These days I celebrate various anniversaries related to me such as the 60th anniversary, 50th anniversary, and 40th anniversary to mark epoch-making events, which remind me of their history. So, I would like to enumerate those anniversaries along with my memories of them.

　Kyoto Imperial University was founded in 1897, so this year marks the 110th anniversary of the founding. Tokyo University is 20 years older than Kyoto University, celebrating its 130th anniversary of the establishment. Waseda University also celebrates its 125th anniversary. Because Shigenobu Okuma, the founder of Waseda University, is said to have had ‘a theory of 125 years of life’ (The life span of the human being is as long as 125 years.), this is an especially happy occasion.

　Kyoto Imperial University was renamed Kyoto University due to the post-war reform in October 1947. Since then, sixty years have passed. And it has been three years since a national university became a corporation. The established policy on the incorporation is that interim evaluation will be made in fiscal 2008 and reflected in the funding of the second period starting in fiscal 2010. Now the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology and others are considering how to implement the policy. This evaluation process is keeping them busy, so nobody talks about the 60 anniversary of the change of a university name.

　January 23rd, 2007 was the 100th birthday of Dr. Hideki Yukawa. The centennial of the birth of Dr. Shinichiro Tomonaga was on March 31st, 2006. Therefore, Kyoto University designated fiscal 2006 as ‘the 100th Anniversary Year of the Birth’ of both the doctors, who had been classmates at Daisan High School (the Third Higher Middle School under the old system of education) and Kyoto University, to honor their achievements with anniversary celebrations. Talking of Nobel laureates, Dr. Susumu Tonegawa, my classmate, was awarded in 1987 and this year marks the 20th anniversary.

　Commemorative stamps were issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Antarctic research expedition. The first expedition party left Harumi Pier in ’the Soya’, an Antarctic expedition ship, on November 8th, 1956 and opened Showa Station on January 29th, 1957. Observation in the Antarctic area is playing an important role in studying global environmental changes. Especially, the discovery of the ozone hole, a great achievement, has not been made without continued observation of the ozone layer at Showa Station for a long period of time. Ten years have just passed since two female members of the 39th Antarctic research expedition party wintered for the first time in 1997.

　Showa Station is planning to get rid of all the remaining wastes in four years starting the year of 2005. This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rachel L. Carson, who raised global environmental problems. Her activities to enhance awareness of the accumulation of synthetic chemicals including DDT are significant. ’Silent Spring’ published in 1962 had an immense effect on us. Rachel L. Carson’s Photo Exhibition is held at the Shibunkaku-Kaikan located in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, from May 19th to 26th, 2007.

　The Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University was founded on June 1st, 1967 as a national common-use institute attached to the university three years after a short ‘recommendation’ by the Science Council of Japan, saying ‘A comprehensive institute for basic research of primates (Its tentative name was the Primate Institute.) should be established immediately in consideration of its importance.’ was made. This institute celebrates the 40th anniversary of its founding this year. Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos are endangered species among the four Hominid genera. When Dr. Jane Goodall, who had long researched primates, visited Kyoto University, I asked her a simple question: ’What can we do for them at Kyoto University?’ To it she replied briefly: ‘Learning.’

　I also have to mention, as a seismologist, the 300th anniversaries of the gigantic Hoei Earthquake (magnitude 8.6) and the Eruption of Mt. Fuji in 1707. Similar gigantic phenomena are expected to happen in the Nankai Trough in 20 years or so. Therefore, we have to have courage.

Reprint from the 2007 May issue of Nikkei Science by permission of the publisher.

Chinese / Japanese