Neues vom JSPS-Club 01+02/2025

Neues vom JSPS-Club 01+02/2025 (2 MB)

EVENTS

27th “Science-in-Japan” Forum

by Matthias Hofmann, board member of the JSPS Club

Keynote Lecture presented by K. Nishida at the 27th “Science-in-Japan” Forum (Picture: courtesy M. Hofmann)

Panel discussion at the 27th “Science-in-Japan” Forum, led by K. Sakurada (far right) (Picture: courtesy M. Hofmann)

Members of the US JSPS Alumni Association Capital Region Chapter (S. Rankin-Turner and R. Rahimi) with M. Hofmann (Picture: courtesy M. Hofmann)

Having attended the two previous “Science-in-Japan” forums in 2022 and 2023, I highly appreciated receiving a personal invitation from the JSPS Washington Office to join the 27th edition of the renowned “Science-in-Japan” Forum. The forum has been held annually since 1996 in Washington, DC, and consistently highlighted the strong level of cooperation between scientists and engineers between Japan and the United States. This year’s forum convened under the topic “Conquering All Diseases by Metaverse-based Research”.

The 27th “Science-in-Japan” Forum was held on June 13th, 2024, in a hybrid format. Invited participants gathered at the historic Cosmos Club in Washington, DC, founded in 1878. The Cosmos Club is a private social club for men and women distinguished in science, literature, and the arts, a learned profession, or public service. About 60 participants gathered in-person, and more than 60 participants attended online. They were welcomed and introduced by Dr. J. Urakawa, the director of the Japan Society for Promotion of Science (JSPS) Washington Office. Afterward, Prof. T. Mizumoto, Executive Director of JSPS, Dr. K. J. Montgomery, Director of International Affairs and Science Diplomacy, AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and Dr. R. Rahimi, Chair of the JSPS Alumni Association, Capital Region Chapter, introduced the participants to the event with greetings.

The keynote lecture “The Human metaverse Medicine envisioned by PRIMe,” was held by Prof. Koji Nishida, Director of PRIMe (Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine) from Osaka University. He introduced the topic Human Metaverse and the WPI-PRIMe research center to the audience.

The following sessions on “Organoid-guided precision hepatology: towards liver bio-digital twin”, “Towards a bio-digital twin of epithelial function”, “Developing molecular-state simulators based on disease-modeling human organoids” and “Technologies for ‘look-back-in-time’ biology” presented by scientists from Osaka University (PRIMe), Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and the National University of Mexico completed the afternoon with an outlook and overview of the current scientific knowledge in metaverse-based research.

The forum closed with an open panel discussion of the previous speakers under the topic “Deploying Prevention and Precision at Scale by Human Metaverse”. The session was hosted by Prof. Dr. K. Sakurada from Keio University.

Closing remarks were given by Deputy Chief of Mission Koichi Ai, Embassy of Japan in the United States of America, who further encouraged all participants to conduct interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and international collaborations.

After the forum, lecturers and in-person participants joined a reception where all attendees were proactively networking with each other beyond their backgrounds. During this occasion, I was able to introduce the JSPS Club to Dr. Rahimi, Chair of the US JSPS Alumni Association, Capital Region Chapter.

Following this conversation with Dr. Rahimi and other members of the local JSPS Alumni Regional Chapter, I accepted an invitation to present the work of the German JSPS Club regional chapters in a Zoom meeting the next day.

During this meeting on June 14th, I introduced the organization of the German JSPS Club and the activities of the Club and its regional chapters to the interested members of the US JSPS Alumni Capital Region Chapter.

Order of the Rising Sun awarded to Chairman Heinrich Menkhaus

by Katja Koelkebeck, board member of the JSPS Club

H. Menkhaus receives the certificate to his order from Ambassador H. Yanagi (Picture: courtesy to D. Winkler)

On the 20th August 2024, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, of the Japanese Imperial Family, was awarded to the Chairman of the JSPS Club, Heinrich Menkhaus, in the residency of the Ambassador of Japan to Germany, His Excellency Hidenao Yanagi, in Berlin.

Ambassador Yanagi stressed the achievements of Heinrich Menkhaus regarding his academic life, specifically pointing out his work in comparative law between Germany and Japan as well as his immense contributions to German-Japanese scientific exchange during his academic career. Heinrich Menkhaus thanked all people who have furthered his career and supported him during his work for the German-Japanese scientific exchange. He also stressed the long history that connected him and Ambassador Yanagi, who participated in the annual Scientific Symposia of the JSPS Club and the JSPS several times. He also recounted his career steps: starting his studies in Muenster and finalizing his doctorate degree, being the head of the interdisciplinary Japanese Research Center in Marburg from 2003, then chairing the German Law at Meiji University from 2008 until now. Finally, he thanked his family.

After the speech by Heinrich Menkhaus, Prof. Henning Radtke, judge at the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, spoke the eulogy, terming Heinrich Menkhaus “a traveler between worlds.” He recounted all steps in his scientific career and pointed out his achievements and tireless work for his passion: Japan. He closed his remarks with the notion that he is honored to know Heinrich Menkhaus.

After the award ceremony that was attended by family members, colleagues, students from Marburg and Meiji Universities, representatives of the Club board, the JSPS Bonn Office, the JSPS Club Regional Chapter Berlin-Brandenburg and Japanese-German Societies, and framed by a piano performance by Akane Yoshida of the University of Arts, Berlin, a reception was held in the rooms of the Ambassador.

We congratulate Heinrich Menkhaus on this great honor, which is, in view of his tireless activities for the German-Japanese scientific exchange, more than well-deserved.

Berlin German/Japanese Researchers Networking Forum

by Katja Koelkebeck, board member of the JSPS Club

Berlin German/Japanese Researchers Networking Forum (Picture: courtesy of JSPS Bonn Office)

On the 21st of August, a celebration took place in the Japanese Embassy in Berlin. Reasons to celebrate were 50 years of the treaty of German-Japanese Cooperation in Science and Technology, 30 years of Berlin-Tokyo (City) Partnership, and, as the ambassador to Germany in Berlin, His Excellency Hidenao Yanagi pointed out, 25 years of partnership between Brandenburg and Saitama Prefecture.

The event was organized by the JSPS Club Regional Chapter Berlin-Brandenburg under the leadership of the chapter’s chairwoman, Prof. Roza Kamp.

Opening remarks were given by her and the ambassador of Japan to Germany, as well as a keynote speech by Chairman of the JSPS Club Heinrich Menkhaus. About 30 scientists from Germany and Japan participated. Ambassador Yanagi pointed out that he had participated in several events of the JSPS Club and also recounted career steps of Heinrich Menkhaus, who received the Order of the Rising Sun the day before. Heinrich Menkhaus then gave a brief recount of the history of the Club, from its beginnings in 1995, after he came back from a JSPS-funded research stay at the Institute of Comparative Law at Chuo University in Tokyo. At the time of the founding of the Club, he was the head of the Permanent Office of the European Association of Japanese Studies in Leiden in the Netherlands. The former director of JSPS Bonn Office, Eichi Arai had the idea of forming an alumni club and 10 members signed the first version of the Club’s statutes. He reminded the participants of the first chairman of the Club, Uwe Czarnetzki. In his talk, he then addressed problems the Club faces, e.g. missing options to address JSPS fellows directly for membership, so that of 3000 fellows “only” about 500 are present members.

Dr. Maximilian Hamm from the FU Berlin, DLR and member of the Club then talked on the “Hayabusa 2 Mission and Space Technology”. He was involved in the development of a device for the mission to asteroid Ryugu, a near-earth asteroid that is only 900 m long and is a pile of rocks and dust. The device is the MASCOT, a German-French cooperative project that can measure thermal inertia by infrared-flux and can thus determine the porosity of rocks, which is quite high on Ryugu as compared to rocks on Earth. This very successful project earned more than 100 publications and led to many follow-up projects. Dr. Hamm also stressed the highly cooperative character of the project.

Dr. Hiroki Tanaka from the Leibniz Institute for Crystal Growing and member of the Aokumakai (an assembly of Japanese researchers in Berlin, which, at the last count had more than 50 members) talked about “Single crystal growth for protonics: interdisciplinary Junior Research Group.” In his lab, he creates crystals that can be used for optic fibers, light, and lasers. E.g., a very pure crystal was created from 28-Si. In his interdisciplinary research group, he interlinks material science with photonics from the growth of crystals, processing, and application. One specialty of the lab is the optical refrigeration technology, a laser-cooling of solids.

A second session in the afternoon featured Prof. Sonoko Bellingrath-Kimura, a member of the Club and the Regional Chapter Berlin-Brandenburg and 2023 JACA price awardee from the HU Berlin and the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) Brandenburg. She talked on “Digital Agriculture.” Prof. Bellingrath-Kimura pointed out that digitalization is already possible in agriculture to a high degree but is mostly used for production optimization due to issues of economy and skepticism. One recent way to link research and digitalization and more sustainability is living labs, where the research is an ongoing process together with stakeholders that create the research questions and evaluate them. Incentives have to be given to stakeholders, to enable them to use more digitalization, ultimately also aiming at green food strategies.

Last but not least Prof. Dr. Louisa Reissig from FU Berlin, also a member of the Club, talked on “Biomimetic (opto)electronic devices.” Prof. Reissig is a junior professor in Experimental Physics, having spent six years in Japan and talking about the benefits of flexible research conditions in Japan and the admiration of nature as well as the unusual fascination for science in Japanese researchers. She pointed out the ongoing internationalization in Berlin that also includes Japan-related activities. Her research revolves around nature-inspired technology, e.g., organic LEDs (thin-film cells) that are very flexible and proteins from diatom algae that form flexible shells that can modulate lighting. They can be used for photo detecting devices.

The session was convened by the science attaché of Japan to Germany, Satoshi Suzuki, who fosters exchange between the Club and the Aokumakai and participates in regional activities frequently. Prof. Masahiko Hayashi, director of the JSPS Bonn Office, spoke the closing remarks, thanking the organizers and appreciating the interesting talks given by all speakers. After the sessions, a networking event took place in the rooms of the embassy.

JSPS Evening 2024

by Katja Koelkebeck, board member of the JSPS Club

Lecture of J. Wennmann (Picture: courtesy JSPS Bonn Office)

On the 29^th of August 2024, at the Ameron Bonn Hotel Königshof, the annual JSPS evening took place. Each year, the JSPS invites supporters, collaborators, and relevant players in the German-Japanese science exchange for a pleasurable evening in Bonn. Greeting remarks were spoken by Kumiko Tansho, Head of the International Research Cooperation Division II, International Program Department, JSPS Tokyo. She congratulated Heinrich Menkhaus on receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, as well as Prof. Michael Hoch, Head of the University of Bonn, who also received the order of the rising sun for his engagement in the exchange with students in Japan. Moreover, she recounted the numerous exchange programs together with the other funding organizations. Setsuko Kawahara, Consul General of Japan to Germany in Dusseldorf, also addressed the participants, congratulated Heinrich Menkhaus and Michael Hoch and pointed out the important work that the agencies do for scientific exchange. Christian Stertz, leader of the section “Asia and Oceania” of the Ministry of Education and Science (BMBF) pointed out the anniversaries of 50 years of the treaty on Science and Technology cooperation between Germany and Japan, as did Prof. Walter Rosenthal, president of the University Directors' Conference. Prof. Michael Hoch, Head of the University of Bonn, was grateful for his nomination for the order and recounted that more than 500 students from the University of Bonn and Japan were exchanged to the respective other country. Dr. Kai Sicks, Secretary General, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), also pointed out the cooperation between the funding organizations, and reminisced the Haiku that was given in the framework of last year’s 50^th anniversary of DAAD and JSPS cooperation. Dr. Thomas Hesse, Secretary General of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation, sent his greetings and pointed out the importance of German-Japanese science cooperation. Dr. Ingrid Krüßmann, Director of the Foreign Office Japan of the DFG, pointed out the emerging attractiveness of Japan as a destination for foreign students, which probably was related not only to post-COVID but also to shifts in the political landscape. Before the main course, Heinrich Menkhaus, Chairman of the JSPS Club toasted to the audience, recounting the upcoming Club events.

The lecture of the evening was held by Dr. Jörg Wennmann, member of the Club, research group leader of Julius Kühn-Institute in Dossenheim (2023’s host of Members invite Members). He talked about his exchange with Japan and his ongoing activities with Japan (e.g., bilateral exchange program) on pesticide-free pest fighting in fruits, e.g., viruses, which can be used to prevent larvae from nesting in apples.

Closing remarks were given by Prof. Masahiko Hayashi, Director of the JSPS Bonn Office.

For musical entertainment, the Cologne Gagaku Ensemble (Japanese ceremonial court music) was invited, performing the very popular tunes “Sho-Hyojo-Choshi”, “Etenraku Nokori-Gaku” and finally “Imayô”. This performance was very special, as the artists sat themselves on the ground, and the performance was introduced by tuning the instruments, which turned out to be complicated by an old wooden instrument that resisted its tuning. One of the artists was seen heating the cho flutes before the performance on a portable heater to prevent molding and to tune the instrument. The ensemble consisted of Asian and non-Asian artists alike, presenting themselves in traditional court costumes. The, for Western ears, dysphonic music was performed on drums, koto, cho flutes, and two additional flutes, as well as a guitar of Chinese origin.

Japan Science Day on 5 October 2024

by Dr. Iris Mach, member of the JSPS Club

Participants of the Japan Day in Vienna 2024 (Picture: courtesy of Iris Mach)

International partnerships are a cornerstone of TU Wien’s future strategy. The long-standing collaboration with Japan, coordinated and supported by the Japan Austria Science Exchange Center (JASEC) since 2015, represents the largest non-European bilateral network, comprising 16 partner institutions.

On 5th October 2024, around 100 Austrian and Japanese researchers gathered at TU Wien for the inaugural “Japanese Science Day.” The inspiration for this assembly arose from a meeting of Austrian research institutions in preparation for the upcoming EXPO. The event aimed to celebrate the strong scientific ties between the two countries, further enhance cooperation, and create new collaborative opportunities. On behalf of TU Wien, the Japan Austria Science Exchange Center (JASEC) has been coordinating and promoting links with Japanese researchers since 2015.

Among the participants were representatives from key funding organizations such as the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), the OEAD, and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). The event also brought together scientists from a diverse array of disciplines—ranging from computer science, physics, and chemistry to architecture, urban planning, sociology, Japanese studies, psychology, and art—representing TU Wien, the University of Vienna, TU Graz, the University of Salzburg, and BOKU.

In his opening remarks, Ryuta Mizuuchi, Japan’s Ambassador to Austria, expressed his hope that this event would become an annual platform for deepening academic relations between the two countries. Dr. Masahiko Hayashi, Director of the JSPS Bonn Office, emphasized the importance of this event as an opportunity to connect young researchers and inform them about bilateral research programs that foster cooperation.

Although unable to attend due to illness, TU Wien Vice-Rector Peter Ertl shared a statement: “I hope that both emerging and established researchers from Austria and Japan will regularly network and support one another. Perhaps today’s event will inspire the creation of an association or platform for Japanese scientists in Austria.”

Looking ahead to EXPO 2025 and its theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives the event underscored the immense potential of bilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges and developing innovative solutions for the future.”

The next event is planned for 7th November 2025 in Vienna, information can be gathered soon via this webpage: https://www.tuwien.at/forschung/facilities/jasec/news.

18th Members invite Members at Dortmund Technical University, by invitation of Lothar Wigger

by Katja Koelkebeck, board member of the JSPS Club/em>

Member photo at TU Dortmund (Picture: courtesy of JSPS Bonn Office)

On Friday 1st of November, in the Internationales Begegnungszentrum (IBZ), Members invite Members took place by invitation of Club-member Lothar Wigger, Prof. em. of the Department of the General Educational Science. After short introductory remarks by Lothar Wigger, extending thanks to the JSPS Club, the TU and the city archive of Dortmund, Chairman of the JSPS Club Prof. Heinrich Menkhaus thanked Lothar Wigger for organizing the event. Heinrich Menkhaus introduced the symposium at LMU Munich coming up on 9th/10th May in 2025, organized by Prof. Annette Leonhardt on “Hearing.” He also mentioned the 30th anniversary symposium in Tokyo on the 4th of October on “Quantum Physics” at Meiji University with an accompanying program (3rd until 8th October 2025). Prof. Sabine Hornberg, Dean of the Faculty for Education, Psychology, and Educational Research, thanked Lothar Wigger, who holds several fellowships and established cooperation. She also pointed out student exchange programs, e.g., with Kyoto, and various activities on the academic level with Japan. She also thanked the JSPS Bonn Office. In a video message by Prof. Tessa Flatten, vice-dean for internationalization of TU Dortmund, introduced the TU with 30,000 students of whom 18% are international students, 3,800 employees, and about 80 masters’ and bachelor’s programs. Links with Japan go back to the 90ies with Tohoku University and six other partnerships with Japanese universities; 190 students have been outgoing to Japan since the 90ies. Mayor of Dortmund, Norbert Schilff, spoke about Dortmund as a city open to diversity, to which TU Dortmund has also contributed. He also pointed out that Dortmund has undergone severe changes and is now a center of science, technology, and logistics, when before it was mainly an industrial and coal-mining city. Also, beer brewing, with six bigger breweries, suffered from economic hardships. The mayor recommended visiting the Zeche Zollern and some of the breweries. Prof. Masahiko Hayashi excused Setsuko Kawahara, Consul General of Japan to Germany in Düsseldorf, and read a message by her. In the message she underlined the contribution of networking of the JSPS Club, including also German members. She pointed out additionally the relation of her work with the topic of the meeting, e.g., how her language skills were crucial in her line of work. Furthermore, she mentioned the Order of the Rising Sun that was commended to Heinrich Menkhaus in summer (see article in this issue). She underlined the important role of motivated members in the Japanese-German exchange in science. The last greeting speaker was Horst Schlütermann of the Japanese-German Society Dortmund (DJG). The DJG is part of the Auslandsgesellschaft (Foreign Society) Dortmund that contains 30 bi-national societies. He introduced the activities of the society, e.g., visits to the Japanese Garden in Bonn. He also mentioned a funding action where children from the Fukushima area were funded with 1 million euros, helping them to get outside Fukushima for recreation.

In the main program Lothar Wigger was the first speaker, giving an introduction on “Multilingualism and Cosmopolitism”. He introduced the ideal by Immanuel Kant on cosmopolitanism, i.e., the uniting of different countries under the rule and law of humanism, which is challenged today by wars, breaches of human rights, etc. Lothar Wigger also introduced the topic of multilingualism. English is the global language, which might not be ideal for science directions outside of technics and medicine, because specific traditions and practices might need other translations.

The first part of the meeting was convened by board member Saskia Schimmel. First speaker Prof. Ruprecht Mattig from the General Education Department talked on pedagogical anthropology, with “The Diversity of Languages as a Challenge and a Chance for Cosmopolitanism: A Pedagogical Exploration.” He gave examples for language not only as a means of communication but also as a medium that humans use to make sense of the world. He used “anthropology/Anthropologie” as a means to show different implications over languages in spite of seeming similarities. Cosmopolitanism and multilingualism seem to exclude themselves. He introduced the concepts of inclusive universalism (which is most probably a utopia), exclusive universalism (Latin, French, and English for educated people), exclusive particularism (separatism by no common language), and inclusive particularism (societies speak different languages, but they communicate with others and exchange and learn new languages). Children are born into a world of sounds, but adults only hear designations in their own language, i.e., the meaning of sounds that signify an object or idea, for example. Languages are also worldviews. E.g., in Japanese, there is no general word for brother, but you have to decide between the word for younger and older brother. Ruprecht Mattig, who has a strong scientific collaboration with Japan also promoted the difference between global and world citizens, who speak at least one other language besides English to make friends.

Dr. Eriko Ogihara-Schuck (American Studies) talked about “Scientific Cosmopolitanism in the Midst of Warfire: Enemies’ Collaboration at the Syonan Botanic Gardens.” Eriko Ogihara-Schuck has lived in Dortmund for 19 years. She has worked about Singapore Botanical Gardens. During the 2nd World War (1942), Singapore was called shonanto (昭南島), invaded by the Japanese army. It used to be an English colony, and multiple languages are spoken (Malaysian, English, Mandarin, and Tamil). Japanese and British scientists have been co-working in the botanical garden during the Japanese colonial time. The former director of the garden, John Corner, was very concerned about the garden and made a point of - instead of being interned - being sent to work in the garden during the Japanese occupation. Hidezo Tanakadate and Marquis Yoshichika Tokugawa were his colleagues. The preferred language they conversed in was Malay, which was a lingua franca. Kwan Koriba was another of the colleagues who was very treasured by other scientists, e.g., Joseph Arditti from California, who discovered through a German scientist that Koriba had written a PhD thesis in German. Richard E. Holtum was a deputy director of the botanical garden in pre-war Singapore. He was engaged in an orchid hybridization project.

After the coffee break, board member of the Club Katja Koelkebeck convened the first speaker, Dr. Hiromi Masek (from General Educational Science) on “Cross-Cultural Challenge of Translating Narrative Interviews in Qualitative and Educational Research.” The researcher described her ongoing study on the theory and experience in learning processes. It asks how and by whom experience can be formulated. The interviewer needs, e.g., to have a certain level of language abilities. A Zoom interview was performed with eight Japanese students studying in Germany. The interviews were analyzed according to Fritz Schütz’s storytelling theory. Here, an example was given on the translation of a foreign language narrative. A process was proposed by the scientists involved in the project that a second observer should be introduced in a translation process (e.g., with experience in specific areas). This helps to translate intersubjectivity and controllability, but the main goal is to reconstruct the storytelling idea.

Last speaker of the day was Dr. Miguel Zulaica y Mugica of the Department of General Education Science on “Encounter in Translation? A Philosophical Experience Report from a TVET Workshop in Thailand”. His study trip to Thailand was performed to foster exchange in training, interaction, and writing. The aim of the researcher was to implement knowledge encounter. His research questions were: What can philosophy of education offer to such a workshop? How can it foster cooperation and exchange? Multilingualism leads, via translation, to a loss of diversity. The workshop he performed included keynote talks, a working phase with translation, and group discussions. Translation shifts to a cultural encounter, where meaning and culture are negotiated. Also, the cultural background is given for the Thai history of copying Western culture.

After the official closing remarks by Lothar Wigger, the members were able to visit the Brewery Hövels Hausbrauerei with the common dinner in the same brewery.

On Saturday, 2nd November, the group had a guided tour of two relevant churches of Dortmund, the Reinoldi and Marien-churches. After a common lunch at the scenic Zeche Zollern for individual members, the meeting was concluded.

In the afternoon, the Junior Forum took place, with eight young researchers that either took part in the summer program or other funding schemes of the JSPS in the past year(s). All of them presented the outcomes of their projects and experiences, and the JSPS Club as well as the JSPS presented their activities. After that, a lively discussion followed on things that might be amended about the programs and tips for future research careers in Japan.

3rd Science Circle 2024 at the Exhibition in the ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum on the Palaeolithic Period along Midstream Nogawa River

by Eckhard Hitzer, member of the JSPS Club

Heinrich Menkhaus, Chairman and Country Representative in Japan of the German JSPS Alumni Association, successfully organized the 3rd Science Circle 2024 on November 9th at the Yuasa Museum on the campus of International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo. We (Lorentz Granrath and Eckhard Hitzer) got an excellent English language guided tour by Ms. Sawako Sentoku, alumni of ICU, who currently does research in a PhD program at Tokyo University of the Arts into the question of blueprints and their preservation (see image at the end). We toured the unique special exhibition on the palaeolithic settlements on the border of the Nogawa river in early Japanese history (38,000 to 20,000 years ago).

Left: Exhibition signboard “Palaeolithic Period along the Nogawa River” hand made by ICU students. Photo taken at the ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum (Photo: courtesy of E. Hitzer). Right: Obsidian found in the Nogawa area (Pictures: poster of the exhibition)

Meters -20 to -19 and -17 to -16 of a local drilling core. The marine fossils it contains clearly show that during a warm age the inlet of the sea extended to the southeast (Picture: courtesy of E. Hitzer, ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)

Model of the area along Nogawa river at the ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum, where the height is scaled up by a factor of 6 relative to the horizontal, to emphasize (Picture: courtesy of E. Hitzer)

Excavations at the Nogawa site in 1967 using a grid method as opposed to the traditional trench method. This allowed to establish the stratigraphic standard of the Musashino plateau, making it possible to compare with different sites on the same timescale (Picture: courtesy of E. Hitzer, ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)

When the new ICU Troyer Hall was built in 2022 and 2023, during the excavations a several-meter-deep earth section was taken, distinctly showing soil layers (Picture: courtesy of E. Hitzer, ICU Hachiro Yuasa Memorial Museum)

Participants from left to right: L. Granrath, E. Hitzer and S. Sentoku (guide) (Picture: courtesy of L. Granrath)

The ICU Yuasa Museum partnered with Mitaka City and its museums to bring together a rich collection of stone tools of the palaeolithic era from midstream Nogawa, including the Nogawa site. An impressive obsidian was exhibited in the first vitrine and was also the object depicted on the exhibition poster (see picture above). In order to obtain an overview of the site, a territory model was exhibited with a six-fold upscaling of the vertical dimension to emphasize (see picture below). Apart from ICU’s current location, it also includes the land of the National Astronomical Observatory and further south. The land was known to have been rich in animal resources.

The soil is rather acidic, so biological remains are scarce, but for comparison, the replica of a 20,000-year-old skull model from Okinawa was exhibited.

As part of local research, a 20-meter-deep drilling was undertaken, and the drill core is exhibited (see picture below for meters -20 to -19 and -17 to -16). Marine fossils clearly show that during a warm age estimated around 120,000 years ago by MIS, the area was covered with seawater. Later layers also show massive volcanic ash depositions, which may be from Mt. Fuji and Hakone volcanoes. The fact that the volcanic ash has been depositing further indicates that the land came above sea level.

In 1967, excavations were conducted on ICU land of the Nogawa site (see image below) using a grid method as opposed to the traditional trench method. As a result of this excavation, the stratigraphic standard of the Musashino plateau was established, making it possible to compare different sites with a common timescale.

The major tools are shown by cultural layer from the earliest stage (VIII, bottom) to the latest phase (III, top), usually shown in the permanent exhibition of Yuasa Memorial Museum. Large flakes are prominent from the layer VIII to V, and thick and massive knife-shaped tools show through the layers IV4 and IV3b. The projectile point (spearhead) first appeared in layer IV3a, and the entire tools tended to be smaller in layers IV2 and IV1. On the contrary, the points and flakes became larger in layer III when the microblades joined to the tool assemblage. The obsidian material is not local, so it must have been transported from sites as far away as a hundred kilometers.

Part of the exhibition is also a cross-section of the Tachikawa Loam (see image below) taken during the preliminary excavation when the new ICU Troyer Hall was built (completion March 2023). It distinctly displays soil layers – the dark bands are important guides to record layers – and that large volcanic explosions that carry volcanic ash to a wide range (such as the example from Kyushu) serve as key layers for contrasting the temporal relationship of stone tools.

We finished the tour with tasty pizza and wine in Pappa Pasta, just outside ICU. The author thanks Ms. Sawako Sentoku for thoroughly proofreading the article.

Report on the 13th JSPS Club meeting in Tokyo

by Wolfgang Staguhn, member of the JSPS Club

Mishima Hall (Picture: courtesy of W. Staguhn)

The 13th JSPS Club meeting in Japan was held on November 16th, 2024, at the Okayama Campus of the Institute of Science Tokyo (Science Tokyo) in the Mishima Hall. This institute emerged on October 1st, 2024 from the integration of the two universities, the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and the Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU). The former Tokyo Tech with the office at RWTH Aachen is a long-standing institutional member of the JSPS Club and now represents the newly founded organization there.

The meeting started with a string quartet concert by members of the Science Tokyo Orchestra on instruments made of carbon fiber-reinforced composites - the outcome of a cooperation between RWTH and Tokyo Tech.

The convener’s role was taken over by Laura Lindemer, local co-organizer from the former TMDU and now from the new Institute of Science Tokyo. All Club members will probably know Laura from her time in the JSPS Bonn Office, where she temporarily replaced Meike Albers-Meindl in 2017. Another context to the Club and the venue, the Mishima Hall at ELSI (Earth Life Science Institute), exists because of Prof. Yasuhito Sekine, one of our speakers at the Symposium in Kiel 2023.

The opening was carried out by Heinrich Menkhaus, Chairman of the JSPS Club and Representative for Japan, with a presentation about the JSPS Club and its tasks. Greetings were given by Ms. Akie Hoshino, Director of International Programs at the JSPS Headquarters, and Oliver Pieper, Science Attaché at the German Embassy in Tokyo.

At the beginning of the scientific program, Prof. Tomohiro Morio, Executive Vice President of Global Affairs, explained the structure and focus of the newly founded Institute of Science Tokyo. In addition to traditional teaching and research, the spin-off of young companies based on innovations from the institutes is particularly encouraged.

Afterward, Prof. Takeo Suzuki from the Institute for Liberal Arts examined the difficult situation for refugees during the last world war, using the example of people from German-speaking countries in third countries. Amazingly, lessons can be drawn for today, e.g., for events following natural disasters such as the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 or the current wars.

Dr. Maxim Jourenko, Assistant Professor, School of Computing at Science Tokyo, spoke about the possibility of bit flipping in storage media caused by cosmic radiation. Using the example of information security during the Byzantine wars, possible strategies for protecting against misinformation are derived.

The coffee break that followed was a welcome break for exchanging information and getting to know each other.

In the second section of the afternoon, three speakers reported on their experiences and contacts during their stay in Germany. Dr. Yuna Kanamori, Assistant Professor at Science Tokyo, Office of Education, gave an insight into her research at the LMU Munich. Dr. Tomohiro Hayashi, Associate Professor at Science Tokyo, School of Materials and Chemical Technology, described his doctoral work at the University of Heidelberg. His numerous contacts with international research colleagues help him today with his diverse projects. Finally, Dr. Kentaro Takagaki, Associate Professor at Science Tokyo, Office of Education, spoke about his research at the University of Magdeburg.

Tatsuya Mizukoshi, Senior University Research Administrator at Science Tokyo, Director of Science Tokyo ANNEX Aachen gave an overview of the international relations of Tokyo Tech and TDMU and the integration of the two universities, especially in the office at RWTH Aachen.

The closing remarks of the Club meeting were given by Prof. Tetsuya Mizumoto, Executive Director of the JSPS, who had spent many years as a professor at Tokyo Tech. He honored the valuable contribution of the JSPS Club.

After taking a photo of all participants at the meeting, we walked to the reception in the “Tsubame Terrace” on the Okayama Campus of Science Tokyo. The German Embassy in Tokyo kindly covered the expenses of the reception, a welcome opportunity for all participants and speakers to get to mingle and exchange ideas. Science Attaché Pieper therefore spoke the Kanpai.

Unfortunately, none of the many speakers from Tokyo Tech at joint symposia of the JSPS Club and the JSPS Bonn Office in Germany could join this meeting, nor could the many former employees of the JSPS Bonn Office who came from Tokyo Tech. At least in the presentation, Heinrich Menkhaus mentioned their names and showed photos with them.

JSPS Global Gathering 2025

by Wolfgang Staguhn, member of the JSPS Club

Presentation of the JSPS German Alumni Society, W. Staguhn (Picture: courtesy of JSPS Tokyo)

Photo of all participants at the JSPS Global Gathering (Picture: courtesy of JSPS Tokyo)

After the COVID-19 break, the latest meeting of the JSPS fellows currently working and living in Japan took place in Tokyo on January 31st, 2025. Compared to the events in the years before the pandemic, all international JSPS fellows together were invited to this place. Around 140 young JSPS fellows from the entire JSPS country spectrum came together for this new format, eight of them from Germany. Also present were some young Japanese scientists who will soon be starting their stay abroad.

This year’s meeting was called “JSPS Global Gathering 2025.” The venue was very close to Tokyo Station on the Yaesu side. In previous years, the JSPS fellows’ meetings mostly took place in hotel conference rooms. This event was held in professional conference rooms with lots of the latest media support, like huge video screens.

At this gathering of the JSPS fellows, there were greetings from the President of the JSPS, Prof. Tsuyoshi Sugino, and various lectures, as well as a workshop involving all the scholarship holders. Representatives of the Indian and German JSPS Alumni Associations, Prof. Sakthi Kumar and Heinrich Menkhaus, represented here by W. Staguhn, were also invited to this event. Before dinner, both representatives had the opportunity to draw attention to the JSPS Alumni associations in their countries and worldwide. The activities of the JSPS Clubs in Japan itself were also addressed. Interested JSPS scholarship holders therefore have the opportunity to participate in the Alumni Clubs in addition to their current research in Japan. Information and current news can be found on the relevant websites throughout the year.

The fellows were also offered a cultural program, with an interesting introduction to Noh theatre and the Shamizen play. Between the events, there were short coffee breaks, of course, as always, much too short but still an opportunity to get to know each other. The reception dinner at the end of the event should not be forgotten. In addition to tasty food, a stand offered fresh drinks made from citrus fruits from the Wakayama region. When organizing the whole event, someone was surely thinking about a healthy life during their time in Japan.

The group photo gives an impression of the scope of this event. I think, overall, it was a very successful JSPS event, and I hope that this new format will be used more often.

First scientific Japanese-German regional meeting in (Eastern-)Westphalia

by Katja Koelkebeck, board member of the JSPS Club

Zoom meeting on regional Japan-related scientific activities in (Eastern-)Westphalia (Picture: courtesy of K. Koelkebeck)

On February 10th, 2025, the first scientific Japanese-German meeting in (Eastern) Westphalia took place online. The organizer, board member Katja Koelkebeck, was previously regional group leader of the JSPS Club Rhine-Ruhr regional chapter. Since moving to Bielefeld University, she has been trying to build a network of researchers interested in Japan. The plan is to expand this group further and to also interest other regional members of the JSPS Club. Those who have expressed interest so far agreed to approach other scientists interested in Japan and to organize meetings via Zoom with scientific topics and lectures by Japanese guest scientists, as well as to organize network meetings in Muenster and Bielefeld for personal exchange. Interested parties from the region are welcome to contact Katja Koelkebeck to take part.
 

Meeting with Representatives of Nagoya University, NITECH (Nagoya Institute of Technology), and Nagoya Gakuin University in Nagoya

by Heinrich Menkhaus, Chairman of the JSPS Club and Country Representative Japan

Get-together at Nagoya. H. Bachmann front right, A. Martin 2nd front left, and R. Berkemeier 4th on the left side of the table (Picture: courtesy of H. Menkhaus)

During his annual special lectures at the Graduate School of Law of Nagoya University, the Chairman of the JSPS Club had the opportunity to organize a get-together of representatives of Nagoya University, which is an institutional member of the Club because it has an office in the Albert Ludwigs-University Freiburg, representatives of Nagoya Institute of Technology, which has an office in Erlangen at the FAU and a representative of Nagoya Gakuin University. The two universities mentioned first were represented at the Club meeting in Japan in 2023 at the Toyota Hall of Nagoya University, which was organized by Dr. Roland Berkemeier of Nagoya University, who also manages the Freiburg Office of this university and whom the chairman could welcome at the get-together.

From Nagoya University, he could also welcome Club member Henrick Bachmann, mathematics, who spoke at the said Club meeting in 2023. Nagoya University was also represented by Prof. Hajime Wada, formerly Faculty of Law, Prof. Frank Bennett, also formerly Faculty of Law and Ms. Ogaki from the staff of the Graduate School of Law. NITECH was represented by Alexander Martin, materials science, member of the Club, and four doctoral researchers from FAU, who currently reside at NITECH and work on Energy Conversion Systems. As the Club is very interested in NITECH applying for institutional membership due to its office in Erlangen, the possibility was discussed to invite the chairman of the Club to the annual meeting of the responsible persons of both universities in Osaka next year.

28th German-Japanese Symposium at LMU Munich

by Katja Koelkebeck, board member of the JSPS Club

Symposium participants in Munich (Picture: courtesy of JSPS Bonn Office)

On the 9th and 10th of May, the 28th annual joint symposium of the JSPS Club and the JSPS Bonn Office took place at the Technical University LMU Munich. The topic was “Hearing and way of life,” covering a wide range of scientific disciplines.

On Friday morning, an event for young colleagues interested in research in Japan, took place before the start of the symposium. Experience reports on research stays in Japan together with the opportunity for funding information and networking, were presented. After greeting remarks by the Chairman of the JSPS Club, Heinrich Menkhaus as well as local organizer and JSPS Club member Prof. em. Annette Leonhardt, Jutta Schulze of JSPS Bonn Office explained about JSPS programs, specifically the Summer Program. Club member Jörg Wennmann talked about his experience with study and research stays in Japan, followed by three students who presented their experiences in Japan. This included pressing questions for students and researchers as housing, financing, course credits, language proficiency, etc., as well as personal cultural experiences and insider tips. Susanne Rössler from the International Office of the LMU also presented programs for funding and counseling at the LMU (e.g., LMU exchange and specific programs for specific faculties). A Q&A session with the present students followed. About 70 young people took part and were interested mostly in stays for studying and master’s theses.

The main symposium started with welcome remarks spoken by Chairman Heinrich Menkhaus and local organizer Prof. Leonhardt, Consul General Kenichi Bessho from Consulate General of Japan in Munich and Dr. Oliver Schön from the German Japanese Association (DJG) Bayern.

Heinrich Menkhaus extended his greeting to the participants on behalf of the Club. He mentioned the next symposium in Tokyo in Fall 2025, where the Club plans the 30th anniversary meeting on “Quantum Physics”, including a visit at Osaka EXPO and a sightseeing tour at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) and finally to Kyoto. He thanked Annette Leonhardt as the local organizer and JSPS Bonn Office for planning the symposium. Furthermore, he also mentioned the next symposium in 2026 in Jena on the topic of “Visions.” He also indicates the plan to rejuvenate the Club board and to find a new chairman of the Club as he will be stepping down in the near future. Consul General Bessho congratulated the Club and JSPS Bonn Office on organizing the symposium and their continuous engagement, and stressed the importance of scientific exchange between the countries. He also underlined the importance of the topic of the symposium, thanked Annette Leonhard for organizing it, and finally Oliver Schön for his engagement. Annette Leonhardt also extended her greetings and mentioned some signature figures of the LMU with around 54,000 students. Mr. Schön mentioned the Japan festival in Munich, which is the 2nd biggest in Germany. He underlined the relationship between Munich and Japan, which he attributed, among others, to Siebold, whose collection of everyday items can be seen in Munich. He also mentioned that the German-Japanese Association is already over 60 years old.

The first presenter of the day was Dr. Andreas Küppers (formerly Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Berlin) on “Developing Meiji Japan - The Edmund Naumann Contribution.” Edmund Naumann, born in 1854, finished his PhD in Geology and Paleontology in Munich at the age of 21 and spent 10 years in Japan. He arrived in Japan in 1875 and became the first professor of Geology at the University of Tokyo. He did geological observations and fieldwork in Japan and wrote a volume on the geological background of the Japanese Islands. Some other interesting incidents were the description of the Naumann elephant that can be seen in the Hokkaido Museum and a description of, e.g., the Oshima volcano island. He worked closely with Hirobumi Ito, the later prime minister of Japan.

The first speaker of the symposium in the scientific session “Hearing loss and cochlea implant,” chaired by board member Saskia Schimmel was organizing member Annette Leonhardt from LMU Munich. She talked about “What is hearing? CI provision for deaf children of deaf parents”. Over 90% of deaf parents have hearing kids. If the parents are deaf, it is no big problem because the deaf children can adapt to their sign language. Cochlear implants (CI) exist since the 1970ies. But effective transplants exist only from the 80ies. Children are implanted around the first life year. About 20 rehabilitation centers for children exist in Germany, and around 100 hospitals execute the implants. Bilateral implantations are mandatory, and often also parents get an implant in parallel. Also, people over 80 can be implanted. A problem is the rehabilitation of people with migration backgrounds. Prof. Leonhardt set up a research project that accompanied 13 families with implanted children with deaf parents. She identified a range of reasons for non-hearing parents to have their children implanted: e.g., better chances, appreciation of speaking, hope for the child to go to a normal school, fear of being confronted with not having helped the child, etc. Children with CIs have the same language development as hearing children if they have a proper support. When asked for family closeness and support in everyday life, there was at least one hearing person close to the family, but there was no change in the family closeness after the implant. Children identify a worth in being able to communicate in both worlds. There was also an amelioration of the interaction with hearing siblings.

The second speaker in this session was Prof. Dr. Inho Chung from the University of Tsukuba on “Early detection and early intervention for children with hearing impairment in Japan.” Prof. Chung talked on early identification and intervention of children with hearing impairment. He introduced the Japanese system of hearing screening after the birth of children. Ninety-six percent of Japanese newborns are screened for hearing problems. He also pointed out that many care organizations, as schools, have to organize their own network and resource coordination. He mentioned the use of CIs in Japan, e.g. that from 1998, CIs are covered by health insurance. However, the rates for surgery are low compared to economically comparable European countries.

In the common discussion, Prof. Leonhardt explained that also in Germany, the cochlear implant and rehabilitation are fully covered, as well as is musical education in children. Prof. Leonhardt also spoke about the film “Du sollst hören” displaying the pressure from the deaf community on parents that want to have their child implanted and vice versa. Also, the use of AI was discussed.

In the second part of the symposium “Counteracting the effects of hearing loss,” convened by the newly appointed board member Daniela Winkler, the first speaker was Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Gernot Rupprecht from Med El Germany, speaking on “Cochlear implants - when hearing aids don’t help.” He explained how the electrode is implanted in the cochlea. The external device transforms the voice information to electrical impulses that are then transmitted to the inner ear. If the hearing nerve is damaged, even the brain stem can be stimulated. Audiometric measures can help indicate the form /reason of hearing loss the patient suffers from. Cochleas are very different in size and form, so before the implantation, an imaging is performed to plan the surgery. The electrodes used are a quarter of a hair in diameter.

The second and last speaker of the day on “Evidence-based intervention for people with auditory processing disorder/listening difficulties” was Prof. Chie Obuchi from the University of Tsukuba. She explained the difference between hearing and listening: listening being a more active process that involves cognitive functions. The rate of hearing aids in Japan is only 15% as compared to Germany, where it is 41%. There are a number of arguments against using hearing aids, e.g., “it is a hassle”, “I feel embarrassed.” Emotion identification in people using cochlear implants seems to be worse in comparison to hearing aid users. Auditory processing disorder (APD)/listening difficulty (LiD) is another problem, specifically when the index speaker is far away or if there are other sources of noise. Obuchi found that this might be due to problems allocating resources. Several reasons for problems with allocating resources mentioned by her were ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, sleeping problems, infections, and others. Auditory training, mental support, and environmental adaptation are needed.

Discussion of both presentations included age-dependent efficiency of the implant. Here, the duration of deafness is the best predictor of worse functioning. Also, CIs are capable of healing tinnitus. Audio processes are starting to change/adapt the next day after the implant.

After that, an introduction of JSPS programs by Chisato Isohara from the JSPS Bonn Office concluded the program.

Dinner took place at the German restaurant “Gasthaus Atzinger” including the JSPS Alumni Club Award Ceremony 2025, with the award commended to Dr. Jan Mikuni from the University of Vienna. She is a psychologist working on the cognitive functioning of humans. Please see the eulogy for further details.

On May 10th, the session “Hearing-impaired children in Japan” was convened by Club member Jörg Wennmann. The first speaker of the day was Assist.-Prof. Masatomo Motegi from Tohoku Fukushi University, currently Munich University on “Development of literacy in Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) children in Japan - From the aspects of a Japanese traditional teaching method for diary writing”. Prof. Motegi described the schooling situation in Japan for DHH children. About 100 specific schools teach 4,800 DHH children with the curriculum of normal schools. However, e.g. on Hokkaido, there are only 5 schools, so pupils have to travel up to 200 km, and need to attend boarding schools. DHH children are taught the writing of Japanese also by diary writing. It helps them to communicate feelings and gather experience, and it is a means to get in contact about their daily thoughts and events, forming a basis for more interaction.

The second speaker was Associate Prof. Kei Tabaru from Ibaraki University on “Real-world Listening Challenges in Children with Hearing Impairment (DHH) in Japan.” Children with hearing impairment have to put a lot more effort in listening to others, e.g. in school lessons. This might go unnoticed by teachers and other pupils. Too much effort might negatively impact the development of children, because the listening effort takes to many cognitive resources. The resulting listening fatigue can impact communication and lead to reduced motivation and, in the end, cognitive skill decline. Support is thus warranted, even if the hearing is adequate throughout school to free resources for the development of children.

In the discussion, it was pointed out that a prerequisite for writing is speaking and hearing, so it is harder learning for hearing impaired children. It was discussed whether it might be easier to learn to read Japanese because of the kanji, which have a meaning in themselves. Hand-signs might be related to kanji, e.g., in case of the word “fire”.

In the last part of the symposium, “Hearing and quality of life,” convener Aiko Möhwald (JSPS Club board member) introduced Prof. Dr. Thomas Kaul from Cologne University. He talked about “Hearing impairment in old age. Challenges and opportunities for rehabilitation and support.” Age-related hearing loss is the deterioration of hearing that occurs with increasing age. Reasons can be noise exposure, hearing with headphones, probably degenerative processes and ototoxins (e.g. smoking, infections, stroke, hypertension, medicine, etc.). It takes about 10 years in the mean from the start of hearing loss until getting a hearing aid because the process is slow, and people sometimes deny the need for a hearing aid. Bad hearing leads to fewer topic turns, misunderstandings, and communication breakdowns or monologues, leading finally to social isolation. Also, people with bad hearing have a doubled risk of falling. Cognitive decline related to social isolation also leads to dementia, significantly reducing the quality of life. Hearing aids that are up-to-date are expensive; often people are confused by technical details, leading to non-use of the aids. Support and rehabilitation are thus required, and self-management skills need to be fostered. Self-help can be an additional help (e.g. Deutscher Hörverband/German Hearing Association). Audio therapy is not covered by health insurance, but could be a helpful tool in treatment of people also at home.

The second and last speaker of the symposium was Prof. Ulrich Hoppe from Erlangen University Hospital on “Hearing Loss and Quality of Life.” About 6.1% of the world’s population, according to the WHO (2020), suffer from disabling hearing loss. In 2050, it is estimated that due to structural changes in the age distribution of the population, every 4th person will suffer from disabling hearing loss. The problem is not only the loudness of the information, but also the missing frequencies that impair the understanding of language. Hearing aids amplify the sound which is then transmitted to the inner ear. Quality of life can, e.g., be measured with the WHOQOL: Measuring Quality of Life BRF questionnaire and the HRQoL, which is a bit more specific regarding health-related quality of life. Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ) is specific for people who have lost their hearing after normal hearing. Fragebogen zur Bestimmung der Hörbehinderung (APHAB) is even more specific, and it shows that problems with disturbing sounds is lower in people with cochlear implant.

In the discussion, the matter of ototoxicity was debated in comparison to the drilling of the mastoid in terms of loss of residual hearing in a cochlear implant. A question was asked if cochlear implants can substitute the conventional hearing aid in the future. The speakers ascertain that the hearing loss has to be extreme for a cochlear implant. This is checked individually.

The closing remarks were spoken by JSPS Bonn Office director Prof. Masahiko Hayashi, who extended his thanks to the local organizer for setting up the program and all the speakers, whose presentations he summed up, board members, and JSPS Bonn Office staff. Almost 90 people have participated in the symposium. After the symposium, a guided tour through the former Residenz Munich of the kings of Bavaria took place.

Laudation for Jan Mikuni, winner of the JACA Prize of the German JSPS Alumni Association 2025

by Saskia Schimmel, board member of the JSPS Club

JACA Award ceremony: from left S. Schimmel, H. Menkhaus, J. Mikuni (Picture: courtesy of JSPS Bonn Office)

Dr. Jan Mikuni was awarded the JACA Prize of the German JSPS Alumni Association 2025, on May 9th, 2025 in Munich. Dr. Jan Mikuni is a psychologist, focusing on aesthetic experiences and their impacts at the University of Vienna since 2022. Part of her research specializes in researching aesthetic experiences, exploring how our cultural backgrounds shape perception, evaluation, and engagement with the world around us. During her doctoral studies at Keio University, she embarked on a transformative research stay at the University of Vienna, supported by the JSPS Overseas Challenge Program for Young Researchers. This experience was not only pivotal for her own research but also led to something even more profound — an institutional bridge between Keio University and the University of Vienna. Through her initiative, Dr. Mikuni played a key role in establishing a joint PhD degree framework between these two institutions. In 2022, she became the first graduate of this pioneering program. By laying the groundwork for this joint program, she has opened new doors for future students, fostering academic exchange between Japan and the German-speaking world. This framework will continue to support young researchers, enabling deeper international collaborations. Her work is particularly important in addressing a crucial challenge in psychology: the sampling bias in research. By fostering cross-cultural collaborations with individuals from both Japan and German-speaking countries, Dr. Mikuni and her team have not only expanded scientific understanding of the role of culture but also promoted a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable approach to psychological research. Through their successful international efforts, culminating in several impactful journal articles, they have contributed to a more representative and fair scientific practice, ensuring that psychological theories and findings better reflect the richness of human experience across the globe. In this way, Dr. Mikuni facilitated the networking of Japanese researchers in Austria and made a significant contribution to the research exchange between Japan and Austria. Congratulations on this award. The Club wishes you all the best for the future and a continued success.

NEWS FROM THE CLUB

Modified Scope and Description of the JSPS Alumni Club Award (JACA)

by Saskia Schimmel, board member of the JSPS Club

Following a discussion in the Club board meeting in Dossenheim, the board has decided to give the Club’s JACA prize a stronger focus on early-career scientists. The background is that an award that primarily constitutes an airplane ticket will be most effective if given to younger awardees, who will usually face more difficulties in financing their travel activities to or from Japan. Likewise, given that the JACA prize is not well-known outside the JSPS Club’s network, the prize is more likely to make a difference for the awardee if they are at an earlier career stage and have not accumulated major awards with high reputation yet.

To clearly communicate the focus on early-career scientists without implementing potentially unfair or inflexible regulations, the description on the homepage was adjusted as follows. The previous wording “Established scientists can be nominated as well as young research fellows.” was replaced. The new phrase “Nominations of early-career scientists who have already made significant contributions to exchange between Japan and the German-speaking region are particularly encouraged.” highlights the focus on candidates at an early-career stage. By intention, it does not introduce a rigid boarder of biological or academic age, which would not account for differences between the educations systems.

JSPS Bonn Japanese-German Colloquium

by Saskia Schimmel, board member of the JSPS Club

Starting from FY2026, the call for proposals for the JSPS Bonn Japanese-German Colloquium will be handled jointly by the JSPS Bonn Office and the JSPS Club.

The JSPS Bonn Japanese-German Colloquium aims to foster research collaboration between Japan and German-speaking countries through small-scale, interdisciplinary events. Important points are outlined below.

1. Purpose: To promote Japan-German research cooperation, strengthen academic ties, and facilitate early-career researcher engagement.
    
2. Structure:
   • Organized by a German host (JSPS Alumni Club member) and a co-host from Japan.
   • Two-day interdisciplinary program with diverse participants from both regions.
      
3. Eligibility:
   • Applicants must be JSPS Alumni, affiliated with a research institution in a German-speaking country.
   • Must not have received recent JSPS funding for a similar event.
      
4. Selection Criteria:
   • Emphasis on long-term collaboration, scientific quality, institutional support, societal impact, diversity, and early-career participation.
   • Priority will be given to new applicants.
      
5. Financial Support:
   • JSPS will fund travel and accommodation for up to 5 speakers from Japan and two dinners (up to EUR 2000).
   • Host and co-host institutions are expected to contribute to additional costs.
      
6. Event Timing: Scheduled between May 2026 and February 2027, lasting up to two days.
    
7. Application: Guidelines are available on the homepage of the JSPS Club. Questions and all completed application forms should be emailed to the JSPS Bonn Office at bonn-alumni@overseas.jsps.go.jp by September 30th, 2025.
    
8. Selection: The selection process will be conducted by a committee recruited partially from members of the JSPS Club board and JSPS Bonn Office. Successful applicants will be notified in January 2026.

Ute and György Széll International Scholarships

by György Széll, member of the JSPS Club

György Széll – founder of the Japan Research Centre at the University of Osnabrück in 1994, long-standing member of the JSPS Club as well as vice-president of the German-Japanese Society for Social Sciences from 2006 to 2008 – has launched together with his wife Ute two international scholarships per year since 2022.

The Ute and György Széll International Scholarship shall permit outstanding international PhD-students in Social Sciences or Humanities a six month-stay at a German university, research institute or archive. The Hans Böckler Foundation (HBS) deals with co-determination, research linked to the world of work and the support of students on behalf of the DGB, the Confederation of German Trade Unions.

Requirements: The applicant has to be enrolled as a Ph.D. student in social sciences or humanities; the description of the PhD project also put into the context of the further career development (ca. 3 pages); the targets and the program of the research stay have to be presented by a research plan (ca. 3 pages as well); an assessment by the PhD-supervisor at the home university as well as an invitation letter by the receiving institution, which confirms that the realization of the planned project and the integration into its scientific program are secured; a C.V. in table form and the diploma of graduate studies allowing PhD-studies. It is expected that the applicants are committed to cultural, political or social activities and the values of the HBS. There is no age limit.

Every year, two scholarships for six months each with a sum of 10,000 € will be awarded. The sum is split as follows: 1,450 € monthly stipend and a travel grant of 1,300 €. The deadlines are 28th February and 30th July of each year. The publication and the application procedure will be handled by the HBS. The applications should be forwarded by the form – https://www.boeckler.de/de/international-scholarships-33846.htm – to the HBS and will be formally proved there. The pre-selection of the applicants will be carried out by the HBS department of study promotion with the participation of Ute and György Széll. The final decision will be taken by the HBS PhD-committee. The funds are provided by the Ute and György Széll Foundation within the HBS. This international scholarship project is until further notice limited for five years; since 2022 five scholarships have been awarded, unfortunately so far not for Japan. Therefore, we would appreciate it if this announcement will raise interest in the ‘country of the rising sun’, and readers will disseminate this information largely.

REPORTS OF BRIDGE-FELLOWSHIPS

BRIDGE report by Aiko Möhwald, board member of the JSPS Club

Meeting with Dr. Jun Mikami at Osaka University (Picture: courtesy of A. Möhwald)

PE teacher training course in Adachi (Picture: courtesy of A. Möhwald)

A. Möhwald and Y. Okade in front of the Nippon Sport Science University (Picture: courtesy of A. Möhwald)

After completing a research stay at the University of Tsukuba with my visiting professor, Yoshinori Okade, in 2014 as part of the JSPS Summer Program, the BRIGDE-Fellowship Program enabled me to spend another three weeks with him in July/August 2024.

Prof. Okade and I have been in contact for 10 years and have met at various international conferences. During this time, he moved from the University of Tsukuba to Nippon Sport Science University (日本体育大学, Nippon taiiku daigaku), abbreviated as Nittaidai (日体大), in Setagaya, Tokyo. Similarly, I transitioned from the University of Freiburg via TU Dortmund and PH Heidelberg to Paderborn University.

We both work in the field of sports pedagogy and Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE). I am currently researching on gender diversity in Physical Education (PE), which is also the focus of Prof. Okade’s and my joint research project.

Sport and PE represent contexts in which social reality is shaped around binary genders (woman/girl – man/boy), structuring the perceptions, thoughts, behaviours, and actions of the individuals involved. For students who identify beyond heteronormative assumptions (e.g., transgender students), experiences in PE often involve discrimination, marginalization, rejection, and exclusion. The PE teacher plays a crucial role in determining whether trans-inclusive PE is achieved. Overall, there is a consensus in the literature that PE teachers’ attitudes toward (gender) diversity are central to the successful implementation of a trans-inclusive PE.

However, there is a critical lack of research on PE teachers’ perceptions of gender diversity in PE, particularly quantitative studies. Neither the German nor the Japanese context currently has measurement instruments to assess this. Consequently, I developed a questionnaire in the German-speaking context to investigate the attitudes of (prospective) PE teachers towards gender diversity, specifically transgender students. This instrument includes two scales I developed and empirically tested in Germany: ‘Self-efficacy for providing trans-inclusive PE’ and ‘Attitudes towards transgender students in PE’.

The BRIDGE research visit aimed to translate this German questionnaire into Japanese and collect initial empirical data.

For this reason, the questionnaire scales were first translated into Japanese in collaboration with Prof. Okade, who speaks German fluently. Additionally, the questionnaire was digitalized using an online platform to facilitate efficient data collection. During my stay, we also visited Dr. Jun Mikami from Osaka University, a leading researcher in gender diversity, both in organised sport and PE. The purpose of this visit was to learn about current trends in gender studies in Japan and to to seek guidance on the Japanese phrasing of the questionnaire. Following his feedback, we revised and finalised the translated questionnaire.

The online questionnaire was first distributed to Japanese PETE students from Nippon Sport Science University. Furthermore, we attended a PE teacher training course at a junior high school in Adachi, where we were allowed to present our study and to distribute an information letter containing a QR code for the online survey to the participating PE teachers. Besides gaining valuable insights into PE teacher training in Japan, we were also able to collect data for our study. So far, we have collected data from 57 Japanese PETE students (average age 19.47 years) and 19 Japanese PE teachers (average age 33.26 years). The data was analysed descriptively and discussed during my research stay.

Preliminary findings indicate that both groups have a low to medium level of knowledge about transgender issues in general and in the context of PE lessons. However, both groups demonstrate relatively similar levels of self-efficacy in providing trans-inclusive PE. In terms of different attitude dimensions, PE teachers in particular show positive attitudes. While initial data was collected during my visit, the sample size is still too small to draw definitive conclusions. We therefore plan to collect additional data in the future. In addition to collecting quantitative survey data, we also conducted an interview with a junior high school PE teacher who already has experience working with transgender students. The interview explored how the school and the teacher addressed the needs of transgender students at both individual and structural levels. The findings revealed that the teacher provides careful, personalized guidance to transgender students in collaboration with school administration, contributing to a positive and inclusive school climate and culture. I am deeply grateful for the JSPS BRIDGE-Fellowship Program, which enabled me to maintain personal contact with my Japanese colleague, initiate a joint research project and gain new scientific insights through collaboration.

Anja Bleck is a physician and doctoral student at the Hannover Medical School (MHH) in neuropathology, currently working in the University Hospital Heidelberg. She graduated from medical school in 2023. Her interests are neuroscience, psychiatry, neurology, psychosomatics and neurorehabilitation.

Her doctoral thesis is about the detection and analysis of IDH (Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1) mutations of infratentorial, diffuse astrocytomas. The findings led to a cooperative publication with the University of Heidelberg and other neuropathological centers over Germany. This paper has become part of the new 2021 WHO-classification of Tumors of the Central Nervous System.

In 2019, she has visited Japan for the first time. Her fascination and admiration for Japan existed since primary school and has grown since then. She has been introduced to the JSPS Club by Prof. Hori, a member of the JSPS Club. They met during her time at the neuropathology at the MHH. Since the Kyoto-Essen-Summit in 2023 she has participated in JSPS-Meetings. She would like to do a research stay in Japan and is looking forward to get to know more like-minded people.

Dr. Evgenia Chitrova (Tereshina) earned her PhD in Condensed Matter Physics in 2009 from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at Charles University in the Czech Republic. Her connection with Japan began when she was still a student, through a 6-month exchange scholarship in 2003 at Tohoku University in Sendai. During this time, she worked under the guidance of Prof. Naoki Toyota, conducting research on mesoporous carbon materials (CMK).

In 2009, Dr. Chitrova returned to Sendai as a recipient of the prestigious 2-year postdoctoral fellowship from JSPS. She joined the High Magnetic Field Laboratory at the Institute for Materials Research, working with Prof. K. Watanabe’s group on studies of structure and magnetism of f-d intermetallic compounds under high magnetic fields. Her research was unfortunately disrupted by the catastrophic earthquake that hit the Tohoku area in 2011, prematurely ending her fellowship and research activities in Japan.

Dr. Chitrova’s experiences in Japan have profoundly shaped her scientific career. She remains enthusiastic about maintaining connections with the Institute for Materials Research of Tohoku University and its High Magnetic Field Laboratory. Currently, Dr. Chitrova leads the Rare Earth and Actinides Science Research Group at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Republic. She also collaborates closely with the Joint Research Center in Karlsruhe, Germany, where she spends several weeks each year engaged in research. If you are interested in collaborating or discussing potential research opportunities, please feel free to get in touch with her.

Dr. Alessandro Ferreri is a theoretical physicist whose research consists in exploring the overlap between quantum physics, relativity and thermodynamics. After having obtained his PhD in 2021 at the University of Paderborn, he moved to the Peter Grünberg Institute (PGI) at the Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ) where he works as a postdoc.

He has been awarded two JSPS fellowships, namely the two-month Summer Program 2022 and the short-term Postdoctoral Fellowship 2022 for a period of three months. Supported by these fellowships, he has started and strengthened an ongoing collaboration between the Institute for Quantum Computing Analytics (PGI-12) at FZJ and the Theoretical Quantum Physics Laboratory at RIKEN, where he spent overall five months.

During his stay at RIKEN, Alessandro Ferreri examined the quantum interactions between light and matter from a different perspective, in which relativistic effects play a dominant role in thermodynamic mechanisms such as the heat transfer between thermal baths. From these studies, he proposed a new model of thermal machine which can extract thermodynamic work from the quantum interactions between the light confined in a box and the walls of the box itself. As the result of both his effort and the support of his colleagues at both FZJ and RIKEN, he successfully obtained the publication of two articles in the prestigious journal Physical Review Research.

Dr. Annette Herz is an entomologist who works in biological plant protection with the help of beneficial insects such as ladybirds or hoverflies. She studied biology at the University of Saarbrücken (a long time ago...) and then wrote her dissertation on natural pest control in pine forests at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich in the 1990ies. After a series of national and international postdoc projects, she received a permanent position at the Institute for Biological Control, Julius Kühn Institute, Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants (JKI). In 2015, Annette travelled to Japan for the first time. She was part of a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture to exchange ideas with scientific colleagues about controlling the spotted-wing drosophila, a fruit pest of Asian origin that occurs in Germany since 2011. This extremely impressive and successful visit was the “initial spark” for more intensive cooperation with scientists in Japan to develop methods for environmentally friendly agriculture. A joint project followed together JKI colleagues and the National Agriculture and Food Organization (NARO) on biological control in field vegetable production, for example by introducing flower strips to promote beneficial insects. Currently, Annette Herz is working with colleagues from three institutions in Japan (Dr. Ken Tabuchi, Dr. Hideto Yoshimura (NARO Tohoku Agricultural Research Center, Morioka), Prof. Kazunori Matsuo (Kyushu University, Fukuoka), Prof. Makoto Tokuda (Saga University, Saga)) to clarify the natural control of the box tree moth in Japan, especially in the native boxwood forests in Kyushu. The joint DAAD/JSPS research exchange program is funding this research. In 2024, Annette Herz also had the opportunity to take part in a citizen science activity during the International Congress of Entomology, which took place in Kyoto at the end of August (see photo). The idea was to interact with young entomologists and foreign researchers attending the conference. “I was impressed by the keen interest and already well-developed knowledge of insects that these young students from Kyoto showed – it was so easy to talk to them about insects and share their fascination for these amazing creatures!”

Dr. Jan Mikuni is a postdoctoral researcher at the Cognitive Sciences Hub of the University of Vienna, Austria. Her research investigates the psychological and cultural dimensions of art experiences, focusing on how aesthetic evaluations and experiences influence human interactions with various environments.

<>As the first Ph.D. candidate to complete a joint degree between Keio University and the University of Vienna, she has set a precedent for future candidates. Her cross-cultural studies, supported by JSPS (Overseas Challenge Program for Young Researchers) and KÜ Japan grants (Monbukagakusho), explore how cultural differences — such as language and visual features in daily life — shape perception and evaluation across Austria, Germany, and Japan.

She welcomes interdisciplinary collaborations between Japan, Austria, and Germany, with a focus on how aesthetic experiences improve user behavior and engagement in contexts such as online platforms, (commercial) facilities, and public spaces. Learn more about her work here:
https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=BSkvIgcAAAAJ

Jan Mikuni was awarded with the JACA price 2025 by the JSPS Club in 2025 on the symposium at LMU Munich (see eulogy in this issue).

Dr. Irene Petraroli is currently a MSCA Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management (ITC) at the University of Twente. Her current project focuses on modelling disaster risk perception in Japan and European case studies, creating a novel tool to include social vulnerabilities in hazard mapping.

Originally from Sicily, Italy, from 2022 to 2024 she was a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at the Environmental Education Laboratory at the University of Kyoto, with a project on comparing perceptions of disaster risk and the impact of historical disasters in Sicily and Japan. Before her JSPS Fellowship, Dr. Petraroli completed her PhD in Global Environmental Studies at the University of Kyoto, with a project focusing on the social vulnerabilities of women and foreign residents in disaster preparedness in Japan. She completed her MPHIL at St. Anne’s College, Oxford University. Her research on refugee studies and anthropology focused on the local perception of the humanitarian migration crisis in Lampedusa.

She is interested in sustainability, local narratives, cultures of disasters, differences in risk perception and community engagement between Japan and Europe. In her free time, Irene Petraroli enjoys surfing and reading.

By joining the JSPS Club, she hopes to enter a network of experts in different fields to promote collaborations and share experiences in the fields of sustainability and resilience.

Dr. Kirill Postoutenko is Senior Researcher in the Special Research Area 1288 (Practices of Comparison) at Bielefeld University, Germany, and Adjunct Associate Professor (Docent) of Russian literature and culture at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He is the author and editor of eleven books and ninety-five articles devoted to systems and communication theory, conversation analysis, history of identity, history of media and communication in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, and the history of Russian poetry and literary criticism. His most recent books include the edited volumes “Ruler Personality Cults from Empires to Nation-States and Beyond Symbolic Patterns and Interactional Dynamics” (together with Darin Stephanov, 2021), “Media and Communication in the Soviet Union: General Perspectives” (together with Alexey Tikhomirov and Dmitri Zakharine, 2022) and “Beyond ‘Hellenes’ and ‘Barbarians’: Asymmetrical Concepts in European Discourse” (2023).

For many years, the fascination radiated by Japan was for Kirill Postoutenko a very distant and limited affair, hovering somewhere between sushi and Kenzaburo Oe. His first real encounter with Japan was the 2022 invitation of the Waseda Instiute for Advanced Studies (Tokyo) to give lectures on Russian and Ukrainian culture and also engage in collaboration with Professor Naoto Yagi on topics pertaining to Post-Soviet cultural politics. Aside from the irresistible allure of the Japanese capital, Kirill was deeply impressed by the depth, seriousness and authenticity of Waseda students, as well as warmth and hospitality of his hosts. This trip resulted in long-lasting academic and personal connections which led Kirill Postoutenko to Tokyo, Kyoto and Sapporo two years after. This time Japan, looked at from various angles, was much more diverse and familiar at the same time. The range of topics, discussed and jointly investigated with colleagues from universities Waseda, Tokyo, Doshisha, Hokkaido, Saitama, Kobe and other universities, has also become more varied, including topics of European anti-Semitism and imperialist pedigree of current Russian militarism.

By joining JSPS Club, Kirill Postoutenko hopes to strengthen and solidify these contacts, meet Japanese colleagues, students and friends more often, and have once in a while a better version of sushi than he gets back home!

He could be reached at kirill.postoutenko@uni-bielefeld.de.

Since 2006, Prof. Dr. Inken Prohl has been a Professor of Religious Studies at Heidelberg University, where her work spans continents and cultures. Her journey began with studying Japanese Studies and Religious Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, sparking a lifelong fascination with Japanese religion and culture. Her research interests encompass recent religious history in Germany, Japan, and the United States, the relationship between religion and artificial intelligence, and the study of material religion. Prohl’s work also focuses on the transformation of Buddhist ideas and practices, Buddhism’s presence in Germany, Buddhist approaches to end-of-life care, and the evolving material and global expressions of Zen in the 21st century.

During her Japanese Studies program at Freie Universität, she completed a language course at Keio University (1991–1993) and attended religious studies seminars at the University of Tokyo under Shimazono Susumu. In 1995, she returned to Tokyo as a research student at the Institute of Religious Studies, where she delved deeply into the so-called New Religions, alongside participating in Shugendo retreats, seminars with diverse religious organizations, and pilgrimages. These immersive experiences profoundly shaped her understanding of Japanese society and laid the groundwork for future research.

In 2004, Prohl was appointed Deputy Chair of Modern Japan, focusing on cultural studies at Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf. As a Fellow of the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) from 2004 to 2006, she was affiliated with Hitotsubashi University, where she examined the practices throughout the year at a Buddhist temple in Obuse, Nagano. Since 2023, she has expanded her focus to the evolving museum landscape in Japan, specifically examining museums founded by new religious movements and their roles in urban and tourism development. With planned fieldwork in 2025 and support from colleagues from the University of Tokyo, Prohl seeks to understand how these unique institutions contribute to Japan’s cultural and social dynamics.

Through her membership in the JSPS Club, Inken Prohl looks forward to engaging with fellow scholars from various disciplines, especially those interested in cross-cultural research on religious practices, ritual studies, and cultural adaptation.

She invites anyone with shared academic or cultural interests to connect with her at inken.prohl@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de.

This recent book, edited by Lothar Wigger and Jun Yamana, describes a novel project for transmitting war memories to younger generations. The book also includes 40 color illustrations, presented for the first time outside of Japan. Given that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this book, with its images, reports, and analyses, is of particular interest.

The book describes and analyzes an educational project by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the city’s Motomachi Senior High School that takes a novel approach and remains unique to this day. In the project “Pictures of the Atomic Bomb: Drawing with the Next Generation” (title translated from German) students transform the stories of victims of the atomic bombing into paintings. This volume presents the project outside of Japan for the first time and interprets and discusses it in an international academic context. In addition to numerous illustrations, the book contains testimonials from students who participated in the school project, survey results from students and teachers involved in the project, and scientific interpretations and analyses by Japanese and German-speaking scholars from pedagogical, psychological, art theoretical, media studies, social science, and philosophical perspectives. In addition to these scholars, the target audience includes schools, museums, and the interested public.

For further details and access to the ebook: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-69674-3

The article from DER SPIEGEL titled “Was Tyrannosaurus rex a Nibbler?” (translation, article in German) by Julia Koch portrays the work of our board member, Kiel-based palaeontologist, Daniela Winkler, who investigates microscopic wear patterns on fossilized teeth to reconstruct ancient ecosystems and animal diets. Tooth enamel, the hardest biological material in vertebrates, can preserve minute traces of an animal’s diet for millions of years. Daniela Winkler employs dental microwear analysis - a technique that reveals fine scratches and pits in enamel - to determine what extinct creatures consumed and the environments they inhabited.

Her findings challenge popular depictions of Tyrannosaurus rex as a ferocious, bone-crushing predator. Research conducted during her time in Tokyo suggests that T. rex may have fed more delicately than expected, rarely crushing bones as previously assumed. This conclusion is supported by the relatively low occurrence of microwear features associated with bone consumption on the dinosaur’s teeth. Winkler’s research involves comparisons with modern animals such as alligators, guinea pigs, and mice that were fed different diets under controlled conditions, allowing her to link specific food types to distinctive dental wear patterns.

To conduct her analyses, she takes silicone impressions of fossil teeth and scans them under a microscope to create topographical maps that visualize the microscopic wear. However, she notes that such wear reflects only the final days or weeks of an animal’s life, and the frequent tooth replacement in dinosaurs adds further complexity to dietary interpretations.

Daniela Winkler’s work opens new perspectives not only on dinosaur ecology but also on the broader potential of dental microwear studies. She has recently discovered that similar wear patterns can also be found in the mouthparts of insects such as crickets, suggesting that collections of preserved insects in museum archives could be valuable resources for reconstructing past environments. Her research demonstrates how fine-scale analysis of dental structures can illuminate the lives of extinct species in unexpected ways.

The article can be found here:
https://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/natur/palaeontologin-ueber-dinosaurier-zaehne-war-tyrannosaurus-rex-ein-knabberer-a-d9a25749-17d9-475f-a721-3eadf1bab98f?context=issue