TOKYO
HUMAN RESOURCES FUND
FOR CITY DIPLOMACY

Interviews with Students

Many students come from various countries and regions around the world using the Tokyo Human Resouces Fund for City Diplomacy to study at TMU.
This page features some of the students who finished study or currently studying on the Fund at TMU (including students studied on the previous fund, Asian Human Resources Fund.)

Joval N. Martinez

Profile

Name：: Joval N. Martinez
（October 2016-）
Graduate School of Science and Engineering
Department of Biological Sciences
Doctoral Program
Nationality：: Philippines

Your research study

Interview: Please describe your research theme in simple terms.

My research focuses on the microbial diversity and stability within phototrophic mats developing in Nakabusa Hot Springs, Nagano, Japan. Phototrophic mats are assemblages of microbial population dominated by organisms that are capable of photosynthesis. Studying the diversity using NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) will help us better understand microbial ecology, nutrient cycles and population dynamics through 16S rRNA gene sequencing, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. This would enable us to comprehensively address the questions: who and how stable are these organisms in the mats; and what are the metabolic potential and activity of the genes of the organisms that shape the microbial communities.

Interview: What would you want to achieve through your research studies in TMU?

Studying by research in TMU would enable me to attain my aspiration of getting a PhD degree in Biology. Aside from getting my degree, it has been my long-term goal to continually connect with TMU and universities in other countries and be able to establish great collaborative projects in my field of studies. Through my research studies, I will do my best to share to the students and other researchers in the Philippines what I have learned in TMU that would help in nation-building.

Interview: What is the main reason for you to choose TMU as a place to research?

TMU is an excellent place to do research because it has a wide-array of experts in many fields. This is the main reason why I chose TMU. In the Department of Biological Sciences, for instance, excellent facilities and scientists in various fields would enable microbiologist like me to learn more skills and gain more knowledge in my research interest, which I could use and apply in various ways and help my home country and Japan in the future.

Your life in Japan

Interview: How is your daily life in Tokyo so far?

My daily life in Tokyo has been so challenging yet enriching and full of hopes. I appreciate how Japanese people have been so helpful in many ways especially when we do not understand the language. I enjoyed the different seasons especially wintertime where I enjoyed the snow and the cherry blossoms in springtime. The presence of great friends from different cultures and background at TMU as well as the Filipino and Japanese communities in Every Nation Tokyo Shibuya (ENTS), where I am part of, is really a source of encouragement for me.

Interview: Have you faced any cultural/customary difference that have surprised or troubled you since you came to Tokyo?

From the time I came to Tokyo, I have loved the cultures and traditions of the people but what surprised me most is their love for the environment and discipline in many ways. People do not just throw garbage anywhere, which is worth emulating. I was surprised that most people especially the old ones are used to climb the mountains on weekends and holidays. What troubled me though is the work habit of some people who would spend time at work 7 days a week and can seldom spend time with family and friends.

Your role in the future

Interview: What kind of roles would you like to play between Tokyo and your home country in the future?

I would like to serve as a professor and researcher in the Philippines and be able to continue the linkages I have started here between Tokyo and my home country in terms of teaching and research, as part of my long-term plans. Given the chance to establish a project involving Tokyo and my home country, I am very much willing to be involved and share my expertise, for a common goal of building the nation and its people.