1ENESYS program 2010 - visit to 1apan

1
st
day: The beginning oI our program was at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel, where we had
welcome session in the Iirst day. We also learnt the basics oI the Japanese language so it would
be easy Ior us to communicate with Japanese students and proIessors in the next 15 days.

On the 2
nd
day, there was a courtesy call in the Ministry oI Ioreign aIIairs, aIter which our
program Iormally started. The same day, we visited the Yamanaka Engineering Company. It
manuIactures power transmission equipments that are used in automobiles. Although the visit to
the plant was very short, we got an insight about the manuIacturing process and some general
policies oI the company. Its high Iocus in R & D and its direct connection with the customers
make it the top company oI its kind in Asia.

On the 3
rd
day, we visited Tokyo Inst. of Technology. We attended a presentation Irom the
Mechanical Engineering Department and also visited 2 labs related to energy phenomena. Here,
we closely Iocused on the research activities oI the graduate students. This sort oI educational
system is completely diIIerent Irom that in our country.
On the same day, we visited The University of Tokyo. Here also, ProI. Mamoru Mitsushi oI the
Mechanical Engineering Department presented his paper on the manuIacturing oI medicinal
robots. The Iocus was on robotic surgery. It is believed to be a revolution in medicinal science in
the Iuture.

On the 4
th
day, our visit was to the Production Engineering Research Lab of the Hitachi Ltd.
We learnt about the glorious history oI the company and its story oI success in manuIacturing
semi conductors, used in all electronic appliances. The key point was the re use oI technology
and originality oI production processes.
We also visited the Sony Showroom the same day. Then, we leIt Tokyo Ior Nagoya.

On the 5
th
day, we visited The Okuma Corporation. There was a presentation
on Characteristics of Multitasking Machines and 5 Axis Machines. Multitasking machines
can be used in Medical Engineering. They have advanced and multiple Iunctions like drilling,
hobbling, turning, etc. This technology is still in the research phase. There was also an
introduction oI the Numerical Control Device (which uses a real time OS, unlike
XP) programmed and developed by the corporation itselI through the years.
The same day, we had an extensive insight on the car manuIacturing process by visiting
the Toyota Plant. Here, we saw the real time manuIacturing activities step by step. It was a
really exciting visit as we saw diIIerent things that go inside a normal looking car that we had
never imagined oI.

Day 6 - Left Nagoya for Kyoto, Sight seeing in Kyoto..........Day 7 - Off

On the 8
th
day, we visited the Kyoto Institute of Technology and The Ritsumeikan
University. Here, by visiting labs, we saw the production oI semi conductors by working at the
nano level, laser technology, etc. In both the institutes, we learnt about the education system and
the intaking process Ior international students. We also learnt about the internship programs
oIIered to students Ior their participation in the development and design oI various processes
leading to production.
We also interacted with the students in an inIormal program and got the opportunity to learn
about liIe in the University and students` experiences and problems about student liIe.
In the evening, we leIt Kyoto Ior Tokyo.

Back to Tokyo; on the 9
th
day, we visited the Kashima Steel Works, Kashima Metal
Industries, Ltd. As in the Toyota Plant, here also we got the opportunity to see the real time
manuIacturing process oI steel sheets. This industry covers a large area oI 10 ml Sq. Km. There
are huge converters, Iurnaces, casting machines, etc that are operated to produce the steel sheets.
During a short tour to the plant, we saw the Iurnacing, hot rolling and cold rolling processes oI
steel. A very interesting point to be noted is, the industry recycles up to 90 oI the wastes
produced during manuIacturing. It is just a representation oI how environment Iriendly Japanese
manuIacturing Companies are.
On the 10
th
day, we visited the Tokyo Institute of Technology Graduate School. Prof.
Kusakabe presented his lecture on Policy and System of Science and Engineering Education
is 1apan. We learnt about the skeleton oI the education system in Japan. Results oI various
surveys in diIIerent countries over the last decade, regarding students` mathematical and
scientiIic abilities were discussed. It showed that the status oI Japanese students is not as
satisIactory as it used to be in the past. An opportunity Ior international students Ior higher
education in Japan was also a topic oI discussion.
We also visited The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology on
the same day.

On the 11
th
day, we visited the Amada Co. Ltd., which manuIacturing tools and machines Ior
making sheet covers oI appliances like cars, reIrigerators, computer casings, mobile phones, etc.
The very minute operation oI the machines at the micro level to create precise and accurate
patterns on the metal sheets was very impressive. Here, we met some Asian students who studied
in Japan, who are now working in the Company.
In the evening, we attended a lecture on Disaster Prevention by Prof. Imamura Irom Tohoku
University. The lecture was mainly Iocused on the disastrous Tsunami that hit some Asian
Countries in 2004 claiming tens oI thousands oI lives. DiIIerent researches about Tsunami alert
systems were discussed. We saw in pictures and learnt about the catastrophic eIIects oI the
Tsunami which came as a curse to those countries.

The last day; on the 12
th
day, we presented a report on our experiences and what we learnt in
the past 11 days in Japan. In the evening, we attended the closing ceremony and the reception,
where we met distinguished high ranked guests Irom theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of
1apan and 1ICE ((1apan International Cooperation Center), which was the organizer oI our
program). We also got a chance to meet the Ambassador oI Nepal to Japan during the reception.

On the behalI oI all the 15 participating members, I delivered the closing speech, which Iormally
ended our tour to Japan.

The basic principle or motto oI the Japanese industries and manuIacturing companies
is MONOZUKURI, which means, the art of making things better than ever, by
manuIacturing technology through educational research and support Ior social contribution. So,
there is a harmony and co operation between industries and the academic Iield in Japan, which is
a reason Ior its rapid development. This is the most impressive thing I learnt in Japan.

Besides these scheduled programs, we visited the famous Biwa Lake, Disney Land, 1okyo
1ower, Rainbow Bridge, Ahkiabara Area and other few places on our own.