On Apr 17th, 2017, I went to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to receive The Commendation for Science and Technology, for “Advanced Tire Development through Coordinated Utilization of SPring-8, J-PARC and the K Computer” in collaboration with the researchers in the Sumitomo Rubber Industry, and Prof Shinohara in the University of Tokyo. The prize is the development of rubber materials, which is used for motor-tires. Take a look at the articles by the Sumitomo Rubber (in Japanese, and in English).
Honestly speaking, my contribution to the project is not that large, and actually, I just suggested a few ideas for the simulation of rubbers by the K Computer. The team directed by Dr Kishimoto in the Sumitomo Rubber made the most of the things, and they just kindly add me to the receiver of the prize. I must appreciate their very kind consideration.
Nevertheless, soft-matter physics contributes to our life, even though one may think of the soft-materials such like rubbers as the research target of chemistry…