In my work, I often collaborated with Japanese colleagues, and thus I have always wanted to visit Japan to get to know them better and have some super honest/plain scientific discussions in depth. In the last November, I finally got a chance to visit Japan, as I got invited to Spintronics and Orbitronics Workshop, organized by Kazuya Ando at Keio University, Yokohama. Additionally, I chose to visit also Kyoto, where Prof. Ono and Prof. Shiraishi work. So, I stayed for 3 days in Kyoto and 5 days in Yokohama.
Upon arrival, I went directly to Kyoto from Haneda Airport. Although I was very exhausted from the long flight, I decided to enjoy tourism a bit, because there are so many historic places to visit in Kyoto! I went to Kiyomizu-dera temple, established in the 8th century during Nara period. It’s located on a mountain and looking toward the city, where the view is spectacular indeed.
As I was already getting so sleepy, even before lunch, I decided to walk. I usually try to walk under the sun (if there is) or jog to get over the jet lag for conference trips. I walked from the temple down to the Kamo River, at the very center of Kyoto city. The walking trail along the river made me feel so calm and peaceful—this was a recommendation from my friend Wooin, who worked in Japan for a year. Though I wanted to find a local coffee shop, in the end, I entered Starbucks because the view from there was just too nice. I slowly enjoyed a cappuccino to get over the sleepiness. In the end, I could not really overcome the tiredness, and I went back to my hotel to relax and nap after lunch. By the way, I had great sushi for lunch!
After relaxing in the hotel, it was around dinner time, so I went outside to find a place to eat (and possibly drink—because I am on vacation?). I walked like the main character in “Kodoku No Gurume,” a series I like so much. I carefully looked around and listened to my inner voice, to what my tummy really wanted. I entered a random place indeed, without knowing any Japanese. But there was at least an English menu (probably there were many tourists). I had some really nice small dishes with beer, including Japanese mushrooms and Yakitori. After being nicely fed, I nearly passed out, which was good for me for the next day.
On the next two days, I visited Prof. Shiraishi’s and Prof. Ono’s laboratories, one day each, where I gave seminars as well. I prepared my presentation with a general pedagogical introduction for students as well as some special topics that I thought some might be interested in from their general expertise. I had the impression that both laboratories were very lively! The lab members were quite relaxed and nice to each other. I was also treated very nicely, with such tasty cuisine in local restaurants. I really thank Prof. Shiraishi and Prof. Ono, not only for the dinners but also for the chance to visit the labs and get to know the warm-welcoming lab members.
Spintronics, Orbitronics, and Physics Beyond 