[No. 239] Tomohiro Tetsumoto

I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to "Jukuin Raio." After completing my Doctoral Programs, I worked as a researcher at a US company for about three and a half years, and I am currently working as a researcher at a national research institute in the field of information and communications. In this article, I will introduce my career path from university entrance to the present. I hope it will be of some reference for your own career choices.

During elementary, junior high, and high school, I didn't have much motivation for academics and was a child who loved club activities. Therefore, I chose my schools for both high school and university based primarily on whether I could enjoy track and field freely. Since my athletic ability was not exceptionally high, I decided to aim for Keio University, having heard about the atmosphere from high school alumni, rather than a powerhouse school with entry restrictions. Entering Keio University was a high goal considering my grades at the time, as I had hardly any cumulative study. Consequently, for about a year starting from February of my second year in high school, I devoted myself to studying, focusing on school materials. I didn't have the mindset of deciding what to study by working backward from exam questions, which was an inefficient way to get points, but it was a valuable experience where I realized I liked the process itself of thinking through things I didn't understand. Around this time, I think I vaguely felt that a research career might suit me.

Fortunately, I was able to pass the entrance exam for the Faculty of Science and Technology, so I contacted the Athletic Association Track and Field Club via their website and moved into the training camp dormitory before the entrance ceremony. From then on, academics took a back seat, and I devoted myself to long-distance running practice twice a day, six days a week. I was never very good at understanding things in a lecture format to begin with, and combined with the fatigue and sleepiness from practice, I often skipped classes. In the club, my big goal was to participate in the Hakone Ekiden as a member of the Select Team, but due to an injury just before the final qualifying race, it ended with disappointing results. I have various regrets and reflections, and I still feel frustrated about it.

In the Faculty of Science and Technology, I initially considered going into the Department of Physics, but I felt that making things using physical phenomena seemed interesting, so I chose the Department of Electronics and Electrical Engineering. There were several students in my department who belonged to the Athletic Association, including Mr. Fukutani, who later joined the Chunichi Dragons. However, at the time, I was not actively trying to make friends in the faculty or department, so I never spoke to him. I have heard that he successfully balanced academics and sports and had excellent academic records.

When it came to laboratory assignments in my fourth year, I was attracted to the novel idea of optical circuits and applied for the Tanabe Laboratory. I was a member of the second cohort of the lab, and I think it was a blessed environment with many motivated students and active discussions. I decided to go on to the Doctoral Programs because I was able to enjoy my research there. In my research, I was first in charge of setting up device fabrication technology using semiconductor processes, but initially, I had neither knowledge nor know-how. Therefore, I managed to proceed with device fabrication while asking for advice from students and professors working on similar processes. From the middle of my Master's program, I had the opportunity to use facilities through joint research with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and received guidance on processes, which was very helpful. Because of these connections, I am currently affiliated with the same research institute.

Through my research activities, I was blessed with opportunities to go abroad for international conference presentations and other events. In particular, during my five-month stay in Germany under the university's study abroad support system, I had a fulfilling time where I gained valuable research experience and was able to visit neighboring countries on weekends. I still keep in touch with some of the friends I met at that time. I traveled abroad for the first time after entering graduate school, but in the following five years, I was able to visit about 10 countries.

Regarding employment, I vaguely thought I wanted to get a research position at an overseas company out of curiosity for new experiences, but realistically, I was first trying to find a postdoc position at an overseas university. However, because I was busy with research and had put off job hunting, my plans after graduation remained undecided until the very end of my final year. Fortunately, a recruitment notice from a US-based company called IMRA America Inc. reached the laboratory. When I applied, I was given the opportunity for an on-site interview and was hired.

In the US, partly because I belonged to a small research institute working on new fundamental research, I was able to work on my research with a high degree of freedom. Also, through my experience there, I think I was able to understand international research etiquette, including the hiring process. In terms of daily life, since I had already experienced living in Germany once, living in the US where English is spoken felt quite relaxed. It wasn't that my values changed, but I think it was good that unnecessary prejudices about living abroad and people disappeared.

I received a job opening notice for the laboratory I currently belong to around the time my work in the US was winding down and I was thinking about returning to Japan. I applied and was hired as a fixed-term researcher. After that, I applied for a public recruitment held six months later, and after an interview process, I was hired again as a permanent staff member. Currently, I am researching technology to generate high-frequency radio waves with low noise, which are being considered for use in next-generation wireless communications, as well as their communication applications. While the direction of the research must align with the overall plan of the institute, there is freedom in the specific methods, and the facilities and budget are substantial, so I feel I am able to work on research in a very blessed environment as a young researcher.

Looking back on my own path so far, I feel once again that a career is built not only on one's own will but also on many coincidences and connections. Precisely because there are elements that don't go as planned, I believe it is important to work hard on the tasks in front of you and build the strength to respond when the time comes. Also, as a point of reflection for myself, I didn't value the connections within my faculty or department very much. No matter what career you choose, there is only one life you can lead. Within that, hearing stories of career experiences different from my own from friends feels like it expands my world. I hope that all of you will find your own path while engaging with various people.

《 Previous Article [No. 238] Mikiro Ikeda (Amazon UK)

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