ー It’s uncommon for young people, especially students, to be interested in Nishikigoi. What motivated you to get involved with Nishikigoi and its industry?

Masayuki: I heard about the Research Centre for Nishikigoi in Professor Hasegawa’s class last year, but I did not pay attention to it then. However, when I was assigned to Associate Professor Sakata’s lab, I learned that Yamakoshi is the birthplace of Nishikigoi, and this connected with what I had heard about the Research Centre for Nishikigoi in class. If you want to research Nishikigoi, having such a foundation makes it easier to conduct studies and provides fresh information. It seemed like an exciting area to explore, which sparked my interest in Nishikigoi.

Yuki: Similarly, when I heard about Nishikigoi in Professor Hasegawa’s class, I felt his passion. I saw a promotional video for the Research Centre for Nishikigoi when I joined Associate Professor Sakata’s lab. This video sparked my interest in the beauty of Nishikigoi. I realised that it is unique to find something that is both a living creature and a piece of art, which inspired me to choose it as my research theme.

ー I hope to encourage students to view the Nishikigoi industry from their perspective and share their opinions. Diverse viewpoints would benefit the industry, so I would like to see more interest among young people.

Masayuki: Incidentally, there’s a space in the university’s convenience store where students gather. While hanging out with friends, we saw Professor Hasegawa’s promotional video playing. Some of my friends also became interested after shared my involvement in the research. They started asking me to tell them more about it. So, I believe that little by little, awareness of Nishikigoi might be spread through the promotional video.

ー It seems that the promotional video is quite well-received!

Hideo: I had been thinking that a promotional video would be great for helping raise awareness of the Research Centre for Nishikigoi’s activities among both internal and external audiences. Then, officials from Ojiya City visited Niigata University and provided materials for the video during their visit. We included photos of Associate Professor Sakata, who is active in Yamakoshi and released the first Research Centre for Nishikigoi promotion on the large monitors on campus. Actually, I didn’t know it was also playing in the convenience store.

ー It’s very effective to play such videos in convenience stores close to students. As your activities grow in the future, I hope that the Research Centre for Nishikigoi will continue its interest in Nishikigoi and the younger generations. Thank you very much for today.