Niigata University

Ken'ichi Ohtsubo

Born in Oita, I moved almost immediately to Meguro, Tokyo. I was a mischievous child. Grown up in the countryside area, so I did the usual things like playing 3-base baseball with friends everyday. We moved to Kawagoe, Saitama when I was in the upper elementary. Though I was mischievous, I was band all through elementary, middle and high school and, during those years, I had dreams of being an astronomer who gazed at stars all the time. I was more interested in biology than physics, so I followed the path of Department of Biochemistry of the Faculty of Science (using physical chemistry to identify living things).
Before joining Niigata University recently, I worked for many years at the National Food Research Institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, so I was involved with protecting farming in Japan and ensuring food safety. At that time, because rice was a particularly important source of energy for the Japanese people, I was very worried about the year-on-year decline in consumption. With livestock production on the rise, we needed academic evidence that correctly evaluated the quality and bio-functionality of grains like rice. I continued my research also on the belief that Japan needed to increase consumption of rice by clarifying its merits and, thereby, increase its self-sufficiency in food. Recently, joint research by industry, government and academia has picked up and we have entered an age where the progress with processing technologies that capitalize on new quality rice and so forth is leading to the development of new food uses and prevention of various diseases. I personally am hoping that this form of regional cooperation beyond the boundaries of government and business will grow strongly from here out and serve as the driving force of new business development for small and medium size food businesses. Food is not just an issue for Japan but a serious topic that the entire world must address with a sense of risk.
I hope that this symposium creates opportunities for researchers in differing fields to collaborate in developing food research beyond Japan to Asia and the rest of world in the interest of making social and international contributions.

Hobbies:	Sandlot baseball, shogi chess sometimes...
In Wakayama:	I want to encounter Japan's culinary roots (dried plums, dried bonito, miso, soy sauce, etc.).