My pride and joy as a researcher at an optical manufacturer
Creating a useful product is important.
When do you feel the most pleasure as a researcher?
As a researcher, I experience pure joy when I come up with an idea that no one in the world has realized and become convinced that the idea is viable after complete examination. As a researcher at a manufacturing company, I must prioritize market demands. So when I create something that meets the demand, I feel great happiness.
Some Japanese manufacturers are being chased out of leading positions by overseas competitors. What do you think is the most important factor for Nikon in order to keep its advantage over such competition?
It is very rare for any of the world's optical manufacturers to create optical products using optical glass that they create from raw materials as Nikon does. Taking advantage of such core strengths, Nikon should be able to continue to conduct unique research and development activities. The key is to actively share information with each other between departments of the group.
Do you mean that Nikon should emphasize its fundamental technologies even more and build upon them?
Some technologies that are considered easy at Nikon are not optimized at other companies. With the experience, knowledge and expertise that Nikon has amassed over the years, the company is optimally positioned to develop crucial technologies and products that can propose new solutions to society.
Optics are profound, that is the attraction.
On a family skiing trip
How do you spend time when you are away from your work?
I used to be hooked on tennis and skiing. Now I try to spend as much time as I can with my daughter and son who are still in elementary school. During the summer vacation and the New Year holidays, I take my family to the Kansai area, where my hometown is, or to Fukuoka Prefecture, where my wife is from. During our stay in these areas, we visit other locations nearby. I want us to have a good time as a family as much as possible, because the time that we can spend on holidays with the whole family together is limited. I don't compromise with raising my family, just like I don't with my work.
Lastly, what does optics mean to you?
Optics may seem familiar because of magnifiers, binoculars and cameras. So, I have a "bright, fun" image of optics. But behind this is physics and math, which make optics more difficult for many people to understand.
When someone asks me what my job is at an optical manufacturer, I first explain that in our business we call a lens tama (sphere in English) and then answer the question saying, "I polish tama." In reality, I don't actually polish lenses but I do hone my knowledge of optical theories and practice.