Interview with Prof. Kera,

"Discourse on Curiosity　―Learning from the world, a dream in your mind, a journey to its end―"

Highlights

The road to becoming a researcher

-- when I was in elementary school, my friends used to tell me, "You're going to be a scientist." I guess that was the impression I gave off. ... but I didn't directly encounter research until I entered university.

-- If I were to quit my job as a researcher, I would probably start my own business and be involved in commerce. I feel like I have the blood of a salesman in my veins.

Guided by my mentors and nature

-- I met Prof. Nobuo Ueno, who had a very strong personality which made me want to do research with him. So I ended up joining the Ueno Lab. This was my first encounter with my current research field.

-- Even at that time, its main research topic was functional organic molecules. ... in my case, I've continued to study the same thing. ... Thanks to this focus, I believe that there is a world that only I can see. I think it may be a bit presumptuous to say nature led me here, though.

Reforming the style of research work

-- The first thing that shocked me was that they go home at 5 pm. ... The Germans finish their work in the German way. To work on a fixed time schedule with a focus on high efficiency is a reasonable strategy, I think.

-- I can't generally say that the Japanese way is inefficient. ... It's very difficult to build something from the ground up. No one knows how long it will take. With the Japanese way, we produce a lot of potentialities from all the work.

In the distant future in a galaxy far, far away...

-- if citizens don't expand their horizons and evolve, I think humankind will eventually die out. ... with my students, we were discussing our dreams for the future and I asked them, "Do you want to experience a world like Star Wars? Do you think there are extraterrestrials?"

-- In my opinion, intelligent life forms will become complacent with the quality of life their technology provides; they'll lose their curiosity and die out ...

-- If you maintain the status quo, it will definitely worsen you. ... I believe that Japanese manga and anime are making a great contribution to society's dreams and curiosity.

To a world where no one is

-- When I was a student, I was a member of an alpine club. We went to places where no one else could go, ... I felt a sense of conquest. ... I carried up to 50 kilograms on my back. In those days, I trained every day to keep in shape. That brings back memories...

-- Research is very tough, isn't it? ... but it's fun, so we can stay motivated. ... I didn't think to quit because I enjoyed the scenery of the places we reached and the feeling of accomplishment that came from working together... Even though these experiences are hard, there's a reward.

A message to would-be researchers

-- it is not good to do the same thing as everyone else. ... Originality is essential, and for that you need to have a broad perspective. Research and development in Japan is prone to evolve according to the Galapagos syndrome, ... for better or worse. You will not be aware of this if your experiences are limited to Japan.

-- my message to prospective students is, "Enjoy research!" ... and they should be self-motivated. Students often ask me for advice when they don't know which experiment to do. I tell them, "If you don't know, try something; the results will tell you what the next step is."

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