Introduction
On 18th – 27th May 2025, 16 of our scholars and Ms Lee embarked on an unforgettable Overseas Learning Trip to Osaka and Kyoto, Japan. From meaningful classroom exchanges to ancient temples and bustling cityscapes, the trip offered our scholars a chance to broaden our horizons and bask in the rich Japanese culture. Take a trip down memory lane with us as we share the highlights from our time in Japan!
Day 2
Upon landing in Osaka, we headed to Dotonbori for a hearty dinner and rested up for the exciting week ahead. We started our second day bright and early at Osaka University (OU) Toyonaka campus.
We were welcomed by Mr Uchihira, who served as our guide during our time in OU. He showed us a depiction of a crocodile fossil found in Toyonaka campus. He shared that Dr. Wani, a cartoon crocodile holding every doctoral degree, was the university’s mascot. Professor Matsumoto and Professor Akai gave us our first lecture on Material Intelligence, where we learnt about neuromorphic computation by molecular networks, before we visited the Institute for Advanced Mass Spectrometry Research. Professor Toyoda and his research group introduced their work, which was focused on developing portable mass spectrometers which could be used for on-the-field analysis. We were also presented with small-scale models of the mass spectrometers which were really fascinating to see!
Afterwards, we queued with the Japanese students in the cafeteria, where we tasted restaurant-quality food at very affordable prices. After lunch, we were introduced to the design of supramolecular materials by Professor Takashim, who gave us samples of self-repairing polymers to fiddle with. It was a one-of-a-kind experience playing with materials that could heal themselves after being stretched or cut.
Day 3
The next day, we were hosted by OU’s Graduate School of Science, Department of Chemistry, where we were welcomed by Professor Kasamatsu. Here, we visited five different laboratories, spanning Radiochemistry, Functional Molecules and Materials, Coordination Chemistry, Surface Chemistry, and lastly Quantum Chemistry. Some research topics that were shared included catalysis using gold nanoparticles and studies on radioactive isotopes and heavy elements.
We learnt that most of the experiments by the Radiochemistry department are conducted in specialised facilities housing expensive equipment and dangerous samples, separate from the labs in the Toyonaka campus, which are mostly computational or involving data processing.
For lunch, we were led to a different cafeteria, one that specialises in Japanese curry sets. After a delicious meal, we gathered in the international students’ lounge and received an introductory speech and sharing from Professor Kondo (Dean of the Graduate School of Science) and Professor Funahashi about the graduate programmes available at OU.
We were also delighted to hear about the Science Buddy program from the graduate students, where international or exchange students could join the club and engage in cultural exchange and bond with the Japanese students, piquing the interest of some of our scholars considering OU as their potential destination for further studies! We ended our day with a quick sharing by our Trip IC, Cadee, about the CN Yang Scholars Programme, and a short campus tour led by the friendly international students at OU.
Day 4
The third day of school visits brought us to a new location – OU’s Suita campus. Greeted by Professor Atsushi Nakagawa, we began our tour with an introduction to the Institute for Protein Research. Following that, we were split into three groups to visit their state-of-the-art facilities, such as the Cryo-EM, which allows extremely small particles, such as viruses, to be observed. We were also introduced to their NMR machines, including a room dedicated to a self-developed solid-state NMR machine!
The surprises did not end there. We headed to the Research Center for Nuclear Physics, where Professor Takashi Nakano gave us an introduction to the facility, as well as the experiments conducted there. Then, we were led into their control room, before heading down countless flights of stairs and winding corridors to reveal the massive ring cyclotron where the experiments occur. All of us were in awe of the sheer scale of the instrument, fascinated as we gained deeper insight into its operation.
After a quick lunch, we visited our final stop of the day – the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, where Professor Tetsuro Hirose gave us a lecture on the importance of long, non-coding RNA. The day ended with visits to their laboratories, where we had the opportunity to see various types of microscopes and witness them in action!
Day 5
Day 5 saw us back at the Toyonaka campus, where we were introduced by Professor Furutani and given an introduction to their Biological Science programmes, followed by five presentations from various professors about their research, ranging from plant vascular systems to developmental biology using frog embryos. This was followed by a visit to their laboratories, where we got to see the day-to-day lives of researchers, as well as the experiments that they conduct. Animal researchers working with frogs had their laboratories filled with tanks of frogs in various stages of their life cycles – from tadpoles to fully grown adults!
Lunch was at the school cafeteria, before we headed back for a seminar by Professor Lance Davidson, a visiting professor from the University of Pittsburgh, who shared with us his experience of researching biomechanics of morphogenesis, providing an in-depth overview of how cytoskeletons and the extra-cellular matrix contribute to tissue mechanics and force generation during morphogenesis.
Day 6
On the first day of our official RnR, some of our scholars travelled to the outskirts of Kyoto to embark on a fun day adventure. At the crack of dawn, we made our way to Kurama, a countryside town, where we headed on a mountain trail crossing Mount Kurama to reach Kifune. The view from atop Mount Kurama was simply breathtaking, and being at eye-level with the peak of a neighbouring mountain felt unreal. After crossing Mount Kurama to reach Kifune, some of our scholars decided to have a decadent traditional Japanese set meal at one of the local restaurants in the town.
Another group of us got off at the wrong stop on the way to Mount Kurama, but ended up at the base of an equally magnificent mountain, Mount Hiei! We rode the Eizan Cable Car, which boasts the steepest vertical climb in Japan, followed by a ropeway that led us to the summit of Mount Hiei. We soaked in the picturesque views of Kyoto while thoroughly enjoying the significantly colder temperatures before trekking to the famous Enryakuji temple. Before heading back down, we had a delicious bowl of vegetarian soba at the temple’s restaurant, as well as a bowl of traditional matcha served with warabimochi.
As for dinner, several of our scholars reconvened at the famous Gion district, where they chowed down on delicious bowls of ramen and tonkatsu. After which, they made their way to the iconic Pokémon Center in Kyoto, the real-life region which inspired the Johto region in the games.
Day 7
On the second day of our official RnR, some of our scholars had booked buses to ferry them from central Kyoto to Amanohashidate, a sandbar in the northern Kyoto Prefecture. Despite the light rain, our scholars had an incredible beach day. In fact, due to the light rain, our scholars got to observe the formation of low-lying clouds!
Amanohashidate was extremely beautiful and scenic, picturesque even. Even wild jellyfish were spotted! After crossing the sandbar, some of our scholars opted to take the chairlift up to the observation deck for an aerial view of the sandbar. It is said that when you bend over and look in between your legs, the sandbar resembles a dragon in the sky, we took our chance to test this out!
Our scholars then went on a boat ride in Ine, where they had a tour of the charming fishing village with its distinct boat houses, complete with a cinematic scene of racing seagulls chasing after the boat.
Day 8
On the official RnR, some of our scholars went on a little trip to Arashiyama, the iconic bamboo forest of Kyoto. Our scholars went on a relaxing walk through the bamboo forest, where the rustling of leaves and the swaying of the bamboo transported our worries away, albeit momentarily. On the way to a nearby town from the bamboo forest, our scholars tried skipping rocks across a river. Eventually, our scholars reached the town where they had a scrumptious meal and did some shopping.
Later in the day, some of our scholars indulged in their hobbies and went for a sake tasting session at Fushimi. At the end of the day, some of our scholars reconvened at the Kyoto train station to have dinner.
Day 9
On Day 9, we arrived at our second university for the trip, Kyoto University (KU). We were welcomed by the staff and professors from the Institute for Chemical Research (ICR). The day started with a brief introduction about the history of KU and the ICR by Professor Ohki, in which we learnt that the university has produced 11 Nobel Laureates and numerous other recipients of awards such as the Fields Medal and Gauss Prize. Following that, our Trip IC Yi Hao gave a quick sharing about the CN Yang Scholars Programme.
We were then greeted by staff from KU’s Admissions Office and Dr Pal Singh, a former MEXT scholar, who shared about the study programmes and scholarships available for international students interested in joining the school. After the series of sharings, we were joined by some international students at the ICR. Our scholars and the students were given the opportunity to network with each other over some coffee and snacks kindly provided by the university staff.
After the lovely coffee break, our scholars were then invited to visit three different laboratories at the ICR. Professor Uesugi gave us a brief tour of the Chemical Biology labs, which featured a unique layout in which both chemical synthesis and molecular work were conducted within the same laboratory space. After which, Professor Wakamiya showed us the facility where novel materials for organic electronics, such as OLED and solar cells, are synthesized and tested. Lastly, we met Professor Ogata, who introduced the use of bioinformatics in aquatic microbial ecology research. We also had the chance to see the ICR’s very own supercomputer, which contributes to the development of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), which boasts over 100,000 accesses per day.
At the end, we snapped a quick photo with all the students and staff present to commemorate our incredibly rewarding day at Kyoto University.
Conclusion
With that, we were approaching the end of our trip. Some of our scholars woke up at the break of dawn for some last-minute adventures at Fushimi Inari Taisha, others ventured back to Osaka and some preferred spending their last day calm and carefree before the responsibilities of M&T struck.
We watched the sun set on the train back to Kansai International Airport, reminiscing about the already nostalgic trip with our friends. Most of us then proceeded to sleep the entire flight back to Singapore. Upon our arrival in Singapore, we were all still tired yet content with the fun and educational experience to mark the start of the end of our time as Year 1s.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to Osaka University’s Graduate School of Science, Forefront Research Center, Institute for Protein Research, Research Center for Nuclear Physics, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, and Kyoto University’s Institute for Chemical Research for being such welcoming hosts and making our trip a fruitful and unforgettable one.
We would also like to thank Ms Lee for her companionship and being a motherly figure to us on this trip. (We hope you enjoyed Japan as much as we did Ms Lee!) Lastly, this trip would not have been possible without the kind support of the CNYSO. We are extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity and it will definitely be an experience that we cherish for a long time.