Nakatani RIES U.S. Fellows – Potential Research Hosts

Research host lab placement will be arranged by Prof. Junichiro Kono in consultation with the Japanese host lab for all participants in mid-spring.  Research host labs and project/s available in each host lab may vary each year. Participants will be placed in Japanese university or research institution labs under the advisement of a Japanese host professor. All students will be assigned an English-speaking Japanese graduate student research mentor.  In addition to their Japanese professor and mentor, each American student will be co-advised by a U.S. professor who has experience and expertise with U.S.-Japan research collaborations.

The Japanese host labs are selected for their willingness to mentor a young undergraduate student, for contributions to cutting-edge science & engineering research in Japan, and a desire to increase the international diversity and intercultural competencies of Japanese group members by providing them with an opportunity to work with American undergraduates.

The goals of the research internship are to:

• Provide students with hands-on experience with cutting-edge science & engineering research;
• Enhance students technical and research skill sets;
• Enable students to collaborate in an international research effort;
• Enhance students inter-cultural communication & Japanese language skills;
• Encourage students to pursue future graduate study and research.

Once selected as participants, students will be assigned specific research host labs by Prof. Junichiro Kono and research projects will be developed in consultation with the Japanese host lab and U.S.-based co-advisor.  Whenever possible, fellows will be assigned a Nakatani RIES Alumni Mentor; a student who has previously done research at the assigned host lab and who can provide current participants with tips on life in the host-city, the culture of the research lab, and other related topics both prior to departure and while abroad.

Prior to application, students are strongly encouraged to:

1. Review the websites of the potential host professors in Japan.
   • Professors maintain their own lab websites, in both English and Japanese, and typically the Japanese website may be the most up to date. You may want to look at both the English and Japanese version by using Google translate to ensure you are seeing the most up to date research topics and publications for these labs.
   • Look for an ‘About’ or ‘Research Topics’ page for a brief summary of the research being done in this lab.
   • Look for a ‘People’ or ‘Members’ page to learn more about the size and composition of the research lab.  You may also want to review profiles of the Assistant and Associate Professors in the lab.
2. Read the abstracts of 1 – 3 recent publications to better understand the research being done in this lab.
   • Look for a ‘Publications’ page and see what has most recently been posted to the lab website.
   • Review the Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and/or ResearcherID pages for the primary and/or Assistant or Associate Professors in the lab.
3. If applicable, review the PDF of the research project abstract and final posters for recent alumni who have done research in the lab/s you are interested in before.  Keep in mind, research projects and lab groups do change over time so you may not be working on the same/similar research this summer, but reviewing the student profiles may give you greater insight into the lab/s overall.
   • 2018 U.S. Fellows Profiles 
   • 2017 U.S. Fellows Profiles 
   • 2016 U.S. Fellows Profiles 
4. In the application, list up to 3 host professors/labs that you are most interested in working with. This will help the selection committee better understand your specific research interests.
5. Please do not contact potential host professors in Japan. If you are selected as a participant in the program, we will assist you with placement into an appropriate host lab based on your research interests/academic background and host lab availability.

Potential Research Hosts in Japan

Biomedical/Chemical Science & Engineering 

• Kyoto University – Dept. of Energy & Hydrocarbon Chemistry, Kageyama Laboratory
  • Prof. Hiroshi Kageyama (Researcher ID) 
• Kyoto University – Institute for Integrated Cell-Materials Sciences (iCeMS), Kamei Laboratory
  • Prof. Ken-ichiro Kamei (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Ken-ichiro Kamei (ResearchGate) 
• Nagoya University – Dept. of Chemistry, Shinohara Laboratory
  • Shinohara Lab Publications
  • Shinohara Lab: People (see links for Associate and Assistant Professor’s profiles) 
• Osaka University – Medical Beam Physics Laboratory, Awazu Laboratory
  • Prof. Kunio Iwazu (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Kunio Iwazu (ResearchGate)
• Osaka University – LaSIE, Fujita Laboratory
  • Prof. Katsumasa Fujita (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Katsumasa Fujita (ResearchGate) 
• The University of Tokyo – Dept. of Bioengineering, Tabata Laboratory
  • Prof. Hitoshi Tabata (ResearchGate) 

Energy, Environment, & Mechanical Engineering 

• Kyoto University – Institute of Advanced Energy, Matsuda Laboratory
  • Prof. Kazunari Matsuda (ResearchGate) 
• Kyushu University – Measurement and Instrument Lab, Kiss Laboratory
  • Prof. Takanobu Kiss (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Takanobu Kiss (ResearchGate)
• Osaka University – Inst. of Scientific & Industrial Research, Advanced Electronic Devices, Sekitani Laboratory
  • Prof. Tsuyoshi Sekitani (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Tsuyoshi Sekitani (ResearchGate) 
• Tohoku University – Research Institute of Electrical Communication (RIEC), Otsuji Laboratory
  • Prof. Taiichi Otsuji (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Taiichi Otsuji (ResearchGate)
• Toyota Technological Institute – Energy Materials Laboratory, Takeuchi Lab
  • Prof. Tsunehiro Takeuchi (Google Scholar)
  • Prof. Tsunehiro Takeuchi (ResearchGate)

NanoScience & Engineering

• Chiba University – Division of Nanomaterial Science, Aoki Laboratory
  • Prof. Nobuyuki Aoki (ResearchGate) 
• Keio University – Dept. of Applied Physics & Physico-Informatics, Itoh Laboratory
  • Prof. Kohei Itoh (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Kohei Itoh (ResearchGate) 
• Kyoto University – Solid State Spectroscopy Group, Tanaka Laboratory
  • Prof. Koichiro Tanaka (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Koichiro Tanaka (ResearchGate)
  • Asst. Prof. Takashi Arikawa (Google Scholar)
  • Asst. Prof. Takashi Arikawa (ResearcherID)
• Osaka University – Inst. of Laser Engineering, THz Photonics, Tonouchi Laboratory
  • Prof. Masayoshi Tonouchi (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Masayoshi Tonouchi (ResearchGate)
  • Assoc. Prof. Iwao Kawayama (Google Scholar)
  • Assoc. Prof. Iwaao Kawayama (ResearchGate)
• Tohoku University – Dept. of Physics, Saito Laboratory
  • Prof. Riichiro Saito (Google Scholar)
  • Prof. Riichiro Saito (Research Gate)
• The University of Tokyo – Dept. of Applied Physics and Quantum-Phase Electronics Center, Iwasa Laboratory
  • Iwasa Group Publications 
• The University of Tokyo – Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Maruyama-Chiashi Laboratory
  • Prof. Shigeo Maruyama (Google Scholar) 
  • Prof. Shigeo Maruyama (ResearcherID)