Department of Engineering Thermal Physics professor Yuri Kuzma-Kichta reports on collaboration with Tokyo University of Science and work trip to Japan

My first voyage to Japan happened due to Japan Society for the Promotion of Science grant. 

My dream had come true, I was flying to the Land of the Rising Sun! 7500 km from Moscow to Tokyo were done in 20 hours.

Professor Koichi Suzuki met me at the Narita airport, then accompanied me on behalf of the receiving part, and personally consented to show me various universities and research centers. After 3 hours spent in the traffic we arrived to AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) in Tsukuba city. There we were met by Masahiro Syodzi, leading Japanese scientist in the Heat Exchange domain.

In Japan there is a lack of minerals, but enough clay and stone. So there was invented a way of an air combined refining using crystal ceramics. This allowed to decrease the amount of expensive components in recycling.
Rice is bread in Japan. It is served with fish and caviar, salt is replaced by soy sauce. Food, climate and traditions contribute to the longevity. Retirement happens at 65. Japanese retirees generally like tourism and can be met at all corners over the world.
The most common words are Arigatō, Kudasai, Sumimasen.

Japanese care about disabled people, elevators are set for them, along with special equipment and signal systems. Generally speaking, old age is highly respected in Japan. Likewise, Japanese are very responsive, if you ask a passer-by to show you the way, he will apparently go a part of it with you.

The transport system of Tokyo is very complex, there are multilevel junctions, long multi-tiered subways, many automated structures and a myriad of signs.
The favorite type of transport is a bicycle, and a multitude of narrow winding streets are filled with walking or cycling people.
There are many taxi cabs with drivers in white shirts, opening doors towards a passenger, paid strictly according to the taxi meter.

Guest campus of Tokyo University of Science consists of cottages with spacious rooms, kitchens with gas cookers, washing machines, fridges and cleaning machines. Room design is often elaborate.

Tsukuba city, in 50 km from Tokyo, and the laboratory of Dr. Masahiro Syodzi welcomed me for 5 days in AIST where Dr. Syodzi was leading the research of Thermo Fluid Micro Systems.

The AIST Campus looks like an anthill with its gallery buildings, sports grounds and swimming pool.
Once during my visit there was an earthquake with a magnitude 5, I was at the hotel, and when the quake started I grabbed my things and headed to the exit. However, the shocks have soon been gone.

I took a flight Tokyo-Saga on board of a Japanese airline.

At the Haneda inner flight airport the boarding started 10 minutes before the take-off. Passengers acted in an organized way and the flight was well-timed and steady, in an hour the plane landed in Saga that is on the Kusu Island in sub-tropical zone.

With Koichi Suzuki we took the train to Kyoto city that is situated 300 km away from Tokyo. There the Annual Japanese Thermal Engineering Conference was given in Gifu City. All the 230 oral reports were conducted and presented on the 7 simultaneously working sections. The working language was Japanese. Overall, the conference was well-prepared. I had been offered to speak as an invited person.

There was a funny story on the railway station, where Koichi Suzuki and I came to, as it was the nearest stop to TUS and its president’s reception. Leaving the train with the crowd I suddenly realized that professor has disappeared. I started searching him but in vain, and soon got anxious and perplexed. Suddenly, he waved, called and smiled at me from the side where I did not expect to see him. It’s easy to get lost in Tokyo and hard to get found, and we had no mobile phones at that time.

A meeting with the President of Tokyo University of Science Dr. Hiroiki Okamura was held to discuss the issues of cooperation between MPEI and TUS. It lasted for a quarter of hour and Dr. Okamura reacted positively to the proposal of cooperation between MPEI and TUS in the field of academic exchange and research. After, the project of the agreement was prepared and handed to me upon departure.

After the meeting professor Suzuki and me, we have been to the bulk islands in Tokyo Bay. In Japan the free area to build on is limited, so houses and apartments are very expensive, and, apparently, artificial islands are created. By the by the problem of recycled waste utilization. In the Toyota museum on one of the islands the demonstration of ecologically pure Toyota car was held. On these bulk islands there are many Japanese contemporary architectural sites.

Upon my departure from Japan I have been accompanied by Koichi Suzuki who made some memorable photos. So, my amazing Japanese voyage was over. I have been flying with the sun back to Moscow.

In autumn, TUS hosts the students festival. The guests rally up, build a construction site and joyfully have a feast with national cuisine and cultural events.

Dear students, you have a glorious opportunity to study in Japan due to the ties between MPEI and TUS. Catch the Bluebird!

Reference

MPEI and TUS have been into partnership for 10 years. Tokyo University of Science has been founded in 1881. It is a Research University that consists of Science Research Institutes. Now more than 20000 people are studying in the 5 Campuses of the University. Now it is in collaboration with a multitude of the foreign Universities and scientific organizations including MPEI. The first MPEI representative to visit TUS was Yuri Kuzma-Kichta. He voyaged in autumn 2005 in the framework of JSPS grant, and during the trip visited a number of universities and research centers to participate in seminars and workshops, giving lectures and reports on conferences. He was also received by the President of TUS to discuss the collaboration issues between TUS and MPEI.

• 2005 – a work trip of Yuri Kuzma-Kichta to Japan in the framework of JSPS grant is taken
• 2007 –The agreement of collaboration between MPEI and TUS is signed
• 2008-2009, October till March – the work for the postgraduate thesis of MPEI student Shustov under supervision of professor Suzuki is defended
• 2009, September – Professor Suzuki’s visit MPEI for discussion of collaboration plans and workshop participation has occured.
• 2013, November – Professor Kuzma-Kichta and postgraduate Shustov participated in the international symposium dedicated to Transfer Effects in Yamaguchi, Japan, and made a report together with professor Suzuki. Later, professors Kuzma-Kichta, Ueno and Suzuki discussed the issues of collaboration between TUS and MPEI
• 2014, February till May – student of the Physics department of MPEI Alexander Akentyev completed a science work at the optical laboratory of professor Morinaga with the topic of "Calcium Nuclear Interferometer".
• 2015, September – Professor Suzuki and postgraduate Shustov made a report on the 26th international Symposium of Transfer Effects in Austria
• 2016-2017, September till March, postgraduate Gleb Ziborov (Electrotechnics Department) completed a science work in the laboratory of professor Nobukadzu Hosi entitled "Voltage control of a micro-power plant with induction generator"
• 2018 – Yuri Kuzma-Kichta has been leading the Russian-Japanese project in the domain of Steady Development of Education in the "Power Engineering" field.