Category: UTRIP

by Thong Nguyen The University of Texas at Dallas, Class of 2015 — Carved in my mind is the moment I received the acceptance email from UTRIP along with the FUTI scholarship award, which blew away the anxiety about midterm exams coming in late-March. Excitement piled up day after day for the long journey to discover the frontier of high energy physics, to explore the new land, and to learn about a different culture—something that I had always dreamed of. Six weeks working at the University of Tokyo left me with a deep impression, not only about the world-class research facilities, but also about the professionalism and discipline, as well as the generosity of the people I met. High energy physics, also known as elementary particle physics, is driven by the quest of finding the ultimate answer for the fundamental question: “What is the universe made of?” Here in Japan, physicists collaborate to work on a B-factory, namely SuperKEKB, to produce numerous particles called B mesons from electron-positron annihilations to study CP-violation, a key to understand the domination of matter over antimatter in our universe. The Belle II detector at SuperKEKB records information of the produced B mesons at the collision point for further analysis. The Belle II project is an upgrade from the Belle experiment, which had successfully operated for more than ten years, contributing to the Nobel prizes shared by two professors Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa in 2008. Major upgrades of the Belle II detector include the Silicon Vertex Detector (SVD) that I worked on over the course of six weeks under the guidance of Professor Yoshiyuki Onuki in the Aihara group. In the production of the SVD, we conduct a testing experiment with beta rays from Strontium-90 to verify the functionality of every strip. On the development of the beta testing system, an accurate determination of the energy deposited in the double-side strip detector (DSSD) is of significant interests. However, this energy deposited is difficult to determine experimentally; therefore, a simulation study is necessary to acquire the expect value for the energy deposited. I developed a software to simulate the geometry and physics processes of this SVD testing experiment to study the energy deposited in the DSSD, using the GEANT4 toolkit. The results of my work are crucial for the testing stage of the SVD production, which starts in October 2014. After six weeks, not only did I augment my research skills, including programming and experimental techniques, and deepen my knowledge about high energy physics, but I also learned about the prospect of fundamental scientific researches in Japan. I had a chance to visit the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, where I gave a talk about my research, and KEK in Tsukuba, where I witnessed the real Belle detector at the KEKB accelerator, the world’s highest luminosity machine. The thrilling atmosphere spread all over these institutes, where people were excited introducing their research projects, meticulously explaining new technologies and the underlying theories to me. Everyone engaged in a spirited research environment, promising a bright future for the basic science in Japan. Research aside, the picture about my summer would not be completed without the vivid pieces of cultural experience. A field trip hosted by UTRIP to Iyashi no Sato, a traditional craft village, fostered my appreciation for the dexterity and creativity of the Japanese. Here I learned how to make paper from fibres, attended a tea ceremony, folded an origami crane, and tried on a full kimono set, which weighed no less than five kilograms. The daily life in Tokyo was no less fantastic. Japan might easily have the best foods in the world; even the low-priced bento (lunch box) sold in the convenience stores was of excellent quality. Not to mention tempura donburi, tsukimi soba, gunkan, and other wonderful cuisines whose names I cannot recall. I witnessed the beauty of nature in Japan through weekend hiking trips in Kamakura and to Takao-san. An excursion to Oedo Onsen Monogatari for a hot spring bath and sauna softened my mind after a long week of work. The most memorable experiences, however, were with people I met during six weeks in Tokyo. There were overnight parties with my fellow UTRIP friends, in which some embarrassing photos we took might become the best moments when we grow older and look back on the past; there was a sleepless night followed by an early-morning mountain-hiking trip in heavy rain; and there were the long walks home with my labmates in late evenings, during which they had to tolerate my terrible singing (and sometimes dancing). The last day was a hard farewell. For the first time in my life I received a ton of goodbye gifts. Perhaps the word “nice” is not enough to describe the Japanese, but my limited vocabulary could not find another word that is beyond diplomacy and cultural doctrine, a word that blends sincerity and kindness. Those six weeks are over, yet my fondness for Japan has just sprouted. My deep gratitude goes to UTRIP, FUTI, Aihara-san, Onuki-san, Denis, my labmates, and my fellow UTRIP students. Altogether they orchestrated a wonderful summer that went far beyond my expectation—a summer of intellectual adventure, cultural discovery, and memorable companionships.

by Taweewat Somboonpanyakul — During the summer of 2014, I had a chance to participate in University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP) with the financial support from Friends of UTokyo, Inc. UTRIP is an undergraduate summer research internship program with top professors for those who want to pursuing Ph.D. degree in science in the future. I participated in the Exoplanet Lab in the Astronomy Department hosted by Prof. Motohide Tamura. The main focus of the lab is about direct imaging technique to observe several types of objects such as exoplanets and protoplanetary disks. The data mostly comes from Subaru Telescope which is the 8.2 meter telescope of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), located at Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii. My research background is astrophysics, mainly exoplanet using transiting technique. Thus, I was really excited once I knew that I would learn this new technique, direct Imaging, to detect planets. Direct imaging planets are extraordinary because we can actually see a planet itself instead of an indirectly observed planet from technique such as transiting and radial velocity. By being able to see a planet, we can confidently say that we found an extrasolar planet and a planet does exist outside our solar system. For the first couple weeks of the program, I spent most of my time studying these new techniques in the office. I read couple recent papers about direct imaging and different techniques people use to directly observe a planet. Two main techniques that I learned were adaptive optics (AO) and angular differential imaging (ADI) with the newly developed algorithm called Locally Optimized Combination of Images (LOCI). Once I understood the technique, I had a chance to work on some real data from Subaru Telescope. In fact, the data that I had was the one that was used to find GJ 504b, a new directly observed planet discovered by Prof. Tamura and his colleagues in 2013. I was excited since I got to experience firsthand how to find a planet from real images. Apart from Prof.Tamura who always helped me with most of my questions about the science of the project. Mr. Uyama, a master student under the supervision of Prof.Tamura, also answered my detailed questions about the software and the pipeline that we used to process the data. In addition, I visited National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NOAJ) in Mitaka, the suburb of Tokyo, to meet with Mr. Kusakabe, a postdoc at NOAJ who was responsible for raw data I used for the project. It was an incredible opportunity for me to visit the national observatory of Japan during my stay in Tokyo. Moreover, I met two postdocs at University of Tokyo who also helped me with different problems that I had during the project. Without these people, I do not think that I will have a successful project that I had now. Furthermore, UTRIP also provided other valuable experience during the program. First, the seminars from different professors in different departments were a good and quick way to learn about other people’s projects and learned new topics in science that I would not have a chance to learn. For example, I learned about ‘Fast and Slow Earthquake’ and ‘Bioluminescence’ from the seminars. Although these topics were not in my field of study, I found them really interesting and would like to learn more about them. UTRIP provided not only academic experienced, but also cultural ones such as the Japanese cultural experience and oneday excursion trip to Yamanashi. During the Japanese cultural experience, I had a chance to learn about origami, wear the kimono and attend a tea ceremony. I liked all the activities that we did, especially a tea ceremony which demonstrated how delicate Japanese culture is, in contrast to what I knew as the contemporary Japanese culture like manga and anime. Also for oneday excursion, we went to Yamanashi to visit Iyashi no sato Nenba to learn some Japanese workshops. My favorite place during the trip was Narusawa Ice Cave. I was really excited about the cave once as we learned that it was created from the eruption of Mount Fuji. Moreover, what unique about this summer research program was how diverse fellow interns were in the program. We came from many countries with different backgrounds and interests. The most precious thing that I got from this program was not what I learned about direct imaging technique since I could learn about it elsewhere, but these new friendships that I had with fellow interns. It was nearly impossible for me to meet this group of people. I met a guy from Czech Republic who are also interested in exoplanets and a guy from Malaysia who was studying in UK. Even though the program was ended, my memory and our friendships with others while staying in Tokyo will remain. Finally, I am really thankful to Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for all the supports that they provided while I stayed in Tokyo and participated in UTRIP. Without the generous support, I would not be able to participate in UTRIP and gain such incredible experiences for all academic, cultural and social aspects.

by Pramodh Ganapathy — Few people can say they spent their summer throwing a plankton net, but that was just one of many things I learned how to do over my summer at the University of Tokyo as part of the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP). I interned at the Nozaki Laboratory of Origin of Eukaryote Biodiversity from June 12th to July 24th, and my project was titled “Molecular identification of gender based on analysis of OTOKOGI and HIBOTAN genes in natural populations of Volvox carteri.” Going into the program, I had very little experience with the specific subject matter of the lab and of my project. I majored in evolutionary anthropology as an undergraduate, so the evolutionary biology aspect of the Nozaki lab interested me and seemed to be a good opportunity to expand my knowledge. The learning curve was even steeper than I had expected, but I was very touched that every single individual in the Nozaki lab—undergraduates, graduate students, and Professor Nozaki himself—made every effort to make me feel comfortable and to really make me feel like I was part of the lab community. I was also able to practice my Japanese with them, so I feel very fortunate and grateful that I was able to learn not only about science but also improve my Japanese as well. In this environment, I was ultimately able to complete a project of which I could be very proud. The first step of my project was to establish new strains of Volvox carteri, a colonial algal species. This may have been my favorite part of the project, as it involved field sampling trips in which we would take samples of algae from bodies of water with plankton nets. The first trip we took was to Lake Isanuma in Saitama Prefecture. While we were there, we were also able to do a little bit of sightseeing as well as go to a souvenir shop. I was also able to go to Lake Biwa near Kyoto for sampling. While we unfortunately did not have time to go to Kyoto for sightseeing, we were able to sightsee around Lake Biwa and go to the Lake Biwa Museum. While I was very clumsy with the plankton net at Lake Isanuma, I was able to get a lot of practice and improve my technique at Lake Biwa. Once the samples were collected, we had to return to the University of Tokyo the same day in order to isolate the specimen of interest, in this case Volvox carteri, to allow it to proliferate for further study. Unfortunately, I was unable to isolate any of the target species from the samples, so I instead used cultures graciously lent to me by the Nozaki Laboratory for the next steps of my project, which involved determining the formae of the Volvox carteri strain being studied as well as the determination of its gender. To do this, DNA was extracted from each strain and run through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with primers designed for an identifying DNA sequence. The amplified DNA was then sequenced and analyzed using a software program in order to determine that the formae of all strains were f. nagariensis. Once this was done, gender was determined for strains for which gender was unknown by running the extracted DNA through PCR with primers for OTOKOGI and HIBOTAN genes, gender-specific genes for male and female Volvox carteri f. nagariensis, respectively, that I designed. The PCR products were then run through gel electrophoresis to determine presence or absence of OTOKOGI and/or HIBOTAN genes, which would indicate gender. The last step of the project involved determining if there was any recombination of the sex chromosomal region in the Volvox carteri strains analyzed—this would be represented by bands indicating the presence of both OTOKOGI and HIBOTAN genes in a single strain. There were some strains in which this was observed, but after retesting, bands indicating the presence of either OTOKOGI or HIBOTAN genes, not both, were observed, suggesting that the previous presence of both bands was an error. The study therefore indicated that there was no evidence of recombination, but more gender-specific genes and a larger sample size would be necessary for further study. The project was definitely challenging, and even frustrating at times. I would sometimes have to arrive quite early in the morning and would not be able to go home until the last train. However, everyone in the lab was right there beside me and supported me through all of the challenges. I definitely would not have been able to see the project on to its finish without them. I was also able to enjoy my stay in Tokyo in ways unrelated to my work in the lab as well. In the summer of 2013, I participated in the Japan-America Student Conference (日米学生会議) and was part of the Executive Committee for this year. Therefore, I was able to spend time with a lot of my friends from the conference who were in Tokyo. Ultimately, I cannot think of any better way I could have spent my summer. It was definitely challenging and came with a lot of hardships, but I also had a lot of fun, and I think all of my experiences came together in the end to create an unforgettable time of growth and reflection. Thank you once again to Professor Nozaki and everyone at the Nozaki Laboratory, and a special thank you to FUTI as well for giving me this opportunity.

by Kevin Hochstrasser — This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Japan through the UTRIP program at Todai. There I participated in frontier research in the Tei Biochemistry Lab. Professor Tei’s lab studies a variety of topics centered on the study of small RNAs through cell culture and computational analysis. My project focused on microRNAs, a type of small RNA. My goal for the summer was to generate knockouts of three different miRNA genes in HEK293 (human embryonic kidney) cells. The genes I was attempting to knockout are thought to contribute to the regulation of the biological clock in mammals. Over the course of the summer I learned how to culture cells and how to perform a variety of techniques of molecular biology including transformation, transfection, cloning, PCR, luciferase assays, endonuclease surveyor assays, and sequencing reactions. By the end of the summer I had successfully generated knockouts of two out of the three miRNA genes I had been targeting. Overall my experience in the lab was successful, educational, and memorable. The lab was extremely accommodating. Multiple times throughout the course of the summer Professor Tei and the lab members treated my fellow UTRIP labmate and me to meals at local restaurants. The younger members of the lab brought us to the Ooedo Onsen. I had never been to anything like it in America, and I found the experience relaxing and therapeutic. My mentor and I frequently discussed American baseball and the famous players from Japan that play in America. At the end of my stay, he treated me to GoGo Curry after promising me that it would be like no curry I could buy in America. He was right. Outside of the lab I had an incredible time enjoying all that Tokyo had to offer. I have always loved Japanese cuisine, and eating it for every meal was a constant source of happiness for me during my stay. I am also a big fan of Japanese beer and sake, and I was able to indulge many times throughout the trip. Though the food and drink was great, I would have to say that my favorite part of the summer was visiting the Ueno Zoo and Epson Aquarium. I love animals and am always on the lookout for zoos and aquariums to visit when I travel to new places, but I had never seen a panda bear before! It was exciting. The pandas were so human-like; it made us wonder if they were really just men in realistic costumes. The Epson aquarium included an unforgettable dolphin show that left me speechless. I did not expect Japanese culture to be so different from the American and European cultures I have assimilated to in the past. The Japanese people are extremely polite, accommodating, and generous. On the night of my arrival, I could not find the hotel because my phone that contained the directions had died during my flight. I was amazed by how many strangers gave up their time to attempt to help me find my destination. Even though they could barely understand what I was asking, they tried everything they could to assist me, going so far as to use Google Translate to figure out what I needed and walking with me for almost half an hour. I had never experienced this kind of unconditional kindness in any other city. The Japanese people treat the city and its inhabitants with the utmost respect. The streets are clean, there are textured surfaces on the sidewalks for the blind, and bike locks are not necessary. This shocked me, since in New Haven, where I go to school, bikes are frequently stolen even when they are locked! Overall I was most impressed with this aspect of Japan. I’ve seen some amazing things when I’ve traveled abroad, but nothing has impressed me more than the respect the Japanese show to one another and to those new to their culture. Thank you UTRIP, Todai, and Friends of UTokyo for this once in a lifetime experience. I can’t wait to come back.

Matthew Kubicki — This summer as a FUTI student in the UTRIP program, I had the pleasure of working in Professor Mikiko Siomi’s new lab in the Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry department at UTokyo University. Professor Siomi’s lab focuses on piRNA pathways of gene silencing in Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly. Like most researchers in the lab, I had the opportunity to work with Drosophila ovarian somatic cells (OSC) to study the effects of piRNA expression on various protein expression levels in vivo. My primary project involved studying protein levels via a Luciferase assay. In this assay, we transfected plasmids containing firefly and Renilla (sea pansy) Luciferase-encoding genes into Drosophila OSC along with varying 3’ Untranslated Regions (3’ UTRs) and piRNA sequences. By knocking out the protein Yb involved in the piRNA silencing pathway, we were able to study its effects on protein levels by monitoring the brightness of luciferase reactions conducted by the cells. Though we did not obtain the data we expected given our hypothesis, we started an important step in understanding the mechanism of piRNA silencing, and I had the opportunity to try various new techniques. My lab was incredibly accommodating and friendly, treating me to meals, small snacks, and – my favorite – takoyaki parties. With my luck, I happened upon the wasabi-spiked takoyaki twice in a row in takoyaki Russian roulette. The UTRIP staff and other interns were great people to get to know, and I am glad I had the opportunity to spend time with them and learn about their different life experiences. Outside of lab, I had a wonderful time exploring an incredibly different culture and one of the biggest cities I have ever seen. I had the chance to visit many strange shops in Akihabara and Harajuku, the Meiji Shrine, the amazing Ueno Zoo, and several scenes of incredible Tokyo nightlife. It was definitely exhausting keeping up the pace with such an upbeat city, but it was also a huge refresher from the relatively small and quiet Yale campus I am used to. I had a chance to venture out of Tokyo as well. UTRIP took us to see Mt. Fuji and the surrounding forest, a truly majestic experience. Since Mt. Fuji itself was too far away for a personal trip, I am glad I took a trip with some other interns to hike Mt. Takao and see its Buddhist shrines. I also saw the huge Buddha in Kamakura and had a relaxing time on the nearby beach. Perhaps my favorite out-of-Tokyo excursion was to the onsen in Odaiba. This was a huge culture shock at first, but it was one of the most rejuvenating experiences of my life. I was struck by the incredible hospitality of everyone in Japan. Tokyo is rapidly adjusting to a globalizing world, and I found myself often forgiven for not knowing every custom and helped out when I was lost. I am glad I got to practice some Japanese, but it seemed unnecessary, which was a huge relief. Perhaps most surprising was the food. I am an incredibly picky eater, sadly, but I absolutely fell in love with most Japanese dishes. I would love to come back to Japan some day. Thank you for a wonderful experience, FUTI, UTokyo, and UTRIP.

Krysta Dummit Princeton University — During this past summer I was lucky enough participate in the University of Tokyo’s Research Internship Program (UTRIP) as a member of the Tachibana Laboratory. The Tachibana laboratory is an organic chemistry lab which focuses on a class of marine toxins known as polycyclic ethers. Polycyclic ethers are of special interest because they are one of the main toxins present in red-tides, and also are of concern for their bioaccumulation in edible shellfish. Unlike many laboratories which classify themselves only as synthesis labs or only isolation labs, members of the Tachibana lab could be working on anything from isolating novel compounds from biological samples to determining how those molecules interact with their target cells to trying to synthesize those molecules in the laboratory. My research centered on confirming the Nakanishi hypothesis, which is the current reigning theory on how red-tide dinoflagellates synthesize polycyclic ethers. This is actually quite the puzzle because polycyclic ethers are some of the longest and most complex bioorganic molecules that aren’t polymers. Their creation is an impressive feat of biological engineering. The Nakanishi hypothesis postulates that the cell first creates a polyene (a long molecule with multiple double bonds) which then is polyepoxidated. That basically means all the double bonds are turned into epoxides (a little triangular group with an oxygen atom at the apex). This epoxide precursor then undergoes an enzyme-mediated cascade reaction to produce the desired polycyclic ether. My work involved creating a small precursor molecule and incubating it with the dinoflagellate serum to see if the predicted polycyclic ether is observed. If it were, it would lend credence to the Nakanishi hypothesis. Though my results were inconclusive about whether the predicted product was formed, I learned quite a lot about working in a chemistry lab. While I had worked previously in a biology lab and taken a laboratory class in chemistry, working in an actual chemistry lab setting was very different. I had to learn to use a lot of instrumentation and reagents I only knew about in theory, but which I had never handled myself. For me, that was one of the coolest parts. It is one thing to learn about it in class, but quite another to actually do it yourself. Of course, that also meant that I learned a lot about setbacks and mistakes, which are an important part of any scientist’s training. However, the understanding and helpfulness with which my labmates handled my multiple missteps was truly wonderful. For me, a huge part of what made this experience amazing was the people. My labmates went out of their way to make me feel welcome and teach me about Japanese culture. From trips to Nikko and some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen, to inviting me to their homes so I could try Japanese home-cooking – and learn to eat a salad with chopsticks! – to taking me to a hot spring so I could experience a Japanese tradition, they gave me so many lasting memories. What amazed me the most was how welcoming and kind everyone was, from strangers on the subway helping me board the correct train late at night, to my associate professor giving me a fan when I went to Kyoto to make sure I didn’t get heat stroke. Of course, the fun and welcome didn’t end with just my labmates. I also had a wonderful time getting to know the other participants from UTRIP while exploring the city. There are so many amazing things to see in Tokyo, from ascending SkyTree at night to indulging in crepes at Harajuku to standing in line for the world’s best sushi at Tsukiji. I think my favorite thing was the oases of trees in the middle of one of the largest cities on the planet, whether it was a tiny temple or a park, there were just trees everywhere. It was lovely. And when I wasn’t wandering the city looking for wonders, I was learning about all of the fascinating research going on at UTokyo. I was amazed at how well the professors were able to explain such widely-varying topics as string theory, the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, and the reproductive habits of algae. It was also  really neat to find out the research my friends in UTRIP were doing in their labs. While I hope that I gave something back to my laboratory, be it in my research exploits or my various attempts to explain American culture, I know they gave me much more. I have to admit that until about a month before I arrived in Tokyo I wasn’t sure what my major was. I had narrowed it down to either chemistry or computer science. I eventually chose chemistry partly because of how much I had enjoyed my organic chemistry class, but if I were completely honest with myself, I wasn’t totally committed. Now I am. While six weeks wasn’t near enough time to accomplish any groundbreaking results, it was more than enough to convince me that this was what I want to do. I am a chemist. So I owe quite a lot to UTokyo and FUTI. They helped me find my passion. So thank you.

(FUTI Report by Jacob Schmelz) — This past summer, I participated in the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP) with funding from Friends of UTokyo, Inc.  UTRIP is a six-­‐week research  experience  that  allowed  me  to  work  on  an  original  project  under  a University of Tokyo professor. I was hosted by Professor Kazuo Makishima in the “Makishima-­‐Nakazawa Laboratory.”    The  focus  of  this  lab  is  high-­‐energy  astrophysics,  which  includes studies of black holes, galaxy clusters, neutron stars, and supernova remnants.  This subject matter was very attractive to me, since I am currently double majoring in physics and astronomy.  My research background includes work with astrophysical simulations that study dark matter, so I was very excited to work with Professor Makishima on observations of the energetic cosmos. In the first two weeks of the program, all UTRIP students would meet with students from the University of Tokyo to attend scientific lectures given by host professors.  I really enjoyed attending these sessions, since I got the opportunity to hear about the broad range of research topics at UTokyo.  I learned something new from every talk, and I felt that they were worthwhile experiences.  They also gave visiting students like myself a chance to interact with UTokyo students.   We participated in several discussions after the lecture, and I was able to make some new friends. During this initial period, I was also getting acquainted with the members of my laboratory. I was truly humbled by everybody’s kindness and hospitality. They took me out to eat, and I tried sashimi for the first time.  (It was very good!)  A few lab mates quickly became close friends of mine and showed me around Tokyo on the weekends.  The sense of community that I had while working in this environment was unparalleled.  Someone was always willing to give me suggestions or help me with an issue, whether it was related to research or another matter, like acquiring a prepaid cell phone or navigating the metro. My research project focused on analyzing data from the XMM-­‐Newton satellite.  This satellite is used to view X-­‐rays coming from outer space.  I used it to investigate the properties  of  a  galaxy  cluster  named  Abell  1835. Galaxy  clusters  are  very interesting to study because they are the largest gravitationally bound objects in the universe.   Each one is made up of hundreds to thousands of galaxies plus a large amount of X-­‐ray emitting plasma.  These massive structures are theorized to have a third  component,  dark  matter,  which  cannot  be  observed.  My  main  research objective  was  to  find  the  distribution  of  Abell  1835’s  mass  and  see  if  this distribution revealed anything about dark matter.   To accomplish this, we use the satellite to observe the distribution of hot plasma in the cluster. Then, we can infer the  distribution  of  total  cluster  mass  by  assuming  that  the  plasma’s  pressure balances  with  gravitational  forces.   In  the  end,  we  see  that  in  order  to  support  its plasma, this cluster must have a lot more mass that isn’t contributed by the plasma or the galaxies. This mass must come from dark matter. I had never tried a project like this before, and I gained a lot of new skills and knowledge from carrying it out.   The opportunity to conduct this research helped me grow in many ways.  I feel that I have a much better sense of what graduate student life is like.  I am also compelled to apply to UTokyo in the future, since I had such a great experience there. I’m happy to say that my learning did not stop when I left the university grounds each day. During my entire stay, I tried to gain greater exposure to Japanese culture. UTRIP students were treated to two cultural seminars, with lessons on sumi-­‐e and calligraphy.  We also took a field trip to Yamanashi prefecture, saw Fuji-­‐san, and participated in craft-­‐making sessions. I explored Tokyo as often as possible with lab mates and fellow UTRIP students. This helped to improve my Japanese greatly, even in the short six-­‐week time span.  All of these experiences fostered a deep admiration and respect for the Japanese tradition. At the end of the program, I found that I had become very close to my fellow interns. Since we were all lodged at the same hotel, we had spent a lot of time together.  We all came from very different backgrounds, and I think we learned a lot from each other. I can say that I gained a new set of very dear friends from UTRIP. Simply put, this summer was absolutely amazing, and I will never forget it.   I am incredibly grateful to Friends of UTokyo, Inc for everything that they have given me by facilitating my participation in UTRIP.  I am inspired to dream even bigger and accomplish greater things in the future, and it is thanks to you.

Elton Ho — This is a tale about a young man, Elton Ho, whom I occasionally refer to as “me”, and his intellectual and cultural journeys with Aihara lab in the University of Tokyo. This is a quest in which this young man explores the frontiers of high energy physics through constant failure and repeated frustration. Had he no fear nor worries for that companions from the Aihara lab would never abandon him. This is an adventure to realms unknown to the young man with side stories leading to the making of life-long friendships and broadening of horizons. This is a story to be brought known to men, and, therefore, I shall be your guide, and let us step into this little venture with our protagonist. In fact, my experience during UTRIP was nothing less magical or fantastic as that sounds. Working under the supervision of Prof. Aihara, the dean of the Graduate School of Science, I participated in the Belle II project over the duration of six weeks. Belle II is a high energy physics project located at KEK High Energy Accelerator Research Center. Here we aim to answer a very simple yet profound question: why do we exist in the form of matter as we are right now? Physicists theorized that something called CP violation might be the key to it. This is exactly what the Belle II detector is trying to measure through means of using exotic particles called B mesons. The SuperKEKB particle accelerator, with a diameter of one kilometer, at KEK will generate these little particles. Particles produced through natural processes from B mesons are to be detected by our Belle II detector, which is under development. This project is an upgrade from the previous extremely successful experiment, Belle, the results of which contributed to the Nobel prizes won by Prof. Kobayashi and Prof. Maskawa in 2008. In order to explore new physics the new detector has to operate at a lower noise level than Belle, while handling the increased background events from the new SuperKEKB accelerator. This leads to a strict requirement to electronic noises in different detector components. The electromagnetic calorimeter, of which Aihara lab is responsible, being part of the detector, is no exception. A new design was made – pure cesium iodide (CsI) crystals will be attached to silicon avalanche diodes (APD), which will be connected to an electronics chain to detect electromagnetic particles passing through the detector. My work was to test for the noise characteristics of this full detector chain, and determine if it fulfills the harsh noise restrictions. We used various methods, including noise characteristics analysis, and direct measurements using radioactive sources and cosmic rays. We discovered that the current electronics have at least a noise value five times the required. As much as this sounds like bad news, we could now suggest possible methods in improving the design. At the beginning I thought that six weeks would not be enough to accomplish much, but it turned out that my work became valuable information for the Belle II project. On the other hand, I have benefited much through utilizing different experimental techniques, and the knowledge I learned is helping me out in my research at my home institute. Nothing feels better than being able to gain from and contribute to science at the same time. Japan did not fail to give me new perspectives towards physics, academics, and life. One of the goals I made before arriving was to determine if Japan, UTokyo in particular, would be an ideal place for me to pursue a research career. My experience during UTRIP has responded to me well and positively with some unexpectedly nice touches. The first day I went into the lab I already sensed a unique atmosphere. This is when and where research, language and cultural exchange started. The first three weeks I was working with two other fourth-year UTokyo students, and after that I did further research investigations on my own under the guidance of a research associate of the lab. As I was acquiring the skills and knowledge to complete my studies, I also learned the differences between US and Japanese education and culture. I was invited to various group meetings, seminars, and also international collaboration meetings. Physics discussed not only included Belle II, but also included some current- and next-generation Japan-based projects, such as Hyper-Kamiokande and KamLAND-Zen. All of the activities were very impressive despite me having a language barrier. Exciting physics and technologies were introduced, and a reassuringly vibrant academic environment was presented in front of me. The six weeks have shown that doing high energy physics at UTokyo is undoubtedly very promising. Aside from research, cultural and bonding experiences had been life-changing to me. I could not show how much I appreciated activities organized by UTRIP and my lab.  We met local and international students through various organized parties. We were taken onto an excursion to Mt. Fuji, and also introduced to traditional paper-making. Local students showed us Japanese traditional activities. Apart from that, my lab friends were also very active in interacting with me. Everyday lunches with Japanese physics students, weekly post-seminar activities with Prof. Yokoyama and students from Aihara lab, late-night ramen-indulgence with master’s students – everything every day gave me new perspectives and excitement. I improved my Japanese language skills, bettered my understanding in Japanese culture, and even felt a level of assimilation to the Japanese society. It was only a couple weeks, yet naturally Japan felt like home and a place to return. Same as for how every other story ends: the end is just the beginning of another journey. My research trip at UTRIP has ended, but it had an open tail to it. There is very possibly going to be a sequel. It will be a sequel that this young man returns. He will return for more science, culture, and friendship (and food). He will reunite with the full cast from the original while bringing in…
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Aniruddha Bapat — This summer I had the good fortune of spending six weeks in Japan as a UTRIP fellow. In the days leading up to UTRIP, I had read in detail about the science at UTokyo, and had grown slowly more excited about the prospect of being part of the physics community at a prestigious foreign university such as UTokyo. I had signed up for Prof. Miyashita’s group in the Department of Physics. The group consisted of condensed matter theorists who were working on various problems in quantum dynamics, which is an area of physics that is, broadly, the study of time-varying quantum phenomena. Prof. Miyashita gave me a lot of freedom in choosing my topic, which was a bit unsettling at first since I had little research experience in quantum dynamics. However, after two busy weeks of reading papers, attending seminars (which were all delivered in English) and talking to my lab members about their work, I found an interesting problem to work on. The problem, which was on phase transitions in an atomic ensemble in a damped, driven optical cavity, was especially interesting to me since it had some connection with quantum computation research that I had done the past summer. Research, however, was only part of the whole Japan experience. I soon realized that the other UTRIP students were really interesting people and fun to be around. We quickly bonded over our love for science and being together in a new country brought us even closer. While we each had our independent schedules on any given weekday, we would often get together for dinner and try new places near UTokyo. Our little evening expeditions gave us a good sampling of Japan’s diverse and delicious cuisine. Udon noodles (with Tempura perhaps), ramen, Okonomiyaki, Sashimi — we had all this and more. Towards the end of every week, we would excitedly plan our Saturday and Sunday adventures; visiting the Ueno Park and the National Museum, shopping in Shibuya, taking an excursion down to Odaiba, roaming the arcades and manga bookstores in Akiba, or waking up early to get in line for the fish in Tsukiji — these were just some of our fun weekend trips. UTokyo, and the staff of UTRIP in particular, was very warm and welcoming to us international students. UTRIP organized events that facilitated our interaction with students and professors of the UTokyo community. We had multiple meet-and-greet events to which our lab members were invited, and I interacted with many masters and doctorate students, some of whom were non-Japanese. My mentor, Prof. Miyashita, encouraged me to attend his reading class, where I became good friends with the two Japanese Physics students. These interactions gave me a good sense of the student life at UTokyo and I started thinking seriously about coming back to UTokyo as a student. Along with these informal interactions, UTRIP also organized a two-week long seminar series, in which professors from all over the UTokyo science division talked to us about their exciting research: Tsunami simulations, discovering new algae, String theory, so on. Lastly, UTRIP also gave us the chance to enroll in a short Japanese course, organized two culture seminars on Japanese calligraphy and formal tea ceremony, and also took us on a field trip in the Yamanashi prefecture, where we got many breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji. Thus, UTRIP facilitated the exchange of science, culture, ideas and values between us, the international students, and the Japanese people. It truly was an extraordinary 6 weeks. Japan left a deep impression on me, and not just because of the wonderful experiences I had there. I fell in love with the Japanese culture, the traditions and thinking of the people, and most of all, the Japanese language. I have decided to study Japanese further, and hope that I can go back to Japan someday, and this time, not leave so soon.

Ichigo Ichie (one time, one meeting) Alana Ogata — I was in a biochemistry class when I received an email from Professor Yamanouchi informing me I had been accepted to the UTRIP program. I had to restrain from screaming on the spot. My dream during my college career was to study abroad in Japan, but this was cut short due to strict chemistry major requirements. UTRIP presented the opportunity to not only experience life in Japan, but also to work alongside high scholar students in a research setting. The experience was more than I could have ever imagined. In short, I learned so much from the faculty and students of TODAI, had amazing experiences with Japanese culture, and made friendships that will last a life time. There were 14 other UTRIP participants: approximately 5 from the US, 3 from Europe, and the rest of different parts of East Asia. I loved getting to know such a diverse and wonderful group of people! And despite our cultural difference, we could all have fun times doing karaoke or visiting an onsen.  However, during the week, we all were very busy with lab work. I was assigned to a physical chemistry lab under Professor Yamanouchi, and my research topic focused on ultra-fast high intensity lasers for analysis of photochemical processes. I had no idea what any of this meant at first, but quickly found the other Japanese graduate students to be extremely helpful and hospitable. I worked very closely with two graduate students, Kana-san and Sato-san, and learned so much from them. They did all they could to help me understand certain concepts in chemistry. I also loved exchanging knowledge about our different cultures. We would always ask each other about cultural perceptions and myths of US and Japanese culture, laughing about how silly some of these perceptions were. We bonded and created a friendship that I will always be grateful for. On weekends, I would join other UTRIP participants to a number of excursions through Tokyo and nearby prefectures.  The UTRIP program organized a trip to Mt. Fuji, and this was definitely one of my favorite trips during the experience. At first, the weather was rainy and cloudy, and Mt. Fuji was unseen behind the mist and clouds. However, by the afternoon, Mt. fuji and the peak were completely visible, presenting a magnificent scene that I will never forget. We were told not to attempt climbing Mt. Fuji, so one weekend, we climbed Mt. Takao instead, an extremely steep and exhausting hike, however completely worth it upon arriving to the top and seeing the grand view above the mountains. A trip to an onsen after was a perfect end to the day. My absolute favorite area outside of Tokyo was Enoshima beach. Words cannot explain how much fun and how beautiful the island is, and so I strongly suggest everyone who visits Tokyo to make a trip there and experience it for yourself. The UTRIP experience was more than I could ever imagine. I had never considered living in Japan, but now I cannot wait for another opportunity to return there. I had some of the happiest moments during the UTRIP program, and thank Professor Yamanouchi, the UTRIP staff and FUTI and all who were part of it, and will always be grateful for such an amazing experience.