Teacher introduction

　When I have conducted research up until now, I have centered my research around the human sense of "why?" and "something that makes me curious." As we live, various questions, big and small, arise every day. These may not necessarily be directly related to one's "research theme." When you hear the word "research," you might imagine that the first thing to do is clearly define the problem, then make a plan from there and proceed steadily, but I am the type of person who tends to act intuitively, and have taken many detours, following whatever ideas came to mind at the time.
　The professors who helped me during my student days described research and academic study as a "journey." Traveling outside of the places where you live every day often forces you to confront realities you never imagined before, leading you to reexamine your previous way of thinking and question whether you should really be doing what you had planned. Before I began my research, I perceived things from a self-centered perspective, but by meeting diverse people in various places, I realized my own mistakes and began to relativize my own existence. Before I knew it, I was embarking on a journey, walking down a path that had never been explored before. These experiences have, of course, influenced my research activities, but I also believe they have significantly changed the way I interact with others in my everyday life and the way I think about my own life.
　I believe that what is important in a journey is not going far away physically, but rather meeting other people. Building relationships with others opens up new paths that you would never have thought of on your own. Opportunities to meet new people can be found all around you, and university is a place full of hidden opportunities. I too hope to be a part of the diverse encounters you will have with students, and to build relationships that allow us to think together about the diverse possibilities for living in modern society.