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January 2001 The University of Tokyo Magazine UT Forum 21 aims at sharing worldwide the latest developments at UT with everyone interested in UT Forum 21education and research. 1 The University of Tokyo University The UT ForumThe University of Tokyo Magazine 21 No. 1, January 2001 CONTENTS Editor-in-Chief : 3 Welcome to the University of 16 People in UT Ryutaro Ohtsuka, Professor, Graduate School of Medicine Tokyo Hideo Kuroda Associate Editor : Hisaki Matsuura Masashi Haneda, Professor, Institute of Oriental 4 UT: Its Origin and History Kenjiro Miyano Culture Tomoko M. Nakanishi Editorial Board : Hitoshi Kurose, Associate Professor, Graduate 6 Academic Performance Hiroyuki Sakaki School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Abroad Tsugitaka Sato Minoru Nakano, Chief Archivist Yoshikazu Ohya, Professor, Graduate School of UT Forum 2000 in Boston Hiroshi Suzuki Frontier Sciences Tadatsugu Taniguchi Naoyuki Tsuchiya, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Medicine 10 Sustainability Pays Dividends Tadashi Uchino, Associate Professor, Graduate UT is Active in AGS 26 Insights into UT School of Arts and Sciences The MAGNUM Project Editorial Collaborators : Gaynor Sekimori 14 Kashiwa Campus Abroad in Komaba Shiela Hones Meeting a New Challenge Super-Kamiokande Detector Brendan Wilson Toward New Research on Asia © The Committee of Public Relations of the University of Tokyo 30 News in Brief 7— 3 —1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113 — 8654, Japan Fax: 81— 3 — 3816 — 3913 E-mail: [email protected] Issued on 31 January 2001 Cover: ©Photo by Hiroshi Morooka / Courtesy of University of Tokyo Press. Throughout this magazine, the names of Japanese persons are presented in the order, given name followed by family name. Greetings from the Editor At the turn of the new century, it is our a high position in research and education I appreciate very much the support and great pleasure to publish an English maga- on an international standard. cooperation of readers, given to the edito- zine, UT Forum 21. Since 1877, when the Information now instantaneously moves rial board of UT Forum 21, which will be University of Tokyo was founded as the first around the world, and this will be acceler- published annually to contribute to the national university in Japan, it has continu- ated in this new century. Out-flow of development of academic activities in an ously expanded and reformed its structure information from UT in English is, without atmosphere of international reciprocity. to adapt to the development of higher doubt, indispensable for the staff and education and research while coping with students to survive while cooperating with, various problems and demands from time and mutually stimulating, colleagues in a to time. As a research-oriented university, world academic community. This new the present-day UT, which consists of magazine is aiming at sharing worldwide thirteen graduate schools, ten faculties, the histories of UT and the latest develop- eleven institutes and twenty-four research ment at UT with everyone interested in Ryutaro Ohtsuka, D.Sc. centers in a wide range of disciplines, holds education and research. Director, the Committee of Public Relations 4 SHIGEHIKO HASUMI In April 1997, Shigehiko Hasumi took office as the twenty-sixth president of the University of Tokyo. Graduating from the University of Tokyo’s program in French literature in 1960 and receiving a doctorate from the University of Paris in 1965, he joined the University of Tokyo in 1970 as an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and was promoted to full professor in 1988. He served from 1993 to 1995 as Dean of the same college and from 1995 to 1997 as Vice- president of the University of Tokyo. Welcome to the University of Tokyo What comes to mind when you think about Roppongi. Buildings are also under con- university. That commitment has been the campuses of the University of Tokyo? struction for the new Graduate School of stimulated and strengthened by the people You will probably recall first the Hongo Frontier Sciences, which brings together from throughout the world who have spent Campus, and you may have fond memories our university’s wisdom and learning in time here, whether for short visits or longer of our Komaba Campus as well. But we many fields, and in a few years this entire stays, and we are very grateful for their also have many other locations. The Insti- graduate school will have moved to the new contributions. If you have been to the tute for Cosmic Ray Research’s huge campus. At Komaba, we have also nearly university before, please come and visit us Kamioka Observatory in Gifu Prefecture finished a new building for the Institute of again, not only at the campuses that you will not be forgotten by people who have Industrial Science, which will be moved remember but also at our new Kashiwa been there, and those who have sailed the there from Roppongi, and at Hongo con- Campus. And if you have never been to the Pacific on board the Ocean Research struction is moving ahead Institute’s Hakuho-maru will recall the quickly on a new re- The University of Tokyo is open to all productive time they spent on that research search building for the ship. The University of Tokyo thus reaches Graduate School of people who are sincerely committed far beyond Tokyo itself, from the University Medicine and new wards to education and research. Forest in Hokkaido in the north to the for the University Hospi- Amami Laboratory of Injurious Animals on tal. If you have not visited the University of university, we look forward to welcoming Amami-oshima in the south. We are proud Tokyo in a while, you will be amazed at all you. The University of Tokyo is open to all of the contributions that these facilities the changes on our campuses. people who are sincerely committed to have made to your studies and research, Many visitors from overseas ask how we education and research. and we hope that you will visit them again. are able to carry out such ambitious con- After the new University of Tokyo was struction projects if Japan’s economy is so reborn in the wake of the Second World weak and the university’s budget is so War, we were fortunate to be able to grow restricted. The answer is simple. For the and develop on the Hongo and Komaba past several decades, we have carefully Campuses. Now I am honored to be the developed an ambitious vision for the President of the University as we begin university focused on the twenty-first building our third campus on over twenty century. The strength of that vision has hectares of land in Kashiwa City, Chiba already been demonstrated by our widely Shigehiko Hasumi, Ph.D. Prefecture. New facilities are nearly com- recognized achievements in both education President plete there for the Institute for Cosmic Ray and research. The physical innovations Research, which has moved to Kashiwa visible on our campuses reflect the commit- from Tanashi, and the Institute for Solid ment to internal innovation by everyone State Physics, which has moved there from involved in education and research at our 5 UT: Its Origin and History oundation of the istorical Remains F University of Tokyo H and Buildings The University of Tokyo was Hongo, the main campus of founded in April 1877, as the first the university, situated in Bunkyo national university in Japan (fig. Ward, Tokyo, occupies the site of 1). It had its origins in two the estate of a feudal lord of the schools some twenty years Tokugawa Period (1600 —1867). earlier, the Institute for the Inves- Still intact from that time are the tigation of Western Writings Akamon (Red Gate, fig. 7) and called Bansho-Shirabesho (set up Sanshiro Pond. Before the Kanto by the Tokugawa Shogunate), Earthquake of 1923, the buildings founded in 1856 to import and study Western books on techni- cal subjects and to translate fig.3 esearch and world. Foreign teachers were a R Education major element in the teaching of special subjects during the early fig.7 From the time of its founding, period of the university (fig. 4). the University of Tokyo was a Besides contributing their experi- fig.1 special educational institution, ence, they also acted to intro- diplomatic notes, and the Vacci- comprising the four departments duce Japan to the West (fig. 5). nation Center (Shutosho), a of law, science, literature and European languages were no private facility of Western medi- medicine. It also taught engi- longer used as languages of cine initially founded as a small- neering (fig. 3) and agriculture. In instruction after the 1880s but pox vaccination clinic in 1858. this sense it varied somewhat their importance continued. The The large-scale opening cer- from other universities around the library began acquiring Western emony of the university’s immedi- academic and technical works ate predecessor, the Tokyo Kaisei from very early in fig.8 Gakko, was attended by the the university’s Emperor, Japanese and foreign history (fig. 6). were mainly of brick in a variety dignitaries and prominent officials of architectural designs (fig. 8). (fig. 2). The university was Only two or three buildings renamed Tokyo Imperial Univer- remain from that period. After sity in 1886 and was the only the earthquake, buildings were such university in the country erected according to the campus until 1897. As such it played a plan devised by the professor of central role in academic research architecture, Yoshikazu Uchida. and education. The style of his buildings, called fig.4* fig.5 fig.2 * fig. 4: Owned by Dept. Electrical Eng./ Dept. Information and Communication Eng./ Dept. Electronic Eng, Graduate School of Engineering.