it appears that hewas simply attracted to "the fun of Sumo assport."

As of this writing, Hartwig is attendingKyoto University Faculty of Law, where he isresearching Japanese labor laws. He says it isno easy matter balancing such studies withSumo Club practice four times a week. Andthat's in addition to the other hat he wears,that of Chairman of the Kyoto UniversityForeign Students Committee, whose maintask is providing day to day support for fellowforeign students. "A lot of foreign studentsfrom North America and Europe are here onshort-term programs, and many of them can'tspeak Japanese as well," he says. "This situa-tion makes it hard for them to make anyJapanese friends." Hartwig himself demon-strates a surprisingly natural command ofJapanese, however. He now organizes twoevents a month on average, such as barbe-cues, to provide opportunities for foreignstudents to meet and get to know Japanesestudents. Lately, these get-togethers havebeen attracting both Japanese and foreignstudents in increasing numbers, with some40 or 50 students already expected to attendthe Sumo tryout event planned for the day fol-lowing this interview.

After graduation, Hartwig says that "I reallywant to work in some field related to Japan."He especially hopes to work in internationalorganizations. There can be little doubt thatthe improved sense of balance and concentra-tion that he derives from Sumo will help himachieve his goals.

Defeating One's Opponent Without Using Weapons: The Charm of SumoLies in its Simplicity

Hartwig Handsur Born in Austria in 1973.Presently in the fourth year of the Faculty of Law, KyotoUniversity

The outdoor practice ring.

Hartwig helps others practice their body slams. The only part of Sumo thathe hasn't been able to accustom himself to is wearing the loincloth directlyagainst his skin. Thus, he wears tights underneath.

Hartwig Handsur

12

REPORT

13

The instant I opened the door, the scent ofrushes washed over me. On this day alone,the lounge, in this refined, elegant, Western-style brick building, was filled with the scentof rush mats. Student lounge "KI-ZU-NA" washolding a Japanese tea ceremony. Before anaudience of 15 invited attendees, domesticstudents and international students alike, thehost began to make the tea, with slow,graceful movements. Following the estab-lished procedure, she said barely anything atall. The only sound that disturbed the silencethat enfolded the space in which the tea cere-mony took place was the occasionalrhythmical sound of the water boiling in theteakettle.

It has been a year since the "KI-ZU-NA"was opened. Established with the objective ofpromoting contact between international stu-dents, the facility's extensive range oflanguage materials and general level ofcomfort have led to a solid increase in thenumber of users. In addition to providingfacilities, "KI-ZU-NA" began engaging in itsown unique offerings in the Fall of 2002, inan effort to be more proactive in encouragingencounters between international students.The lounge has been planning a wide range ofevents at the rate of one a month, and callingon students to participate. The lounge washolding this Japanese tea ceremony, abbrevi-ated though it was, on the day that I went toreport on it, with the assistance of membersof the University Tea Ceremony Club.

Tokiko Ikeda, staff member of ForeignStudent Division, is at the heart of these activ-ities. Out of a desire to help students get toknow each other, she has been working out of"KI-ZU-NA" since the Summer of 2002."There are a lot of people on the KyotoUniversity campus who would like to get toknow one another better," she says. "It makesme happy to think that I can be of assistanceto them." Her bright smile belies the many

difficulties she has to overcome in arrangingand holding the lounge's events. "At everyevent, I am always on pins and needles, won-dering whether anyone will attend," she says,but these words, too, are a sign of her consid-eration for those people who help her out. Onthe occasion of this tea ceremony, forexample, the Tea Ceremony Club provided allthe implements used for the ceremony andeven laid the rush mats on the hard flooring.She has previously secured the assistance ofother school organizations, including theRakugo (traditional Japanese stand-upcomedy) Club. Even asking for such help asthis, however, involves personal, painstakinginvestigation and negotiation, relying on theslimmest of possible leads.

Ikeda does have a most reliable staff sup-porting her, a group of student coordinators.One of them, Kawashima is a postgraduatestudent, in the University's Graduate Schoolof Education. He explains his motives fortaking part this way: "A few years ago, when Iwas studying in U.K., I was deeply moved bythe hospitality I received from the local com-munity. I would like to think of this as anopportunity for me to return that hospitality,

by sharing it with others." Junkui, a studentfrom China, who is now in the University'sGraduate School of Agriculture, who says,with eyes alight, "I was looking for opportuni-ties to make friends outside of the laboratory."Another student coordinator is ChingfangLee, a student from Taiwan in the GraduateSchool of Economics. One gets the impres-sion that they enjoy the work they are doinghere. When asked which of the events theyhave organized to date was the most suc-cessful, they replied, "The cherry blossomviewing party," reporting that they strolledaround some renowned cherry tree sites inthe vicinity of the campus, with some twentyother participants, and enjoyed some drinksbelow the cherry blossoms. They all said thattheir goal going forward is to hold more suchevents where participants get directly involvedin the proceedings.

After the tea ceremony, the participants hada hard time getting up after kneeling in tradi-tional style for an extended period. As theparticipants tried to stand, the staff went fromperson to person, personally thanking eachand every one. It is such personal dialogue asthis that truly forges bonds between people.

Student Lounge "KI-ZU-NA": A Place for International Bonding

Members of the University Tea CeremonyClub assisted in this event,

Student coordinators Daisuke Kawashima (left)and Piao Junkui (right)

Tokiko Ikeda plays the central role in organizing thegroup's activities.

The tea Ceremony, in the salon

Students appreciating the traditional tea cups Student Lounge "KI-ZU-NA"

Public Information Division

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For inquiries regarding Raku-Yu, contact:

Shinshindo Café A Timeless Backdrop for the Lives of Kyoto University StudentsShinshindo Café, on Imadegawa Dori across from the Kyoto University Campus, is one of those places where time seems to

stand still. Since it first opened in 1930, generations of students from the university have accumulated several decades' worthof memories here, memories of meeting and talking among friends and studying hard alike. The tables and chairs, designedto make it easier for students to study, were made by Tatsuaki Kuroda, who also made the Meiji Emperor's throne. The sensi-bilities of original owner, Hitoshi Tsuzuki, who was himself a poet, can still be felt throughout the room, even today.It hasn't always been peace and quiet for the cafe in the over 70 years since it was first opened, however. The cafe turned

its elegant courtyard into an air-raid shelter during World War II, while students tossed Molotov cocktails all alongImadegawa Dori when the student demonstrations in the late 1960s were at their most radical. And yet, even during thisperiod, students erected a barricade in front of the cafe, apparently feeling that they had to protect Shinshindo from the sur-rounding violence. "It was a lively place at the time, with debates springing up here, there, and everywhere," says Prof.Munemoto of the University's Graduate School of Engineering, who was himself a Kyoto University student at the time. Inrecent times, however, it has become a much quieter place, with more and more students studying or reading books by them-selves.

Satoshi Kawaguchi, great-grandson of Hitoshi Tsuzuki, is the fourth owner of Shinshindo. "At this point, my main goal is justto keep the place running," he says, "even though it would be easy to go and start something new." His remarks indicate thedifficulties inherent in keeping a cafe going, when it has such an established tradition as this one has.

The smooth, amber-colored tables have seen generations of young Kyoto University students come and go. We hope thatthis small but precious treasure will continue unchanged forever.

The Cafe (Exterior View)

Reffering to the benches and long tables thatare hallmarks of the cafe, Mr. Kawaguchi (left)says, "I'd like to see more students sitting downtogether to talk amongst themselves." "Thiscafe is always somewhere in the back of mymind when I do any sort of interior design,"says Prof. Munemoto (right), of the Departmentof Architecture.

P R O M E N A D E

The atmosphere of the cafe's interior has remainedunchanged since it first opened for business.

Outdoor seating in the cafe's court-yard, at the time the cafe first opened,with Kyoto University students relaxing.