October 30, 2010
Kyoto University’s regional seminar program started in 1997, with the aim of widely introducing the accumulated intellectual property and achievements of the ongoing educational research activities of Kyoto University, throughout Japan. We have held lectures in 20 different cities, so far.
On this occasion, the lecture took place in Kochi City, with the main theme of, “forest, land and sea.” Kyoto University’s Field Science Education and Research Center Director, Prof. Yoshihisa Shirayama delivered a lecture titled, “Marine Life Diversity: Consider Utilizing the Gifts from the Sea while Protecting It,” and the center’s Vice Director, Prof. Shozo Shibata delivered a lecture titled, “Exploring a forest-land-sea chain in the watershed of the Niyodo River.” We offered 150 seats, the capacity of the hall, to the citizens of Kochi City and the lecture ended as a great success with many participants, almost filling all the seats in the hall.
Following the lecture, we arranged for a dialogue meeting between high-school students who participated in the lecture and Kyoto University. After President Hiroshi Matsumoto delivered his message to high-school students, Executive Vice-President Yuzo Onishi, the lecturer and Director Shirayama and Vice Director Shibata had an active question-and-answer session with some 20 high-school students, making the meeting very meaningful for both parties.
In a separate hall, the Kyoto University Tosa Yoshida Reunion general meeting was held in parallel with the lecture/dialogue meeting. The election of officers commenced during the meeting, including the reunion chairman being changed from Mr. Toshio Furutani (a graduate of the Faculty of Letters, 1952) to Mr. Saburo Onishi (a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine, 1969). After the general meeting, a social program between the Kyoto University Tosa Yoshida Reunion and Kyoto University followed in the same hall. There were approximately 40 reunion members participated the program and around 20 Kyoto University officials, including President Matsumoto, Executive Vice-President Onishi, and the lecturer of the regional seminar and Director Shirayama and the other lecturer and Vice Director Shibata. New Kyoto University Tosa Yoshida Reunion Chairman Onishi made a speech first and it was followed by President Matsumoto’s speech. Then, Vice Chairman Katsutoshi Sakurai (a graduate of the Faculty of Agriculture, 1981) proposed a toast. After a lively social exchange, all participants sang the “Lake Biwa Rowing Song” and the program ended with a closing speech by Executive Vice-President Onishi.
 President Matsumoto’s speech (at the Lecture) |  Lecture delivered by Director Shirayama |
 Lecture delivered by Vice Director Shibata |  The scene of the dialogue meeting |
 New Tosa Yoshida Reunion Chairman Onishi’s speech (At the social program) |  President Matsumoto’s Speech (At the social program) |
 Toast by Vice Chairman Sakurai (At the social program) |  Closing speech by Executive Vice-President Onishi (At the social program) |
 Participants singing the Lake Biwa Rowing Song (At the social program) | |