[No. 239] Tomohiro Tetsumoto

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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