Regional Resource Assessment Laboratory (Kamoshita Laboratory)

I was invited to speak about my mentor at the Asian Library Café at UPARL. The mentor in question is Professor Ryuichi Ishii. I first met Professor Ishii in the fall of 1988, when I was a sophomore in college. I believe it was during the summer of 1988, before I had decided on my major, when I visited several laboratories in the Hongo and Yayoi campuses. I also visited laboratories in pharmacy and biochemistry, but the one that stands out in my memory is the Organic Chemistry Laboratory in the Department of Agricultural Chemistry within the Faculty of Agriculture, where I met Professor Kenji Mori. I also visited the Crop Science Laboratory in the Department of Agricultural Biology, but Professor Ishii was not there. As I later found out, he had been on a business trip to Africa, contracted malaria, and was taking a leave of absence. Despite not being able to meet Professor Ishii at the Crop Science Laboratory, I somehow ended up choosing that department, the Department of Agricultural Biology... It might have been due to my interest in applied science, or because I had worked part-time at a tourist farm in Gunma through a club, or perhaps because I was raised in the countryside of Tochigi. It might also have been related to the shock I felt when I heard about the Ethiopian famine when I was in junior high school. Encounters and guidance are mysterious, and there are parts that cannot be fully explained. I spent my third and fourth years as an undergraduate and my first and second years as a master's student in the Department of Agricultural Biology. Looking back, it wasn't a smooth path, and I wasn't solely focused on studying. When it came time to choose a research lab in my fourth year, Lab of Plant Breeding was popular at the time due to the biotechnology boom, but by the time I decided, all the spots were already filled. I also found Lab of Horticulture interesting, but for some reason, I chose Lab of Crop Science. It might have been because I found Professor Ishii's lectures in my third-year fascinating, or perhaps I felt it was an important field of study. In hindsight, when I told my uncle (Dr Katsuzo Kamoshita, now deceased), who worked in pesticide development at Sumitomo Chemical, that I had chosen the Crop Science Laboratory, he said he thought crop science was the “royal road.” The relationship between crop science and plant breeding would continue to be central to my research. Now, returning to the present, when I reflect on myself as an undergraduate and graduate student, I no longer feel the urge to impose restrictions on today's students. At the time, the Crop Science Laboratory had two assistant professors, Dr. Haruto Sasaki (deceased) and Dr. Ryo Ito (deceased), an associate professor, Dr. Tohru Yamagishi, and Dr. Ryuichi Ishii, who became a professor in the Crop Science Laboratory in 1987. There were also many doctoral and master's students. Now, I would like to look at the words and writings left behind by Prof. Ryuichi Ishii. * “Will there be a food shortage?” (World Agriculture and Forestry, 1998) • “The Possibility of Improving Food Self-Sufficiency in Our Country” (Academic Trends, 2001) • “Can Humans Give Up Meat Consumption?” From the Perspective of Crop Science (Journal of the Society for the Study of Human-Animal Relations, 2003) • “Agricultural Conditions in North Korea” (Agriculture, 2004) • “My Journey to Becoming a Researcher: A Life in Research That Began and Ended in the Rice Fields” (Academic Trends, 2005) * “Can the Slow Life Be Realized?” (Agriculture 2005) * “Language Education in Agricultural Faculties” (Agriculture 2007) * “Rice Cultivation Support in Africa and the Training of Field Researchers” (Agriculture 2008) * “What Should Agricultural Education in Japanese Universities Be Like?—Now Is the Time for Discussion” (Agriculture 2010) These works provide insight into Professor Ishii's practical approach and thinking regarding the mission of agricultural science and crop science—food production—and agricultural education. Saving society from hunger and supplying food to meet population growth have been major missions of crop science. Expanding this to the broader mission of agricultural science as a whole, it becomes the enhancement of biological production. The importance of this mission remains relevant today when viewed from a global perspective. The world's population continues to grow, with the global population expected to peak at 10.29 billion in 2084. With the world population estimated at 8.2 billion in 2025, approximately 2 billion people will be added over the next 60 years. This growth will occur primarily in Africa and Asia. As a social challenge, there is a pressing need to strengthen biological productivity, including food production, and Professor Ishii has sincerely sought answers to this challenge as an academic. Economic growth has also led to an increase in the consumption of animal protein, which further exacerbates population pressure. However, since the 1960s and 1970s, Japan has been a country that imports food and exports industrial products. As a result, food self-sufficiency has declined, and the relative importance of agriculture in terms of economic production and the number of the engaged workers has also decreased. Professor Ishii told me that this situation (decline in food self-sufficiency) was a choice made by Japan as a nation. While acknowledging these social changes as facts, Professor Ishii seemed to question such policies and social changes and sought to envision a future. Professor Ishii had a keen understanding of both the situation in Japan and the realities of the world. His perspective and actions toward Africa and North Korea were far ahead of the Japanese public opinion. From the 1990s, he also gave intensive lectures at three universities in China (Nanjing Agricultural University, Jilin Agricultural University, and China Agricultural University). He had an open perspective and activities that extended beyond Japan's borders. At the same time, he never forgot to question the Japanese society that had grown seemingly prosperous through the development of science and technology and high-tech industries from the latter half of the 20th century to the 21st century, from the perspective of agricultural science. With questions such as “Is it possible to improve food self-sufficiency?” and “Can a slow-life lifestyle be realized?”, he led research and education in agricultural science. He wrote many editorials in “Agriculture,” the magazine of the Dai-Nippon Agricultural Association, which is said to be the oldest magazine in Japan, founded in 1881. Professor Ishii had a deep passion for agriculture. Additionally, there are many people suffering from malnutrition and starvation, with an estimated 733 million people worldwide in 2023, according to a United Nations report. This represents one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa. There is an urgent need to develop smart systems to ensure food reaches those who need it. Furthermore, issues such as excessive nutrient intake and obesity coexist with problems like anorexia, creating a diverse array of challenges surrounding food. There are also issues such as food waste and a shortage of people involved in food production. The terms “sustainability” have become widely known, and harmony with the environment is also considered another important pillar. Recently, there is also the term “GX” (green transformation), which emphasizes the need for transformation. Society as a whole is striving to shift to production methods that reduce environmental impact, regardless of the industry types. I would like to conclude my remarks. Professor Ishii called me “Kamoshita-kun.” He gave me a lot of advice. I also consulted with him on various matters. There were many times when I rushed ahead without noticing his consideration. That was the folly of youth. It has been 15 years since Professor Ishii passed away. Even now, while working, I sometimes wonder what he would have said if I had asked him something. I don't remember him ever saying, “You must do this!” He did not restrict the freedom of his juniors but instead highlighted their strengths. His guidance, marked by a deep sense of generosity and kindness, has left a lasting impression on me. He was a humble person. At the Asian Library Café (August 6, 2025, 12:15–13:45), I would like to share the story of Prof Ryuichi Ishii. I would also address his mother, Ms. Maruoka Hideko. I also hope to convey the appeal of agricultural science and bioresource and environmental sciences. Although not mentioned in this article, I would like to write about population and food from a different perspective, drawing insights from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). I also wish to explore how the mission of agricultural science appears to evolve with the times, while certain aspects remain unchanged. (July 10, 2025)