“Metal” is the foundation of all industries, but its depletion is expected to occur much sooner than expected.

We are trying to develop resource separation and refining technology with an innovative idea in order to convert the currently discarded low-grade ore and refractory ore into usable resources. In addition, while ” natural metal resources” are depleted, valuable metals contained in “urban mine wastes” continue to accumulate in society. The technology to recycle those as secondary ground resources is the cornerstone of a sustainable metal resource supply. Moreover, mining involves pollution of the global environment. It is our obligation to take responsibility for the remediation of environmental pollution to the end.

We are taking on the challenge of developing new resource processing and environmental remediation technologies on a daily basis, based on flexible cross-disciplinary ideas that are not bound by existing concepts. Each of the students, who play a leading role in the laboratory, constantly takes on new challenges, sometimes worries, and grows greatly through the life of the laboratory. Eventually, they take off into society with that experiences and skills. We are all proud to watch over them.

Our laboratory values are teamwork and communication, and our motto is to switch between learning and playing on and off and to spend a fulfilling time. Why don’t you learn with us?

In Press

Have you ever considered how many more years you can use electronic devices, such as mobile phones, that you take for granted? Due to the depletion of metal resources, it is estimated that we may only be able to use mobile phones for a few more decades. Did you know that? Alongside issues like energy and carbon dioxide emissions, the depletion of metal resources is a challenge that humanity must urgently address. However, this sense of crisis seems to have not yet permeated society.

We are researching the sustainable supply of metal resources to support the foundation of such a society behind the scenes. Our focus is not limited to traditional land-based mines. We are expanding our scope to urban mines and deep-sea resources, aiming to circulate all metal resources existing on Earth.

Our methods are incredibly diverse, encompassing chemistry, physics, and biology—anything that can be utilized. This means there is a lot to study, but those who acquire high-level comprehensive engineering skills in this laboratory will become indispensable in any society.

If you want to use metal resources to contribute to the Earth and to humanity’s future, please join our laboratory.

Our laboratory has a very homely atmosphere, and we work together in strong unity. Under such circumstances, I enjoy being able to support my teammates every day. I can see freshmen entering the laboratory are initially passive, but by the time they graduate, they actively discuss their research with all researchers and make excellent presentations in English at international conferences. Seeing them lead the lab and teach juniors, I am very proud of them and very confident in the power of young students.

Why don’t you work hard together in this laboratory, where you can expect to grow greatly in the last few years of your student life before entering society?

Hello everyone! I am a 2nd-year master’s graduate student in this laboratory. I am developing a low-cost and environmentally friendly rare metal recycling method by using microorganisms and wastes. In this laboratory, we conduct various research to solve environmental and resource processing problems using new technologies from chemistry and biology, and it is very rewarding to work on those. In addition, half of the laboratory members are foreigners, and it is fun to work with them. Of course, proceeding with research is not always easy, and you may face many difficult situations. It can be pretty tough sometimes. However, supporting each other with my teammates makes my days enjoyable in the laboratory.

If you are interested in the world of research, please come and look at our laboratory.

The attractive point of our laboratory is the environment where all the lab members can work together on various things. It goes without saying that research can be done at the cutting edge of the field.

By communicating with international students and researchers in English, discussing daily from advancing research to a casual conversation, and spending time together for many activities, I can learn about cultural differences and diverse ways of thinking about various countries. I would say I can grow significantly as a person. If you are interested in this laboratory, don’t hesitate to knock on the door!

Life in the laboratory was fulfilling, thanks to teachers, seniors, peers, and juniors. I think that I was blessed with the members of the laboratory and grew up as a “person” through laboratory life, which consisted of the main business, “research,” and the side business, “recreation.”

My teacher gave me seeds of the real thrill of research. At first, I started from a place where I didn’t understand it well, but while having various people teach me, I got an idea of how to proceed and grow the seeds while making many mistakes. It was a lot of fun to sprout and grow them. Focusing on growing seeds all the time can be too much, both physically and mentally, so I took a good break, planned recreational activities, and refreshed myself, which I couldn’t do without the teammates around me.

Generally speaking, the research themes you have worked on at university would rarely be directly helpful after entering society. The skill that should be acquired in the laboratory is, I believe, the ability to overcome difficulties. This laboratory gave me an environment where I could learn it well. I am proud to have learned here.

First and foremost, the attractive point of this laboratory is that you can acquire the “basic rules” for conducting research. I myself now carry out research activities every day as a researcher in the field of mineral resources. I frequently realize that it is a great advantage for me that I had such experience in this laboratory and that knowledge and skill were naturally permeated into my body. In addition, reporting the progress of my research ( now my project ) to my professor ( now my boss ), and discussing with them how to proceed in the future are pretty important behaviors. It was a big opportunity for me to learn that as a common culture of a member of society while I was a student.

From here on, it’s an old story of mine, but when I belonged to the laboratory, the deadline for research progress was quite rough. To put it the other way around, I think it is largely up to the individual to decide how to proceed with the research as long as he/she can fulfill the deadline. In that way, I’m confessing that I am very sorry to the teachers, but I think I was also able to work hard on things other than research. Near the deadline, I released the concept of core time, and I researched over the night as if I were living in the laboratory, and without any particular reasons, a deep conversation with my colleagues in the laboratory held from midnight to early morning, etc. These ”youth days” are vivid and vital memories that I could obtain thanks to the atmosphere of this laboratory, where both exists a “sincere research mood” and “after the research playful mood for other important things always youngs confront.”