“The key to success is failure and effort.”
Contributing to solving environmental problems through engineering and inner strength.
Environmental Protection Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
Kazuki Tonouchi
Methane in space has garnered attention, and using methane as a lead in solving environmental problems.
Mars and the largest moon of Saturn, Titan. These two are connected by the hope that life exists on them. The key to this is methane. While it can be artificially generated, most methane is synthesized in nature by methane-producing archaea. In other words, it is believed that just like on Earth, methane-producing archaea may exist on Titan and/or Mars, and that, as an extension of this, life may also exist. At present, methane is being given a lot of attention as a key to solving environmental problems. Kazuki Tonouchi, a student of the Graduate School of Engineering of Tohoku University, is one of those tackling the ever-increasing waste problems and energy issues from an engineering standpoint. As a graduate student, he is building on the work he did on methane fermentation during his time as an undergrad at the School of Engineering of Tohoku University. He believes the results of his research have the potential to contribute to solving environmental problems. It has been more than ten years since he first acquired an interest in the environment as an elementary school student. He has had to overcome many challenges and has faced difficulties along the way. There was resistance, there were setbacks, he sometimes felt he regretted choosing the path he was on. There were times when he felt like giving it all up. However, he overcame the hardships, and has learned to transform even the tough times into positive experiences as he forges ahead. What is behind the driving force that propels him forward?
A long-standing interest in the environment, and his first huge setback.
It all started in a research class that he took during his elementary school days. In a class with an environment theme, Mr. Tonouchi shared a creative solution to an environmental problem with his teacher and fellow pupils. It was a time when environmental problems were worsening; and efforts to develop an awareness of the importance of co-existing with nature had started with both children and adults in mind. His presentation impressed his friends and teachers. He says, “I was happy when they said that my ideas were interesting. Ever since then, I've had an interest in environmental problems.” When he entered junior high school, he started going to a cram school at the insistence of his parents. While his friends were throwing themselves into after-school activities, there were times when he was frustrated with not being able to do the things he wanted to do. He kept telling himself that going to the cram school was necessary to get into a good high school, but he always felt down. “I did manage to get into a good high school, but my passion for volleyball did not abate. Against the advice of my parents, I decided to give my all to playing volleyball in the school club during high school,” he adds. Volleyball became the center of his world and took up almost all his energy. When he studied, it was right before tests. When he took the entrance exam for the university he wanted to attend, he failed. He didn’t take entrance exams for any other universities, and so he decided to use the next year to study for the entrance exam in the following year. This was a major setback for him.
Encouraged by his friends and his seniors at high school who got into university ahead of him, he applied to Tohoku University.
The only university he wanted to go to was Tohoku University. He says, “Ever since I found out that there was a laboratory that focused on the environment at Tohoku University, I wanted to go there. Because it is a national university, my parents wouldn't be as burdened with tuition, and I also heard from my friends and seniors at high school who got into Tohoku University that it was a really good place. Moreover, the extensive research facilities that can only be found at a national university were very attractive to me.” However, Mr. Tonouchi was born and raised in Saitama. His parents suggested that he attend a university in the Tokyo area. Ever since he decided to dedicate an entire year to study for the entrance exam, he himself could not make up his mind where to go. Was Tohoku University really the place for him? Was it so important to get into Tohoku University that he should dedicate an entire year of his life to studying just to get into this university? As he studied, these questions kept playing on his mind. He explains his final decision: “In the end, I decided to take the entrance exams of some private universities as well, but I decided that Tohoku University was the university I wanted to attend after all. I thought that Tohoku University, with its extensive facilities, was the best place for conducting the research on environmental problems that I've always wanted to do. My friends who were studying at Tohoku University ahead of me seemed to be enjoying themselves, and seeing them balancing both studies and other activities was probably what encouraged me.” He passed the entrance exam on his second attempt. Leaving his hometown of Saitama, he began a new stage in his life, living by himself in Sendai.
Environmental Protection Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
Kazuki Tonouchi
Graduated from Saitama Prefectural Urawa High School in 2010. Entered the Water and Environmental Studies, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Engineering, Tohoku University in 2011. Was assigned to a laboratory in his senior year after learning the basics of architecture and civil engineering. His research and his undergraduate thesis, titled “The Reduction and Energy Recovery of Mixed Food Waste through Methane Fermentation” was highly evaluated. Continuing his studies at the Graduate School of Engineering of Tohoku University, starting from 2015. He is assigned to the Environmental Protection Engineering laboratory, and is involved in research about environmental protection and energy, including methane fermentation. After graduating, he would like to work in a company involved in the environmental and energy fields.