Lab for Innovative Infrastructure Systems

This is Takeshi Uemachi, an M1 student.

I had visited and stayed at the University of Manchester and TU Wien for a month from late November with Musha Shugyo Program, offered by the faculty of Engineering.
At the University of Manchester, I met with Professor Karen Lucas, a leading expert in my research field, Transport-Related Social Exclusion.
She warmly welcomed me, and during our 90-minute discussion, she provided valuable advice on case studies and the direction of my research. It was a truly honorable experience to have this opportunity and receive her encouragement!

At TU Wien, I stayed in the research group to which Dr. Takeru Shibayama belongs, who is an alumnus of our department. During my stay, I engaged in discussions with researchers in the lab, participated in a tour led by individuals with homelessness experience, and visited various locations and facilities related to my research while using local public transport. I was surprised by the high frequency of the service, the convenience of using almost all city transport with a single ticket, and the absence of ticket gates, and found those are designed to make public transport highly accessible. Combined with policies aimed at supporting low-income groups, these efforts create an inclusive urban environment. I also learned about the underlying principles and relevant literature from professors working on related topics.
Dr. Shibayama was extremely supportive, holding weekly meetings with me and guiding me through everything about life in Europe during my first visit. I am deeply grateful for his support. On my last evening, he invited me to the research group’s Christmas party, which was a delightful way to finish my stay.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our department and Fukuda sensei for providing me with this enriching opportunity. I am also deeply thankful to my lab members and peers who kept in touch with me during my stay.
I am determined to apply what I gained from this experience to my research and future endeavors, and I will continue striving to achieve my goals!

[Uemachi]

(Photo by Prof. Takeru Shibayama)

This is Mega, a M1 student, presenting a paper on “JOINT INFORMATION-ACQUISITION AND TRAVEL CHOICE MODELING OF TOURISTS UNDER TRAVEL TIME VARIABILITY” at the 28th International HKSTS Conference held on December 9-10, 2024. We received questions about setting up correlations between choices and comments about coupon measures. Thank you very much for the insightful comments from Professor Becky Loo and Dr. Nan Zheng.

It was a very exciting two days for me, as it was my first international conference. In addition to the Q&A sessions for the presentations, I had opportunities to talk with various people who are engaged in research during meals and breaks. Through these interactions, I was able to gain a more bird’s eye view of my own research, and I feel that my perspective was further broadened. Thank you very much for providing me with this valuable opportunity.

[Mega]

The season for the “Okamura Cup” has arrived once again! The Okamura Cup is a softball tournament held between research groups in the Department of Social Infrastructure. The Fukuda Laboratory participates as a combined team of the International Project and Construction Management groups.

This year, many members of the Fukuda Lab have baseball experience, and since the beginning of the year, they’ve been practicing catch whenever they had time. Thanks to their hard work, the team secured an impressive third place overall.

B4 student Matsunaga-kun, who participated for the first time this year, shared his thoughts: “It was nice to play baseball with my seniors, who always impress me with their work in research. They looked just as cool playing baseball.”

The goal for next year is to reclaim the first place, and we look forward to seeing the team’s performance next year.

Recently, Dr. Henrik, who is visiting from Copenhagen, gave a keynote lecture to members of our international project group.

Dr. Henrik is a former colleague of Professor Fukuda from when he was at Denwork University, and this is his fourth visit to Japan.

The keynote lecture, titled “Sustainable Urban Mobility and Local Climate Planning in Europe and Denmark in a Multi-level Governance Context,” focused on how to approach sustainable urban transportation under the framework of climate change mitigation.

A key point of the lecture was the importance of local government initiatives, with a successful example being Denmark’s local government-led project, DK2020. Dr. Henrik also addressed the challenges we face moving forward, particularly how various countries and municipalities with differing interests can align their efforts towards a common goal and achieve the frameworks developed by each.

It was a valuable opportunity to hear his insights, which have deepened our awareness of climate change issues. We are grateful for this invaluable experience.

[Nakamura]

Recently, Sensei, Salsa-san, and I had the privilege of attending the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) 30th Anniversary Commemorative Event held in Tokyo. This significant gathering brought together experts and professionals to reflect on EASTS’s three decades of achievements and to discuss the organization’s role in shaping the future of transportation across Asia. Here, I had the unique opportunity to meet and connect with esteemed figures in the field, including Professor Saksith from Chulalangkorn University, the current President of EASTS, Dr. Andhika from the University of Indonesia, and Mr. Tory, President of the Indonesian Transportation Society. Among the attendees, I also met Liu, a D3 student from the Institute of Science Tokyo, with whom I formed a promising friendship.

The program at the 30th Anniversary event was comprehensive, beginning with a joint seminar where transportation experts from Taiwan, the Philippines, and Japan presented on disaster resilience and the impact of transportation infrastructure on vulnerable populations. Later, a symposium addressed the role of EASTS in navigating the future of transportation, with a keynote by Prof. Bambang Susantono, Indonesia’s Special Envoy to the President. His lecture, titled “Nusantara: Building Indonesia’s Future Capital – Lessons and Challenges,” explored Indonesia’s ambitious capital development project. He’s also the former Vice President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The day ended with a lively panel discussion on how EASTS aims to lead Asia into a new era of mobility focused on sustainability, inclusiveness, and resilience.

The following day, Salsa-san and I had the honor of guiding Prof. Bambang Susantono and his secretary through the University of Tokyo. We visited the renowned Yasuda Auditorium, enjoyed lunch at Chuo Dining Hall and have meeting with Shinji Sensei from Institute for Future Initiatives before Prof. Bambang continued to his meeting with a Sumitomo board member.

As EASTS approaches another milestone, I feel a special excitement for the upcoming biennial meeting of EASTS, which will be hosted in my home country. I look forward to the chance to join my colleagues and friends again, contributing to the transformative conversations that will shape Asia’s transportation landscape.

[Aulia Rahman]

Recently, Ms. Kaneko, an alumna of our laboratory who is actively working at the Mitsubishi Research Institute, held a lecture on the topic of dynamic wireless charging technology for our lab.

We learnt more about the various types of dynamic wireless charging, the reasons why wireless charging is being promoted in Japan, the challenges in its implementation, and the timeline for its commercialization. This gave me a clearer understanding of the background to my research. With this deeper understanding, my passion for the research has grown even stronger.

I will continue to push forward until the submission of my graduation thesis.

[Kanaoka]

I’m Kaori, a second-year master’s student.
I participated the first International Symposium on Intelligent Technology for Future Transportation in Helsinki on the 20th October.
I presented a research titled “Virtual Reality Experimental Study on Bicycle Environment Assessment Using One-Boundary Drift-Diffusion Model”.

This research was a collaborative project with Professor Yusak and Ph.D. student Mr. Shun at BOKU in Vienna, building on the VR experiment I conducted during my stay there last year. It was especially meaningful to present this work, as it marks my first collaborative research. I am also grateful to Dr. Aivars Rubenis for his insightful questions.

This symposium was my first experience presenting at an international conference. I gained so much, not only from the questions raised about my research but also from the diversity of research shared and the casual conversations with other attendees.

With this experience, I am even more motivated to improve our research. Thank you for this valuable opportunity.

[Nakamura]

I’m Kaori, a second-year master’s student.

From the 7th to the 24th October, I visited DAVeMoS in BOKU in Vienna, Austria and Transportation Research Group in Southampton University in UK with the support from Musha Shugyo Program funded by the faculity of Engineering, UTokyo.

This is my second visit to DAVeMoS, following my three-month stay there last year. During this 2 week visit, we continued our collaborative research discussions, which was both productive and inspiring.
I was also happy to reunite DAVeMoS team; sharing lunch with everyone in their dining was a cherished daily tradition where we discussed weekend plans and life updates—a refreshing break from our busy workdays. On my last day, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Gamze Dane from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her presentation on her team’s VR research was incredibly motivating and added a new perspective to my own research.

I visited the Transportation Research Group for the first time. I had a discussion with Professor Ioannis and a presentation in their group seminar. Although the weather outside was cold and drizzly, the warm welcom and the “hot” seminar with tons of questions made the day enjoyable and rewarding.

Over the past two years of my master’s program, I’ve had opportuniries to visit the laboratories and cities across Europe, which has truly enriched my experience and deepened my passion for transportation studies. I’m more motivated than ever to make my thesis the best it can be.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Yusak and Professor Ioannis for hosting me, and to Professor Daisuke for supporting my international academic journey.

[Nakamura]

Hi! I’m Sakib Shahrior Fahim, a fresh arrival in Japan, where I’m excited to pursue my Master’s in Civil Engineering at the University of Tokyo. Having grown up in the bustling metropolis of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, where traffic delays cost residents an average of one hour of productivity daily, my journey into transportation engineering began with a mission to improve these numbers and make my city more livable. Now, as part of the Laboratory for Innovative Infrastructure Systems (LIIS) under the guidance of Fukuda Sensei, I’m diving deeper into the fascinating world of transportation systems. My goal? To contribute to more efficient, energy-conscious, and sustainable transportation solutions for developing countries, like Bangladesh’s, and beyond.

Looking forward to the adventures and challenges ahead!

[Sakib Shahrior Fahim]

Adaptation and Welcome Experience at Fukuda Lab

After arriving at the University of Tokyo on October 2nd, I was warmly welcomed into the Fukuda Lab, which has played a vital role in my smooth transition into academic and everyday life in Japan. The cool autumn weather that greeted me upon arrival added a refreshing touch to this new chapter of my life. The crisp air and the changing colors of the leaves around the campus reminded me that I was stepping into a new season, personally and professionally.

One of the first people to help me incredibly was Uemachi-san. Navigating city hall administration and handling paperwork can be overwhelming in a new country, but everything went much more smoothly with his guidance. From the moment I arrived, he ensured I had all the necessary information, made the arrangements for my residency registration and assisted me in understanding the essential processes for settling in.

The lab members have also been incredibly supportive. They quickly offered help and advice related to academic work or adapting to life in Tokyo. Everyone’s friendliness and readiness to assist me in getting used to the culture, environment, and university systems truly made me feel at home.

In addition to the academic support, the social integration has also been fantastic. A few days after my arrival, we had a Nomikai (a casual drinking gathering) at a local Yakitori restaurant with the lab members. It was my first Nomikai in Japan, and it was a wonderful experience to share delicious grilled skewers and drinks in a relaxed atmosphere. We talked about everything—from research topics to life in Japan—and it helped me feel more connected to my colleagues. The warm camaraderie and laughter we shared at the Yakitori restaurant made me feel like I was part of the lab’s community. It was a celebration and a reflection of how the lab fosters connections, helping everyone integrate smoothly.

Now, two weeks into my journey, as the autumn breeze continues to cool the city, I already feel a strong sense of belonging. The teamwork and collaborative spirit within the Fukuda Lab are inspiring, and I am excited to contribute to the lab’s ongoing projects. With the help of the department and my colleagues, I am confident this will be a productive and enriching experience at the University of Tokyo!

[Aulia Rahman]