I participated in the MANABIYA program in February, when Sapporo had even more snow than usual. Due to work commitments, I could only apply for a two-week stay, but I am grateful to Prof. Maeda and Prof. Mita for graciously accommodating such a short visit.
Mr. Naitoh, who was assigned as my tutor on short notice, provided excellent guidance that made my limited time highly productive. I also thank Ms. Tamura from the administrative office, who kindly helped arrange my travel and stay, as someone unaccustomed to heavy snow. My visit happened to coincide with the Sapporo Snow Festival and the Otaru Snow Light Path, and with Prof. Mita as my guide, I was able to fully enjoy winter in Hokkaido as well.
Two weeks was admittedly too short — just as I was becoming comfortable working independently and things were getting exciting, it was already time to leave. I would strongly encourage future applicants to arrange a longer stay if possible. It was an extremely rewarding and productive experience, and one that makes me want to recommend the MANABIYA program
to students in my research group.
Shinji Harada,
Associate Professor,
Graduate School and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chiba University
