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.💪