Kobe, the international port city, has an over 150 year-long history since opening its port to foreign trade in the Meiji era. Once a foreign settlement that sprawled along the coastline, at the time of its reopening for Japanese residents, it was praised as being the most beautiful city in all the East. Kobe continues to both deepen and broaden its connections to the world to this day, and international charter flights from Kobe Airport commence service just in time for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. We asked Project Associate Professor KOSHIRO Kaoru of the Center for Computational Social Science and the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration, an expert on the history of modern architecture and modern cities and who has organized walk events around Kobe as a part of his research, to speak about the origins of the city of Kobe, the history of the buildings scattered around the city, and its future. 

When we assign work or chores in social units like our workplaces and households, feelings of unfairness are inevitable. While we hope to keep things fair, this can sometimes be difficult to achieve, and we often find ourselves caught in terrible dilemmas. Graduate School of Humanities Assistant Professor THAM Yukari Jessica has been conducting research on the “volunteer’s dilemma,” receiving awards such as the 12th JSPS Ikushi Prize and the 2025 Maenosono Memorial Award for Young Researchers for her paper on feelings of unfairness in work delegation. We asked her about the fundamentals of unfairness, how we can resolve these feelings, the relationship between fairness and well-being, as well as the results of her research and their implications for society.

An animal ecologist researching large marine animals such as whales and dolphins, Assistant Professor IWATA Takashi of the Graduate School of Maritime Sciences has performed surveys in oceans across the world. By using a method known as “biologging,” which involves attaching various recording instruments to animals in order to collect data, Iwata is working to elucidate the activity and surrounding environment of mysterious marine life. In recent years, he has also focused on surveying endangered finless porpoises native to nearby Osaka Bay. We sat down with Iwata to learn more about the current state of the oceans revealed through his research, as well as problems facing ecosystem conservation.

Using biofeedback and gamification, the solution teaches emotional self-regulation strategies to child patients with disorders such as ADHD and ASD.

Research on using Marchantia polymorpha, commonly known as liverwort, a plant closely related to moss, for food and as an ingredient in medicine and supplements is being conducted at Kobe University. Not only can liverwort be cultivated quickly and in large amounts, it’s also very nutritious, a trait which has gathered attention as the space food of the future. As its genes can be easily manipulated in experiments, liverwort also shows great potential to be used to produce various useful substances. At the center of this research is Professor ISHIZAKI Kimitsune of the Graduate School of Science. He told us more about the hidden potential of liverwort and its future industrial applications.

The term “well-being” has become widely used as a term to express favorable conditions physically, mentally and socially. However, it’s a broad concept, with a wide range of related research fields. In 2022, Kobe University created the Office for Promoting Well-being, a university-wide organization that promotes research, education and regional partnerships, and established the Advanced Research Center for Well-being, which serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research activity. What is the center aiming to achieve, and what kind of activity is being performed there? We asked Professor KATAGIRI Keiko, director of the center and expert in social gerontology and social psychology, about the current state and future prospects of this research.

Freshwater carbon — CO₂ that has been absorbed and accumulated in fresh water areas like lakes and reservoirs — is receiving attention for its potential contributions to achieving a carbon neutral society. Kobe University is a hub for freshwater carbon research, with Graduate School of Engineering Professor NAKAYAMA Keisuke, an expert in aquatic and environmental engineering, at the forefront. Relatively unexplored when compared to the “blue carbon” absorbed by the oceans, Nakayama realized the potential of freshwater carbon and has conducted surveys both in Japan and around the world. Also known for his research on the marimo algae balls in Hokkaido’s Lake Akan, Nakayama told us about the current state and results of his freshwater carbon research.

Minna Purokivi was appointed as Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Eastern Finland this January. Her research group focuses, in particular, on interstitial lung diseases (ILD), such as connective tissue disease-associated ILD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, in which the cause of the disease is unknown. The group aims to advance the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of these diseases. Their research has provided insight into the safety and diagnostic accuracy of cryobiopsy, which has become increasingly widespread as a method for obtaining lung tissue samples.

Despite the well-documented academic, cognitive, and social difficulties associated with persistent language disorders, predicting early-life language issues remains a significant challenge for researchers and clinicians. Using acoustic equipment and an advanced optical motion capture system to record facial movement, URI Communicative Disorders Assistant Professor Marc Maffei aims to improve outcomes for children with early language delays.