Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.
Faces of "The Rigakubu News"
Hirofumi Kunitomo, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
The basic design of the The Rigakubu News, which you have been reading, has recently been updated approximately every 10 years. The current version was adopted in Volume 47, published in 2015. The title was changed from "News from the Graduate School of Science of The University of Tokyo" to "The Rigakubu News," and the layout of the table of contents and serial articles was also significantly changed. The cover, which is the face of the magazine, has changed dramatically from its previous appearance as an institutional PR magazine. The title and article titles are spaciously placed in easy-to-read letters against a background of photographs filling the pages. I am sorry to be so forward, but I think it is a very sophisticated binding that makes you want to pick it up.
By the way, did you know that each volume (fiscal year) has its own theme on the cover? When the end of the academic year approaches, the Communications & Public Relations Committee discusses the theme for the next year's cover and back cover. Various candidates are raised, such as the members and their activities that are the assets of the Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Science, products of research, historical items, books, facilities, and equipment, as well as views from the window, and the unknown 00, and so on. The design is decided democratically through discussions on whether it is topical and current, whether it does not overlap with previous themes, and whether it is appealing to the public. The history of the current design, starting with the 47th volume, shows the Graduate School of Science building, a scene with Science Students, the Faculty of Science Library, a scene of research equipment and its use, rare books on Science, and so on. The photographs on the cover are all excellent, conveying the history, depth, and dynamism of the School of Science and Graduate School of Science. As a rule, we commission professional photographers to take these photographs. The other day, I had the opportunity to witness the photo shoot for the cover of this issue. I was impressed by the meticulous work of the professional photographer, who considered the shooting location and camera angle, discussed with the subject, and considered copyright and portrait rights, and I realized once again that the publication of "The Rigakubu News" is supported by many people.
From left to right: 1969, Vol. 1, No. 1; 2002, when it was named Koho; 2003, the first issue that became Faculty of Science News; and 2013, Vol. 46.
design up to Volume 46 in 2013 (old No. 1 building of The Rigakubu News); 1st right is the current design (Sanshiro Pond, 2016)
The theme of the cover of Volume 56 in 2024 is "Events that bring people together. After the shift of new coronavirus infection to category 5 infection, opportunities for a reasonable number of people to gather face-to-face have returned. There is something that can only be obtained by being there at that time and place. We plan to introduce scenes in which students and faculty of School of Science and Graduate School of Science are actively engaged in experiments, practical training, events, presentations, and so on. We hope you will continue to look forward to The Rigakubu News in the future.