White

Hiroko Maekawa

Professor, Faculty of Letters, Kanazawa Gakuin University; Member of Toyama Mita-kai; 2000 Letters, 2002 Master of Human Relations, 2005 Doctor of Human Relations

Glass shrimp landed in early spring are one of the symbols that signal the end of the long, harsh winter in Hokuriku and the arrival of spring. These tiny, translucent, pale pink shrimp make our hearts dance as much as the cherry blossoms blooming.

For me, having been born and raised in Toyama Prefecture, glass shrimp were just a normal food item. At home, they were served as tempura or karaage, and while sushi at a restaurant was a treat, it was a common sight. However, through conversations with friends from various places I met at university, I was made to realize that glass shrimp are a precious specialty unique to Toyama. Studying at university became an opportunity for me to rediscover the merits and food culture of Toyama, and through interaction with people from diverse backgrounds, new value was given to the everyday scenery.

In recent years, partly due to the effects of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the catch of glass shrimp has been decreasing. Thinking that a day may come when we cannot eat them as casually as before makes me feel a little lonely. I want to continue to cherish life in Toyama along with the glass shrimp.

Junya Ota

Chairperson, Medical Corporation OJC; Director, Ota Dental Clinic Yoga; 2024 Law (Correspondence)

Recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has settled down, and many people have likely ended their lives of wearing masks at all times.

In the dental industry, there seems to have been a very high demand for orthodontics during the mask-wearing period. Reasons might include the fact that masks make braces less noticeable, and that people had fewer expenses due to not going out, allowing them to spend money on their teeth. I think many people recognized the importance of the mouth area more by feeling a large gap between a person's face with a mask on and with it off when meeting for the first time. It feels as though its importance was highlighted by being hidden.

Now that the mask-wearing life has ended, the demand for whitening is increasing. This can be seen as an expression of increased awareness regarding the mouth area.

Since highly effective substances like hydrogen peroxide cannot be used without a dentist, whitening at a dental clinic results in whiter teeth than at beauty salons, but I believe there is little difference in technique between dental clinics.

I hope to continue to increase the awareness of local residents regarding oral health, using whitening and other services as a starting point.

Go Koshino

Professor, Faculty of Letters, Keio University

Saint Petersburg, the capital of Imperial Russia, is a mysterious city where at night the Bronze Horseman statue might start to move, a human nose might ride around in a carriage, or one might encounter a double exactly like oneself on the street. In Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel "White Nights," during the fantastical nights of Petersburg where the sun does not set, a lonely young man offers unrequited love to an unhappy girl. The girl is unhappy because her absent lover is both dear to her and hated for not returning. The young man's love is unrequited because one cannot love a flesh-and-blood human being with only a bright philanthropy that lacks the shadow of hatred. The young man accepts the reunion of the girl and her lover with a strangely bright joy. It resembles a white night where there is no darkness despite it being night. By the way, in places where there are white nights in summer, there are polar nights in winter where the sun does not rise even during the day. The violence of war, where only hatred can be felt, resembles a polar night. Russian President Putin, who started the endless war, is also from Petersburg.

Chieko Fujii

Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, Keio University

The Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year. 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of nursing education at Keio. At that time, we compiled a history of clothing, such as white coats and practice uniforms, based on illustrations by Yoshiko Nozawa, former head nurse at Keio Hospital, and graduation albums. The plum blossom collar pin was designed by Shintaro Ishida, then Secretary of the Juku, at the time of the department's founding. In 1927, Taichi Kitajima, Director of the Department of Medicine Nurse Training Center, celebrated the graduation with the words "White Garments and Pure Fragrance: Protectors of the Sick." The round nurse caps and pin badges, which were symbols of Keio nursing, have always displayed The Pen Mark. However, because nurse caps were stiffened with laundry starch, they were abolished in the 2000s from the perspective of infection prevention. The current practice uniforms of the Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care no longer have skirt types and have become navy blue pants. In recent years, white coats in the nursing field are increasingly chosen in colors other than white, and white coats have changed with the times.

The significance of grooming oneself when donning work clothes continues along with the thoughts of the predecessors of Keio nursing. I hope that Keio nursing will continue to be dignified and fragrant like each individual plum blossom.