We pass on to you an introduction of the "Sewerage Maintenance and Management Training Program" held in Tokyo, and a report on the results of the program from two trainees from Bangkok.
We introduce the "Asian Performing Arts Festival," one of the ANMC21 Joint Projects, which was held in Tokyo. Performing in the festival were such acts as the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre (from Hanoi) and "Asian Kitchen," which was a cooking performance that used Asian cuisine as its themes.
"The 2nd IWA Asia-Pacific Young Water Professionals Conference" was held in Beijing. Young officials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Waterworks took part in the conference and gave a presentation on the direct water supply system recommended by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and how this can have the effect of controlling the impact on the environment.
2010 is a commemorative year for Hanoi as it marks the 1,000th anniversary of its establishment as the capital of Vietnam. In this edition, Mr. Yasutaka Kuribayashi, an official who works for the Japanese Embassy in Hanoi, introduces the initiatives the embassy in Hanoi is carrying out.
In this edition, we hear from Mr. Chen Chen, a foreign student from China, and Mr. Chun Jiun Yang, a foreign student from Taiwan, who are studying about "creating basic technologies for proteomics toward the development of advanced medical treatment," as well as from their supervisor, Professor Toshiaki Isobe.
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Introducing ANMC 21 Training Programs
The Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC 21) provides training programs for administrative staff and specialists from ANMC 21 member cities for the sharing of knowledge and best practices in specific fields.
In this issue, we will give an introduction of the "Training of Sewerage Maintenance and Management Engineers" program that took place from November 30 to December 4, 2009.
Training of Sewerage Maintenance and Management Engineers (Implementation Report)
This training program is open to those involved in sewerage projects in the major cities of Asia, and -- through lectures or inspection tours of facilities and passing on the cutting-edge initiatives the Tokyo Metropolitan Government carries out in the field of sewerage maintenance management 窶・is held with the objective of aiming to raise the technical standard across all of Asia.
This training program saw two trainees from Bangkok take part.
Inspecting Morigasaki Water Reclamation Center
On the first day of the training program, to ensure that this training program becomes a place for the transmission of information between cities, there was a presentation from the two trainees on the state of Bangkok's sewerage system.
At the moment in Bangkok, construction work is moving ahead on what will eventually become the Thai capital's eighth sewerage treatment plant. This sewerage treatment plant will be the first ever sewerage treatment plant in Bangkok to be set up within a park and plans are for the water treated at this facility to be used to fill up a pond in the park.
The two trainees took part in the training program to learn about re-use of sewerage treated water in consideration of the environment.
During this training program the contents were shaped to take into account the participation objectives of the trainees, and saw a lecture on water reclamation projects and inspection tours of facilities carried out.
In addition, other aspects of the training program were lectures on the history of sewerage in Tokyo, financial management, maintenance of water reclamation centers and piping systems, as well as on treatment of water and sludge treatment. Inspection tours of facilities also took place.
The training program was held over the short period of just five days, but during the training period, there were feverish exchanges of opinion from start to finish, and glimpses gained of technicians transcending national borders, with the training program being a satisfying one for the trainees.
Report Ms. Sopa Burakrai Sanitary Scientist, Department of Drainage & Sewerage
Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
Sanitary Scientist, Ms. Sopa Burakrai
Bangkok is located in a flat area intercrossed with many canals. Long time ago, when canals were used as transportation routes, people would build their houses near canals or rivers. The present time has seen the development of the city lead to construction of buildings and overcrowding. This leads to environmental problems, and wastewater is one among them. The canals have been contaminated by wastewater from households and commercial buildings, as well as garbage. It is the responsibility of the BMA Department of Drainage and Sewerage to deal with these problems, which we have undertaken through construction of wastewater treatment plants. Currently there are 7 wastewater treatment plants under operation with a total capacity of approximately 992,000 m3 per day, or around 40% of the wastewater generated in Bangkok. Additionally, one new plant is under construction, with four more in the stages of planning. However, the fact remains that people's awareness regarding solving the wastewater problem is still limited. Therefore, we are seeking to provide people with greater education regarding the issue, giving presentations to primary school students and distributing pamphlets to residents of the city.
Although it is difficult to compare Tokyo and Bangkok, the chance to share experiences with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Sewerage is a valuable opportunity. I have gained ideas from the training that can be applied to my work, such as reuse of wastewater for landscaping or large buildings, production of electricity from wastewater byproducts, and other advanced technologies introduced in Tokyo.
★ The Tobu Sludge Plant, one of the places visited while on the inspection tour, has been written up in an earlier issue of Interaction Asia.
The Asian Performing Arts Festival, a joint project under the Asian Network of Major Cities 21, was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space in Ikebukuro from November 26 to November 29, 2009.
The huge "Asian City" re-created in the basement.
This Asian Performing Arts Festival uses Asian performing arts to promote mutual understanding and cultural exchange and is carried out with the aim of discovering talented human resources or artistic works. For the people who attended the event, it gave them a chance to come in contact with Asian culture and provided a valuable opportunity for enjoyment.
During this year窶冱 event, the main stage was the "Asian City" re-creation of the streets of each of the Asian cities taking part. This hosted such works as those produced jointly across international lines and the "Asian Kitchen", a play about cuisine that used Asian foods as its theme.
The international joint works were collaborative works produced by artists from theater groups in Tokyo and the Asian cities that took part, while from Hanoi was the globally acclaimed Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.
Water Puppet Theatre "Dragon Dances"
The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, as the name suggests, is a puppet play staged on the water surface, but it is accompanied by the melodious rhythm of folk music and the puppets are controlled remotely from behind a bamboo screen. Among the features of the performance are the rapid tempo and comical movements of the puppets, which made this puppet theater extremely popular among such people as tourists.
This year, along with its standard programs such as dragon dances and a play about a phoenix (the undying hinotori), there was also an original play using Japan窶冱 ritual sumo matches at shrines as a theme. Furthermore, in the latter part of the play, a life-sized kappa water imp suddenly appeared from within the water and it did such things as 窶徘erform together窶・with the puppets on the water surface, creating a scene which blended traditional theater with modern theater.
In addition, theater troupes from Taipei and Seoul also unveiled international collaboration works, charming many visitors over consecutive days.
Introducing Asian Kitchen, another performance.
Asian Kitchen: Nepal version?
This play used cuisine from various Asian cities as its theme, with characters portrayed by Tokyo residents who were born in the cities being played out. Among these performers was Mr. Sharma, the operator of an Indian restaurant on the outskirts of Ikebukuro, who performed in the section about Delhi, India.
But Mr. Sharma is not actually from India, having been born in Nepal, and his introduction of the Nepalese cuisine Momo was an unexpected development, but his negotiations with the Japanese woman performing with him moved ahead with a flow that was unexpectedly natural and displayed such things as how fluent the 15-year-long resident of Japan speaks Japanese, and before long the audience was laughing and praising the show as it become wrapped in the aroma of the cooking.
This Asian Kitchen section featured performances from participants coming from a total of seven cities.
Adjacent park that provided food from the various cities of Asia
Apart from this, there were also stalls set up in an adjacent park that provided food from the various cities of Asia, Heaven Artist provided street performances, and a stamp rally held with each of the Asian cities serving as a rally point, all of which served to provide a variety of ways to publicize Asian culture and the performing arts.
Well, what we have introduced here is just part of what happened during the event, but for those who visited, it seems that through "watching," "eating" and "enjoying," they probably would have been more than sufficiently charmed by Asian performing arts and culture.
An Introduction of Cutting-Edge Approaches Taken by ANMC 21 Member Cities
(1) From Tokyo: Taking part in the 2nd IWA Asia-Pacific Young Water Professionals Conference
Mr. Takasaki making his presentation at the conference
The 2nd IWA* Asia-Pacific Young Water Professionals Conference held in Beijing from Wednesday November 4 to Friday November 6, 2009. This conference is held with the aims of nurturing young waterworks technicians or researchers aged 35 or younger and creating a network among them. It is an international conference held since last year by the International Water Association (IWA) (Last year窶冱 conference was held in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea.)
This year, about 120 people from various Asian countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore took part, and there were plenty of lively discussions and exchanges among the young experts who will carry out waterworks projects in the future. From Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Waterworks, Mr. Kazuyoshi Takasaki of Tama Waterworks Reform Promotion Center took part in the conference and made a presentation.
Technical Tour (Qing He waste-treatment plant)
Mr. Takasaki gave a speech about the "Study on the Effect of CO2 Emissions Reduction by Replacing Receiving Tank System to Direct Water Service." During his presentation, Mr. Takasaki explained how a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions could be forecast through the move to direct water supply. Direct water supply is currently promoted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Waterworks and is a policy which calls for the diffusion and promotion of the system which supply water directly through pipes to each floor of such places as buildings and apartment blocks, aiming "tasty" water made at purification plants is sent directly to faucets without passing through tanks. By focusing on the energy consumption of supply pumps used in water tanks and calculating a unit of carbon dioxide, how much this energy could be reduced by switching to a supply of water directly from water tanks is calculated and thus a trial calculation is made on how much greenhouse gases could be controlled.
Mr. Takasaki said that because there were few waterworks organizations in attendance at this year's conference, the presentation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was eagerly awaited and that interest in initiatives in the waterworks field that aimed to limit the burden on the environment was very high, as could be witnessed through the questions that came from listeners in the audience about the types of direct water services used to forecast a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
It has been decided to hold the next conference in Singapore and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Waterworks plans to seek applications for theses from its young officials.
*IWA is a global network of water professionals, spanning the continuum between research and practice and covering all facets of the water cycle. IWA is comprised of leading water professionals in science, research, technology and practice. There are 10,000 individual and 400 corporate members, spread across 130 countries. (Source: IWA website)
(2) From Hanoi: 窶櫓xchange Diplomacy,窶・an initiative being carried out by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam
2010 is a commemorative year for Hanoi as it marks the 1,000th anniversary of its establishment as the Vietnamese capital. To mark that occasion, we hear from Mr. Yasutaka Kuribayashi, who was dispatched from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is now posted at the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, as he tells us of the initiatives being undertaken by the embassy in Hanoi.
Performance of "Japanese traditional drum and Robot" in Hanoi
I am in charge of local governments' exchange projects, cultural projects and invitation projects at the embassy. This year (2010), it is exactly 1,000 years since 1010, when the founder of the Ly Dynasty, Emperor Ly Thai To, relocated the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (modern-day Hanoi), making this year the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi's establishment as the capital city of Vietnam. Hanoi is planning many events, such as carnivals and festivals. Exchanges on the local government level will be very active, seeing exchanges with especially Tokyo, the Japanese capital, Fukuoka Prefecture, Hanoi's sister city and Nara Prefecture, which is also commemorating the 1,300th anniversary of the relocation of the Japanese capital to Nara.
Vietnamese Students in Japan (JENESYS)
In addition, last year (2009) was the Mekong-Japan Exchange Year, which was set up with the aim of further expanding relations between Japan and the countries of the Mekong River region (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos), their relationship have rapidly deepened over recent years. Many cultural exchange events were held, and I was in charge of arranging and carrying out these events. When carrying out these events, many different organizations especially the private sector, offered their cooperation. I felt how much Japanese cultural diplomacy is supported by the people's passion for cultural exchanges.
Moreover, there are the invitational projects that Japan invites Vietnamese people to Japan. For example, Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS Programme) is the scheme that Japan invites almost 400 youths from Vietnam to Japan each year. JENESYS has exchange events such as home stays or school exchanges. It is a little off topic, last year, a Vietnamese girl who was invited to Japan contracted the H1N1 influenza and her condition became so serious as to require hospitalization in an emergency. Fortunately, the girl made a full recovery. I have heard that she changed her middle name to Nhat (the Vietnamese word for Japan) in appreciation of the medical treatment she underwent while in Japan.
These types of "Exchange Diplomacy" activities are indispensible for improving Japanese image and increasing the number of persons who like Japan.
Currently in Hanoi, there are flags draped out across the city to mark its 1,000th anniversary, a website to mark the 1,000th anniversary has been set up at http://www.1000namthanglonghanoi.vn/index.php (Vietnamese only), and an atmosphere of widespread interest can be seen. Amid that atmosphere, I want to continue trying daily to work for Japanese-Vietnamese friendship.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched a program to support students from Asian cities, aiming to promote high-level, cutting edge research activities that will solve various urban problems and ultimately lead to Asian prosperity. We recently interviewed two foreign students, Mr. Chen Chen from China and Mr. Chun Jiun Yang from Taiwan, and their supervisor, Prof. Toshiaki Isobe, who have just started a project entitled, "Development of Basic Proteomics Technologies for Advanced Medical Research".
●"Proteomics" is an emerging research area that will generate comprehensive pictures of the structures and functions of all proteins in human cells or tissues.
Development of Basic Proteomics Technologies for Advanced Medical Research
- Toward the development of effective pharmaceuticals for early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer-
Participating Research Members
Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University:
Center for Priority Areas, Tokyo Metropolitan University:
Masatsune Kainosho, Jee Jun Goo
Correspondent Professor Toshiaki Isobe, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Medical problems in an aging society have become major social issues throughout Europe, US, and Asia, especially in their largest cities, such as Tokyo, and require an urgent solution. One of the promising approaches, currently highlighted, is the search for new biomarkers by proteomics. Biomarkers are substances, such as proteins or glycans, produced only by diseased tissues or cells, and thus they are used as indicators for diagnoses. Many biomarkers are currently being used for the early diagnosis of serious diseases, such as various cancers, but many more useful substances exist, which can only be identified by the advanced technologies being developed in this project. Our technologies will facilitate an effective search for new drugs and preventative pharmaceuticals for diseases. We are hoping that our basic research will also contribute to reducing the overall costs of medical care. The financial issue of medical care is important for providing a solid social foundation guaranteeing that the residents of Tokyo will enjoy pleasant and healthy lives.
This research performed at the Graduate School of Science and Engineering gathers the resources of protein research (proteomics), nurtured for more than 50 years since it was part of Tokyo Metropolitan University, as well as human resources to develop cutting-edge technologies to search for biomarkers. It also aims to become a core research base for proteomics on an international level, including Asia. Within this environment, the school will also accept foreign students from Asia with the aim of developing the talented human resources who will lead Asia through the 21st century.
This research is a joint project led by six researchers from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Tokyo Metropolitan University and the Center for Priority Areas, which was founded within the university three years ago. Among the researchers, Isobe and Taoka use the cutting edge technology protein mass spectrometry, known as "proteomics", with the aim of developing a method to search for the specific ultramicro proteins (biomarkers) that are produced by cancerous tissue or cells and are not found in normal tissue.
Kainosho, Ito, Mishima and Jee are all specialists in protein structure analysis by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), known as 窶徭tructural biology窶・ and aim to establish the relationship between the proteins discovered as biomarkers and the structure and function (movements) of proteins that cause diseases, as well as to develop methods for the detailed analysis of matters such as reactions to pharmaceutical candidate compounds.
In particular, the Kainosho and Jee team, as the developers of an original protein analysis technology called SAIL (Stereo-Array Isotope Labeling Method), and the Ito and Mishima team, which developed the in-cell NMR method that enables direct observation of proteins in cells, are known throughout the world. The six researchers performing this work have each established fine records in the field of protein science, and their research results have been published in renowned academic journals, such as "Nature" magazine. In addition, by obtaining large-scale competitive research grants over a long period, from sources such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), their research has continued in a position that puts it at the leading edge on a global scale.
With the commencement of this research in the 2009 academic year, two foreign students were accepted from Asia. After graduating in 2004 from the biology faculty at National Tsinghua University, Taiwan's most famous university, Mr. Chun Jiun Yang obtained a master窶冱 degree in 2006 and began working as a research assistant at the Genomic Research Center High Field NMR Center at the Academia Sinica (Taiwan's central research institute) from January 2008. In the field of proteomics, Mr. Yang has used NMR to conduct three-dimensional structural analyses of proteins and the interactions between proteins and pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Chen Chen graduated from the medical faculty at Fudan University in Shanghai, one of China's highest-level universities, and completed his master's degree while working as a doctor at Huashan Hospital. Mr. Chen specializes in surgery, with a particular emphasis on microsurgery, such as laparoscopy (Note: this is reconstructive surgery used in procedures such as stitching together nerves that have been severed, or reattaching fingers), a field where he gained extensive clinical experience. Although he has little protein research experience, he has a strong interest in proteomics research to diagnose cancer, and applied to study at the Tokyo Metropolitan University. One major aim of this research is to obtain results that fall within the field of medicine, such as aids in the diagnosis of cancer. Therefore, accepting a student from overseas who is also a doctor with clinical experience, and forming an associated university agreement with the National Cancer Center Research Institute, which is at the center of Japanese cancer research, will promote this research and educate foreign students through cooperation between Tokyo Metropolitan University and the National Cancer Center Research Institute.
This research has a five year limit, but with each researcher working effectively in their particular field, it is intended to create results moving toward solving the medical problems facing the capital city of Tokyo, as well as contributing toward human resource training for the future generations of Asia. In addition, we hope this opportunity will enhance exchanges among the foreign students who are studying at the Tokyo Metropolitan University under the auspices of the Asian Human Network Fund.
From left : Mr. Chen, Dr. Isobe, Mr. Yang
Interview Mr. Chen Chen, overseas student from China
—Having been a clinical surgery physician in China, you must have taken part in many operations, but what prompted you to think of coming to Japan to do research?
Within my field of expertise, the reproduction of nerve cells is a major issue. Growth of human nerve cells is extremely slow and reproduction is very difficult, but if nerves can be reproduced quickly it would solve many different problems. That is why research needs to be performed from the particle level. On the other hand, tumor (cancer) cells grow extremely quickly, so I think that by performing fundamental research in this field, it may lead to discoveries that could be applicable within the nervous system in the future. As Japan is quite advanced in the field of proteomics research, I really wanted to study in Japan. In the future, I want to make use of my experiences in both the fields of clinical practice and research in my activities.
—What do you think of life in Tokyo?
Compared to when I was in Shanghai before, the price of food is about five times greater here. But in other areas, there is not a great deal of difference. There are even some areas where rent is cheaper than it is in Shanghai.
Learning the Japanese language is extremely important if you intend to study or perform research in Japan. In that regard, I think it is wonderful that Tokyo Metropolitan University offers free Japanese language classes. I took classes on Monday nights immediately after I arrived in Japan. However, I have not been able to attend many classes recently, because I have been so busy with my research.
—Yet, despite having only been in Japan for just five months, your Japanese is already very good. Do you have a message for anyone from overseas who may be thinking about coming to Tokyo to study?
For researchers, interacting with others on an international scale is important. Tokyo is a progressive, cosmopolitan city, so there is a lot to see and a lot to learn. In terms of communication, even if there are a few language difficulties, it is possible to communicate if you just show a little heart. I am an only child, but my parents supported my decision to come to Japan. The Internet has developed, so I can keep in touch with my family in China and I have Chinese friends here at Tokyo Metropolitan University. I am never lonely.
—If your parents came to Tokyo from China, where would you go?
I would take them either to Ginza, with its beautiful streets, or Mount Takao, where I went to see the colorful autumnal leaves the other day. They were both wonderful places that I would like to visit again.
Interview Mr. Chun Jiun Yang, overseas student from Taiwan
—What was it that led you to Tokyo Metropolitan University?
Taiwan is only a small island, and thus there are limits to the research environment there. Therefore, I wanted to do research in Japan, where the level in the field of biomedicine is very high. In addition, a former supervisor recommended that I study here. Japan is at the top level in the field of protein research. There are many famous teachers here, and I wanted to study at the Tokyo Metropolitan University because it has good research facilities. In addition, Professor Kainosho, who heads the team I currently belong to, gave a lecture at the Academia Sinica in 2004 and I attended that lecture.
—Has the research environment here met your expectations?
I am currently studying the structures and functions of proteins and performing research into methods of controlling the movement of proteins that cause illness, so I think that the research environment at Tokyo Metropolitan University in the field of proteomics is absolutely wonderful. At the Academia Sinica, research materials have to be used jointly with other research teams, so there are times when you have to wait before you can do things, but Tokyo Metropolitan University has cutting edge equipment of its own, and thus it is possible to perform research quickly and easily.
—Please tell us about your daily lifestyle.
I basically spend every day seeped in my research, but recently have also spent my weekends shopping at department stores and, because I really like electrical products, I always go to large electronics stores to check out the new products. Maybe I am a nerd. For scholarship students here under the Tokyo Metropolitan University's Asian Human Network Fund, there is a Resident Advisor system in place. A teacher lives in the same housing estate where foreign students are staying, and provides advice about such things as how to connect to the Internet, or how to put out rubbish, and is available for consultation regarding all sorts of things related to daily living. There are even times when we go out drinking with that teacher.
—Please tell us of what you plan to do after you have finished your research at Tokyo Metropolitan University.
If I have the chance, I would like to continue performing research in Japan. For instance, I think it would be great if I could work at the Independent Administrative Institution RIKEN. However, to be able to do that, I know I will have to improve my Japanese language skills. I am taking part in the one-and-a-half hour Japanese language classes offered on Wednesday nights at the Tokyo Metropolitan University, but my Japanese is still only at the kindergartener level.
—You have recently gotten married.
I had a wedding ceremony in Taiwan at the end of the year. My wife came to Japan in January, and we are now living together. The university helped us to find a place to live, so the environment is satisfying. My hobby is to go mountain climbing, so I would like to go to Mount Takao, and would also like to visit Hakone with my wife.
Conguratulation on your wedding!
Both of these overseas students are extremely talented individuals, and we have great expectations that they will become valuable human resources in the future. I hope that the research they perform while in Japan will become very fruitful.
