We have received news of the passing of Professor Katsumori Matsushima, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Director of the Institute for Panoramic Engineering. It is saddening.

Professor Matsushima has been one of my mentors since my undergraduate days.

While I was conducting experiments for my thesis, I was asked to help with a project on “Holistic Engineering” led by Professor Matsushima.

I hear that the MIT Media Lab and the University of Tokyo’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Program are holding a joint symposium.

We hadn't really had much contact up until then, but I suppose it was because I had announced that I was going to the MIT Media Lab after graduation.

I get to earn money from my part-time job while interacting with the director and faculty members of the Media Lab. What a wonderful job this is! I’ll do anything! Of course, I said yes right away.

Professor Matsushima was working on various industry-academia collaboration projects with Professor Hiroshi Komiyama, who was the dean of the School of Engineering at the time.

Dean Komiyama of the School of Engineering made the Knowledge Structuring Project a key initiative and was appointed president four years later.

It was also through Professor Matsushima that I first met Professor Hiroshi Komiyama.

Although they were professors from different labs—and, in fact, different departments—

Since starting my career, I have come to rely on both of you even more.

After I graduated, you were always there for me in so many ways.

"Anyway, let's get this going!" Professor Matsushima's greetings were always a bit casual. He was a boisterous guy, after all.

In every case, it wasn’t until I received an explanation from the secretariat at a later date that I finally understood the full picture, but,

The assignments from Professor Matsushima always led me in unexpected directions. That’s why I liked them.

"No, you can't just get caught up in what's right in front of you. You have to be more aggressive. You have to aim for bigger things."

He always used to say that whenever we met.

Although I haven’t quite lived up to my students’ expectations, I’ll keep working hard with the “Matsushima Spirit” in my heart.

Thank you very much.