I am an advisory board member serving my second term. RIKEN Institute, where I was employed prior to my current job, was once known as a "free Paradise for scientists" because of the environment where researchers could freely implement long-term projects without restriction of their ideas, based on patent income related to the method for mass producing Vitamin A developed by Prof. Dr. Umetaro Suzuki and others, and it was a Paradise that many scientists longed for. Even today, RIKEN Institute is evolving freely in all directions like an amoeba, and is leading the world in various research fields such as chemistry, physics, biology, and medicine. Truly, to achieve a "free Paradise for young researchers in the field of organic chemistry," Itsuu Laboratory is organized and operated primarily to construct a research environment in which young researchers can be dedicated to and immerse themselves in research. Researchers are free to choose their research topic, but with freedom comes great responsibility. I am consistently impressed by the presentations of young researchers who are energetically conducting daily experiments while considering the significance and ripple effects of their chosen research topic, and face the research report meeting with a sense of tension. I strongly feel that the broad smile on their faces at the social gathering after the research report meeting is proof that they are carrying out their research with a sense of responsibility. I will continue to make efforts to contribute to the process by which young researchers grow toward a larger goal while working hard and competing with each other at a high level.

The Research Foundation Itsuu Laboratory is a dynamic research organization where young organic chemists, driven by their passion and curiosity, come together to pioneer innovative scientific discovery. At the laboratory, researchers are encouraged to think freely, generatetheir own ideas, and fully engage their hands and minds in experiments, and savor the satisfaction of refining their research outcomes. The Itsuu Laboratory provides ample support in the form of advanced research facilities and funding, allowing endless possibilities for research. In addition to these resources, researchers benefit from regular consultations with a five-member advisory board, having expertise in diverse fields, to receive in-depth guidance on their progress and research direction. Above all, the Laboratory attracts passionate young researchers with varied research interests and experimental techniques, and its key appeal is that it enables the opportunity to engage in mutual growth by competing as rivals at times and collaborating as peers at others, pushing each other to improve. (As of 2024) It has been three years since I joined the advisory board of the Research Foundation Itsuu Laboratory, and I believe nowhere else is the research environment more exciting than here. I often reflect on how much I could have learned and grown if I had been part of this Laboratory in my early career. Wouldn’t you like to hone your skills in science and strive for even greater heights to contribute to groundbreaking scientific research that has the potential to change the world?

The Research Foundation Itsuu Laboratory offers an excellent environment for young researchers to improve their skills. With substantial research funding, the institution enables researchers to propose and pursue their own projects, advancing their work with confidence. I am delighted to collaborate with young ambitious individuals full of dreams. My research focuses on organic synthesis, natural product isolation, and natural product chemical biology through molecular cell biology. During my doctorate which centered on asymmetric catalyst development, I became intrigued by the biological sciences and learned experimental techniques across variety of fields under the mentorship of the faculty of several laboratories. In this way, I have had experience belonging to a variety of research labs and have been able to gain a wide range of perspectives. I anticipate young researchers to promote innovations from diverse perspectives.

As of fiscal year (FY2024), I have been appointed to the advisory board. I genuinely admire the young researchers who are in a position to freely pursue their passion in chemistry. Even on a global scale, such a supportive environment is rare and remarkable. I anticipate young researchers to promote innovations from diverse perspectives. While I still have much to learn, I hope to contribute meaningfully to the growth of these talented individuals.

After obtaining a degree, even if you join academia or get a job in industry, you will not be given an environment in which you can freely conduct the research you want for a while. In order to collaborate on and conduct a given project within the research plan, budget, and environment proposed and provided by the PI or supervisor, research will be conducted within a limited scope. If this period becomes long, before you realize, the emphasis will shift to consistently producing good results, and the spirit of challenge to create something from nothing will be lost. At Itsuu Laboratory, under the free-research environment, despite experimental techniques for organic synthesis being optimal, please constantly challenge yourself to develop new things, and realize your dream of organic chemistry as you envision it. Please present your original research results, which will be the core of your future research life, and spread your wings and soar high in the next stage. We look forward to engaging in active discussions with all of you young researchers who are passionate about organic synthetic chemistry research.