July 23, 2026
The University of Tokyo Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI)
“Dust and sparks: Let them interact in the Universe, not in your Office.”
This slogan by The University of Tokyo Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI) Project Professor Saeko Hayashi was awarded the President’s Special Award at the 10th UTokyo Environment, Safety & Health Slogan Contest. She is also the chief of the Institute’s Environment, Health and Safety Office.
“For many researchers at my Institute, Japanese is not their native language. This slogan refers to cosmic phenomenon to raise awareness about tracking fires, one of the most common source of fire in the offices. I tried to use words that rhyme for easier remembrance, although that might’ve been a long shot. A fun fact is that the various chemical reactions that occur in cosmic dust are important processes that lead to the formation of organic matter, and ultimately the origin of life as we know it,” said Hayashi.
The Environmental Safety and Health Slogan Contest began in 2017 to make people aware of, and to drive forward the university's safety and health activities.
An award ceremony was held on July 7, The University of Tokyo Safety Day, where Hayashi received her certificate and a prize gift of allergy-friendly emergency food. She adds, “Since these allergy-friendly emergency foods last for 5.5 years, I’ll hand them off to the next Safety Officer to keep in the office.”
Related link
About the 10th UTokyo Environment, Safety & Health Slogan Contest
