Hello, everyone out there. My name is Yasufumi Satoguchi, and I am a museum curator. I am delighted to have been told to write a series of report on what people are doing on Chikyu during this month-long expedition, thanks to Dr. Kanamatsu, the Co-Chief Scientist. Having been given this interesting job, I thought of reporting totally at my own discretion and prejudice, but I admit now secretly, that “twittering Chief Editor” will be checking every word I write here! Therefore, I will try to be sensible on my reports. (“Hey, you should not be too sensible and boring!” –by twittering Chief Editor) I think you probably know already what kind of research vessel Chikyu is, and what the people are doing on this ship. However, just in case you need to catch up; Chikyu is a drilling vessel that drills and researches the seafloor to unwrap the Earth’s mystery by international cooperation. Maybe some people want to ask what is so fun about making the Earth full of holes by drilling? I would rather say “Please look at this website!”

(I hear people complaining “You are a curator who should be able to explain about Science in an easy-to-understand form to everyone! Don’t just give us the website reference and go!”) Please forgive me for not explaining this time, but I will try to include some information in the following reports.

Many scientists including myself got aboard on the 11th December. However, for pre-cruise meetings, we gathered a few days beforehand in Yokohama. There was also a welcome party and the following picture is one taken in it. Is it only me who thought the picture on the door of this pub looked like Pierre (Dr. Pierre Henry), the Co-Chief Scientist of this cruise?


Since Chikyu was waiting for us in the middle of the sea this time, we got aboard by helicopter. As I found that small figure of Chikyu from distance caught from the helicopter window, she looked like a needle sticking out on the horizon, because she has got that famous, distinctive derrick. The helicopter approached Chikyu and I could see the real Chikyu similar to the small Chikyu model I saw somewhere. At first, I thought “Oh, Chikyu isn’t that big...?”, but when I landed on her helicopter deck, I could not believe I was really on a ship. In my head, a theme song of an animated Japanese Sci-Fi movie, which will be released as a new version this month, was playing repeatedly. We had various meetings until the core samples began to arrive on deck. Now, we are all busy working on gathering data, describing and analysing them. In my next report, I would like to introduce some of the scientists’ works.

Working busily!

Yasufumi Satoguchi