実家に帰省し、地元のパン屋へ。母は材料の良さを評価。私は技術屋視点で観察👀

AI自動会計「ベーカリースキャン」！パンを置くと一瞬で識別される。でもトータルの時間で見ると意外と時間がかかる？パン以外のドリンクや特注サラダ🥗の聞き取りも影響してた🤔

もし私が経営者なら、システムが安く、パン販売だけなら導入を考えるかも😎自分は技術屋だなあ。パンそのものが一番大事ですよね🧐

Visiting my hometown, we stopped by a local bakery. Mom appreciated the quality ingredients, while I observed from a tech perspective 👀

The AI-powered checkout system “Bakery Scan” amazed me! It instantly identifies bread just by placing it on the counter. Yet surprisingly, the overall process still takes quite some time. The staff handling drinks and custom salads 🥗 seemed to slow things down 🤔

If I were a business owner, I might consider implementing it if the system is affordable and I only sold bread 😎 I’m such a tech guy! But in the end, the bread itself is what matters most, right? 🧐

豊橋の居酒屋『大漁』での追いコン二次会。「先生は学生に怒りますか？」と聞かれます。私の怒りの閾値を知りたいのかな？

７つの大罪で考えると、強欲による不正は許されません🤔怠惰による補充や故障の放置は、だめでしょうね。失敗には怒ることもありません。

「何に怒りますか？ChatGPTや車に怒らないですよね？」と答えると、学生から「私たちには心があるから期待してもいい」と返されました🙃怒らないこと＝期待していないと思われているのかな？

期待との差分はがっかりになるけど、怒らず、自分の教え方を見直します😌🌱ところが冒頭のような質問をする学生は、優秀なことが多く、その心理的な安全域で楽しんでいるようですね😊

At a graduation party’s second round at Tairyo izakaya in Toyohashi, a student asked me, “Do you ever get angry at students?” I wondered if they were trying to gauge my threshold for anger.

When considering the seven deadly sins, I cannot tolerate dishonesty born from greed 🤔 Neglect due to laziness, like failing to restock supplies or fix broken equipment, is also unacceptable. However, I don’t get angry at honest mistakes.

When I replied, “What makes you angry? You don’t get angry at ChatGPT or cars, right?” a student responded, “But we have hearts, so it’s okay to have expectations for us.” 🙃 I wonder if they think that not showing anger means I don’t have expectations for them?

The gap between expectations and reality can lead to disappointment, but rather than getting angry, I prefer to reflect on my teaching methods 😌🌱 I’ve noticed that students who ask questions like this tend to be quite bright and are often enjoying the psychological safety they feel in our relationship 😊

実家に帰省中、甥（6歳）が電池やコインを集め🔋お金持ちと言ってました。その後、「これは金になる？」と質問💰

成分の原子が違うから、金にならないことを回答します。クラフトで金に変換できるか？というデジタル世界（マインクラフト）から来た発想みたいです💭

こういう問答ができる関係、疑問を持つ姿勢がいいですね。私から錬金術の夢はあげられませんが、クラフトの夢はあげられます👦🏻

While visiting my parents’ home, my 6-year-old nephew collected batteries and coins 🔋 and proudly declared himself ‘rich.’ Then he asked, ‘Can these turn into gold?’ 💰

I explained that they can’t become gold because they’re made of different atomic elements. His question seems inspired by Minecraft, where he’s learned to craft and transform items in the digital world 💭

I cherish this relationship where we can have these conversations and his curious mindset. I am not able to give him dreams of alchemy, but I can certainly nurture his dreams of crafting 👦🏻

追いコン、研究室のM2が5名修了でした😂 彼らはノビノビと研究生活を送ったと推測します。活躍をお祈りしております🙏

なんと珍しく、クイズ大会がありました！私の投稿からの出題もあって気恥ずかしかったです😱

画一効率の対極にあるのが私の研究室です。出自がばらけていて、研究室運営が難しいです🌍宗教上の理由で、全員食べられるもののチョイスが困難になっています。最大公約数の店にすれば、どちらも不満が溜まりそうです🤔 インド料理の店も正解っぽいですが、ホームパーティー的にして全員満足を成立させたいですね。

Our lab’s farewell party saw five M2 students graduate 😂 I suppose they had a relaxed research life. Wishing them success in their future endeavors 🙏

Surprisingly, we had a quiz competition! I felt a bit embarrassed as some questions were from my posts 😱

Our lab is the antithesis of uniform efficiency. With diverse backgrounds, lab management is challenging 🌍 Due to religious reasons, it’s difficult to choose food that everyone can eat. If we go for a common denominator restaurant, both sides might end up unsatisfied 🤔 An Indian restaurant seems like a good option, but I’d like to organize a home party-style event to ensure everyone’s satisfaction.

小学校の卒業式に参列しました。舞台は美しく準備され、子どもたちの感情が見られて素晴らしかったです🎓✧ 今の小学校をもっと理解するために関わるべきだったかと思いましたが、本職の業務量を考えると難しかったかもしれません🤔 それでも、新しい旅立ちをする息子の成長した姿は感動的で、教職員や地域の方々に感謝しています🙏

お昼は『なめし田楽 いちょう』へ🍴 平日昼なのに30分待ち！香ばしい田楽（味噌をつけた焼き豆腐）、なめし（青菜を混ぜ込んだご飯）、繊細なお吸い物を楽しみました。私は何でも食べるのですが、このお店は植物性タンパク質のみを使用した完全ベジタリアン対応の店🌱 留学生を連れてくるのにも良いでしょう。🔍（お吸い物のハラル対応は要確認）

卒業式と、豊橋名物なめし田楽。どちらも心に残る、忘れられない一日でした🌷

We attended our son’s elementary school graduation today. The stage was beautifully prepared, showing the children’s emotions clearly 🎓✧ I wished I’d been more involved with the school, but my work made it difficult 🤔 Still, seeing my son grown enough for this new journey was amazing, and we’re thankful to all teachers and community members 🙏

For lunch, we visited “Nameshi Dengaku Icho” 🍴 30-minute wait even on a weekday! We enjoyed aromatic dengaku (miso-glazed tofu), nameshi (rice mixed with green vegetables), and delicate soup. Though I’m not vegetarian myself, this place uses only plant proteins 🌱 Perfect for international students too. 🔍 (Need to check if soup is halal)

Both the graduation ceremony and Toyohashi’s famous nameshi dengaku will remain in my heart, making today truly memorable 🌷

大学ではラジオ収録の仕事もあるんです🎙️パーソナリティの渡辺 欣生さんが来て、ミドリムシロボットの話をしました🔬これまでで3回目（4年に1度）出てます。もっと短い周期でもいいそうです。自分の考えを伝えるのは好きなので、より短周期でもいいかもしれませんね。放送は2025/4/12(土)です。

#エフエム豊橋 #ラジオ収録 #ミドリムシ#天伯之城 ギカダイ

We have radio recording work at the university 🎙️ Mr. Yoshio Watanabe, the radio personality, came and we talked about Euglena robots 🔬 This is my third time appearing (once every 4 years). He said we could do it more frequently. I enjoy sharing my ideas, so a shorter cycle might be nice. The broadcast will be on Saturday, April 12, 2025.

#FMToyohashi #RadioRecording #Euglena

豊橋を走ると、カモの生息域に目がいく。自分がカモだったら、どこでたむろする？

一つは中島下水処理場😲餌も多く、良い場所なんでしょう。人間も立入禁止だ。ただ23号バイパスの上からは隠れてるのはバレてます。近辺では、人間の営業車が休憩したりしますね。

みんな隠れ家があるといいよね。

Hideaways for Ducks and Humans Alike Running through Toyohashi, I can’t help but notice the ducks’ habitats. If I were a duck, where would I hang out?

One spot is the Nakajima Sewage Treatment Plant 😲 Must be a great place with plenty of food. Humans are prohibited from entering. But the ducks’ hiding spot is exposed from above on the Route 23 Bypass. Nearby, you’ll often see humans taking breaks in their work vehicles.

I guess everyone needs a hideaway, right?

帰国、セントレアに昼着。ある書類を対面で提出する必要があるそうで、大学に出勤します🧳確定申告のために税務署に行くようなものです🧾でも終わったので良しとします😅

勤務が終わると、夜はスシローで日本の特権を行使します🍤日本はマグロ2貫で110円で割安🍣

どちらも日本の特徴でした😮‍💨

I arrived at Centrair Airport at noon after returning to Japan. I had to go to the university to submit some documents in person 🧳—it felt like going to the tax office for filing tax returns 🧾. But I’m relieved that it’s finally done 😅.

After finishing work, I treated myself to dinner at Sushiro, enjoying one of Japan’s unique privileges 🍤. In Japan, you can get two pieces of fresh tuna sushi for just 110 yen—what a great deal 🍣!

Both experiences—the paperwork and the sushi—are truly characteristic of Japan 😮‍💨.

海外の大学に行く必要があるのか？ そう思っていました。だから、日本の大学と大学院を修了しました。でも、実際に行ってみると、それぞれの立場で得るものが違うことを実感しました。博士課程のときにボストンMIT、助教のときにロサンゼルスUCLA、教授のときにシンガポールSUTDに行かせてもらいましたが、振り返ると感謝しかありません🙏

この写真はMIT時代、チャールズ川沿いで友達と撮った一枚。若い（笑）。この頃は、行き当たりばったりで実験をやっていたところもありました。MITだとかなり仮説思考でサイエンスをやっている感じが強く、効率的な実験計画に驚きました。東アジアの人とも仲良くなり、この地域の人たちはよく働くんだと認識しました。マイクロ流体デバイスを完全に作れるようになった！…と勘違いするレベルに到達しました🤣 さらに、ツリガネムシを大量培養して自在に扱えるようになったのもこの頃。

UCLAでは、PIと研究費を獲得する大変さを共有できるようになりました。ポスドクとも仲良くなれたのは、若いときとの違いですね。それまで手を出していなかったオプティクスの分野を学ぶことができました✨ここでレーザを使うことが普通になり、視野が大きく広がったのは大きな収穫でした。作業時間は減ったけど、それ以上に得たものがたくさんあった気がします。

SUTDでは、研究室運営や大学運営の視点でも、物事を見られるようになっていました。技術面では3Dプリンタ系の知識が大きく伸びました。自分の理解では、マテリアルの自由度が大幅に高まる革命です。一方で自分の手を動かす時間はほぼ取れず…。週3日は自由な時間が欲しいと思うけど、大規模なラボを運営していたら、なかなか難しいですよね。しかも、日本の仕事もどんどん増えてるし…。

MITとSUTDでの労働強度はほぼ同じだった。つまり普通の人の2倍は働いてたんじゃないかと思います。でも、こういう働き方をしてきたおかげで、今の自分があるわけで。この「貯蓄」のおかげで、今の自分があるんだなぁとしみじみ感じます💪

I used to wonder: Is it really necessary to study at universities abroad? That’s why I completed both my undergraduate and graduate studies in Japan. But as I look back, I realize that each experience at a foreign university offered something uniquely valuable—something I couldn’t have gained had I stayed in Japan. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study at three world-renowned institutions: MIT in Boston during my PhD, UCLA during my time as an assistant professor, and later, as a professor at SUTD in Singapore. Looking back, I can’t help but feel immense gratitude for those experiences. 🙏

This photo was taken along the Charles River during my time at MIT with a friend. I look so young (lol). Back then, I sometimes conducted experiments without a clear plan. In contrast, MIT had a strong hypothesis-driven approach to science, and I was amazed by the efficiency of their experimental planning. I also became friends with many East Asian researchers, which made me realize just how hard people from this region work. I once thought I had completely mastered microfluidic device fabrication—though looking back, that was probably an overestimation! 🤣 This was also the time when I became proficient at culturing and handling large quantities of Vorticella with ease.

At UCLA, I gained a firsthand understanding of the challenges of securing research funding as a principal investigator. Another big difference from my younger days was that I developed closer relationships with postdocs. I also had the opportunity to explore the field of optics, which I had never worked on before.✨ It was here that working with lasers became second nature to me, and my perspective expanded significantly. Although I spent less time doing hands-on experiments, what I gained in knowledge and insights was far more valuable.

At SUTD, I began to see things from a broader perspective, including lab and university management. Technically speaking, my expertise in 3D printing grew significantly. In my view, this technology represents a revolution in material freedom, allowing unprecedented flexibility in design and fabrication. On the other hand, I barely had any time to work with my own hands. I often wished I could have at least three free days a week. But managing a large lab makes that nearly impossible—especially with my increasing responsibilities in Japan.

In terms of workload, my time at MIT and SUTD were equally intense. I’d say I worked at least twice as much as an average person. But looking back, it’s this relentless work ethic that built the foundation for where I am today. Thanks to the “savings” from those years of effort, I’ve been able to keep leveling up and moving forward.💪

日本とシンガポール何往復したのかな。これでSUTDの1年に渡る滞在は終了です。橋本さん、SUTDの皆さん、サポートありがとうございました🙏日本、豊橋の皆さんも不在時の不便にも付き合ってくれて、感謝します。

研究に限らず、人生が豊かになりました🏆 引き続き良い関係を保てればと思います🚀

I wonder how many times I traveled between Japan and Singapore. With this, my one-year stay at SUTD comes to an end. Thank you to Hashimoto-san and everyone at SUTD for your support 🙏 I’m also grateful to everyone in Toyohashi, Japan for dealing with the inconveniences during my absence.

My life has been enriched beyond just research 🏆 I hope we can maintain our good relationship going forward 🚀