My favorite phrase: The summer of Nihon Bunri [High School] is not over yet.

Q: Why did you choose this phrase?

Since my older son started playing youth baseball about 10 years ago, I have been on the field as a coach and umpire on weekends, and cheering for my children's games after my younger son became a junior high school student. In both baseball and research, I believe that what is important is not the result of the moment, but to never give up until the end in pursuit of your goal. As a symbol of this, I chose the famous broadcast phrase of the 2009 summer Koshien final game, which has remained in baseball history.

Q: What is your research topic?

I am conducting archeological research on ancient Greek civilization, especially on the cultural exchange between Greece and Egypt in the Eastern Mediterranean based on the results of my field research in Egypt. I am also interested in the relationship between the environment and people's lives in Greece, and am working on translating Pausanias's "Description of Greece" into Japanese, which was written nearly 2,000 years ago while he was visiting various parts of Greece.

Q: What will this research enable us to do?

Research on ancient Greek civilization has traditionally been conducted within the framework of "classical studies" in the West, and a vast volume of results has been accumulated. However, if we introduce perspectives that are completely absent from "classical studies," such as the methodology of prehistoric archeology, which is commonly used in Japan, or comparisons with the ancient civilizations of Egypt and other parts of West Asia, untapped areas of research are evident. By using these methods, it will be possible to not only renew the study of ancient Greek history, but also to further relativize Japanese culture.

Q: How did you embark on this research?

I have been interested in archeology since I was a child, and although I entered an archeology laboratory at university, I could not become comfortable with the conventional Japanese archeological research style. Thus, I had to search for opportunities abroad, and spent four years in Athens as a scholarship student of the Greek government. While visiting various archeological sites and excavations with Greek students, I became fascinated with the world of Greece, which was the starting point of my research. Later, by chance, I began to participate in annual surveys in Egypt, which gave me the opportunity to work in the new field of Hellenistic studies.

Q: When do you realize that research is interesting or rewarding?

I get excited when I encounter unexpected and unknown historical materials in the field, or when I am able to derive new discoveries from those materials. Nothing beats the thrill of seeing vivid data that no one else worldwide has yet found. In this respect, there is probably no difference between the humanities and sciences.

Q: Do you sometimes feel you might surrender to the research challenge?

When I feel stuck in my research, I often go to bed early and wake up at dawn with new ideas. Also, when something goes wrong, I feel better when I hit some balls at the batting center.

Q: Please tell us about an experience that you can only talk about now.

When I was a student, I was passionate about the flute, and the orchestra was everything to me. My dream of becoming a flutist did not materialize, but I married a flutist, and here I am.

Q: What are your goals and ambitions for the future?

Starting this year, I will be taking on the important position of Director of the Institute for Advanced Study, and I would like to further promote basic research at Nagoya University, especially in the humanities and social sciences.