Japanese and Finnish people have similar natures - in life and research

Sari Kujala’s research group recently hosted a visitor Tomoyuki Yamamoto, from Kyoto University, Japan, accompanied by his Professor Taku Iwami. Yamamoto is originally from Kyoto and he decided to return to university to focus on public health after years of working in government offices.

The visit aimed to enhance his understanding of the usability and accessibility of Finnish eHealth services, as Japan is currently developing national eHealth services. “I found it very positive to host Yamamoto in our team. Although the visit was short, we still had the opportunity to learn from each other. Personally, I gained insights into Japan's current healthcare system.”, says Maedeh Ghorbanian Zolbin, Doctoral Researcher.

The visit facilitated fruitful discussions with researchers as well as laid the groundwork for future collaboration opportunities. Yamamoto was inspired to visit Kujala’s group, after encountering Kujala’s article on the usability of eHealth services. “It was really inspiring to discuss our research articles and see how our findings can be applied in practice.”, tells Saija Simola, Doctoral Researcher.

Yamamoto was pleased that his visit provided an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of Finnish health care and eHealth services as well as to explore how Japanese eHealth services can be enhanced. In addition to visiting Aalto University, he toured the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Business Finland, and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

Yamamoto thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Aalto University and his time in Finland. “This was my first time in Finland, and I will definitely come back, as this is the best country I have visited.”, he says. Yamamoto visited Löyly, a Finnish sauna, and enjoyed swimming in the sea, even though the weather was cold. He also appreciates traditional Finnish cuisine, such as salmon soup and Finnish rye bread. 

“I think Japanese and Finnish people have very similar natures and mindsets.”, Yamamoto observes. “Additionally, the nature is quite similar, but the weather is very, very different.”, he adds with a smile.

Text and photos: Saija Simola/Aalto University