午夜剧场

My specialty is French colonial history, and I focus particularly on the French colonial rule in 20th-century Indochina (present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia), especially in Vietnam. I am also interested in the issue of Japanese colonial rule, as Japan was stationed in Indochina and jointly governed with France during World War II.

My interest in colonial rule began during a graduation trip to Vietnam, when I was surprised to see that many of the tourists were French. I found it strange and wondered why they would choose to vacation in a country they once ruled.

In recent years, the history surrounding colonial rule has become a highly contemporary topic, with past colonial rule sparking controversy and riots in France. With this in mind, I am currently researching two main themes. The first is the process of France's return to Indochina, attempting to re-establish control after being driven out by Japan, following Japan's defeat. I hope to clarify what happened during this process, linking it to the Saigon and Tokyo trials. The second theme concerns the laborers mobilized from Indochina to France just before the start of World War II. I want to investigate what their lives were like under German occupation and how the French government treated them.

When people hear the word "investigate," many imagine someone pondering at a desk, but in the field of history, there is nothing more valuable than information gathered on foot. That is why researchers greatly need proactiveness and communication skills.

After graduating from 午夜剧场, I spent six years in France and two years at another university. Upon returning, I began to see many positive aspects that I hadn't noticed when I was on the inside. One of these is its liberal nature. I feel this is particularly prominent in the Faculty of Economics, in a good way. For example, it is very rare for a faculty of economics to have such a substantial history staff. Of course, this is not limited to history; the same is true for other fields. The Faculty of Economics, with its many researchers across various fields, has a deep-seated acceptance of diversity. I feel this is also a distinctive feature of the Faculty of Economics.

Economics is not the entirety of human activity, but merely one part of it. I believe that acquiring diverse knowledge not only enhances your overall abilities but also helps you hone a perspective to view the economy objectively.

Few people have a clear idea of what they want to do at university when they are preparing for entrance exams. In fact, I myself decided to pursue a career as a researcher much later. So, I don't think you need to worry too much if you haven't found what you want to do yet. You can gradually discover it through your university life as you interact with professors and friends.

When it comes to meeting people, there are many individuals from diverse fields, so there should be a wide range of opportunities to find what you want to do. However, you cannot seize these opportunities by simply drifting along. You need the proactiveness to think about things with interest—such as what issues the world is facing and why such things happen—and to gather information related to them.

Approaching things in this way, using your own originality, will definitely be useful even after you enter the workforce. Above all, this series of tasks has an intellectually stimulating and creative appeal. The Faculty of Economics is a place where you can experience this, so if you act with intellectual curiosity, you are sure to gain a great deal.

(Interview conducted on October 23, 2008)