Welcome!

Welcome to the Students' section of our website. Here, you will catch a glimpse of the everyday lives of Prof. Nakamura's students while doing their research, both in and out of the laboratory.

*Nakamura Lab belongs to the Sustainable Development Course of Department of Environmental Engineering and Architecture, Graduate School of Environmental Studies.

About us

Introduction

Having a common interest in transportation engineering, the students of Nakamura Laboratory consist of people coming from various cultures and walks of life, with equally varying personalities. In addition to the Japanese, there are also foreign students coming from several countries, such as China, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mongolia and the Philippines. While foreign students are encouraged to learn the local language to easily adjust to everyday life in Japan, communication is hardly a problem in our laboratory since the Japanese students are all fairly fluent in English. Research is of course our priority, but we also find time to relax and unwind when the occasion calls for it. Although the pressures of research work and deadlines can be very stressful at times, life in our laboratory is certainly never boring. ;)

Research Interests

Although everyone in the laboratory does research in the field of transportation engineering, these are still classified into several, theme-specific categories. The following are the current research efforts being done by the students in our laboratory.

• Operational and Safety Analysis of Signalized Intersections
• Capacity and Breakdown Issues in Expressway Sections
• Crash Risk Analysis and Traffic Safety Policies
• Highway Planning and Design
• Two-Lane Highway Quality of Service
• Pedestrian Behavior Analysis and Design of Pedestrian Facilities
• Development of Traffic Engineering Software (e.g. Microsimulation, Image Processing, etc.)
• Design and Operation of Roundabouts

Laboratory Life

Regular Research Meetings / Transportation Engineering Seminar

Research meetings (or zemi in Japanese) are regularly held, usually on a weekly basis. During these meetings students present their research progress and they get valuable advice and guidance from Prof. Nakamura and the senior students. In addition, a course for graduate students called the Transportation Engineering Seminar is conducted every term. Students are required to read and study a transportation engineering-related book, book chapter, or journal article of their own choice (usually those that are related to their own research) and present it to everyone, IN ENGLISH. This does not only enhance everybody's knowledge on the state-of-the-art in transportation engineering, but it also refines the students' presentation and English-speaking skills.

Field work:

Field work and surveys are essential in most studies done in our laboratory. From video surveys to driving probe/ test vehicles to installing our own vehicle sensors, we do what is needed to be done in the field to get the results that we want.

International and Domestic Academic Conferences:

Students are encouraged (or required, in the case of doctoral students) to submit technical papers, either for presentation in conferences or publication in journals. This is also a good chance to travel, not only within Japan but also around the world. ;)

International Research Collaboration and Exchange :

Around half of the student population of our laboratory are foreigners, providing a relatively easier venue for exchange of opinions and ideas from an international standpoint. We also have strong connections with reputable foreign transportation institutes and universities, such as those in Germany and China, where we occasionally hold joint research meetings. Some of our students also take part in an annual exchange program with a German university, wherein students from our laboratory go to Germany for about 2 months, usually during the summer period. Accordingly, German students also come to Japan and stay for about the same duration, usually during spring.

Major Events of the Laboratory

Although we are very serious with our research, we also make sure that we have time for leisure and enjoyment. As the old saying goes, "All work and no play makes Taiki a dull boy." :)

Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) in Spring / Drinking Parties

To welcome the new academic year, we do the Hanami every spring in early April to enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms (while drinking alcohol, of course ;)). Regular (and occasionally irregular) drinking parties also happen all throughout the year. We party when we welcome new students and when we say goodbye to those who have finished. We also celebrate the end of a productive year and the start of a fresh new year. All special occasions are never forgotten. Sometimes we drink, simply to unwind... no reason or occasion necessary. ;)

Summer 'Research' Outing:

Every summer, usually in August, we go outside of Nagoya to discuss each student's research intensively in a more relaxed, outdoor venue. Another important purpose of this activity however is to form stronger bonds within the members of our laboratory and to build lasting friendships. This is a good chance to get to know each other better over beer and wine, while hiking and playing sports, doing barbecue, or simply just spending a lazy afternoon enjoying nature.

Mid-term Presentations (Summer and Winter):

Mid-term presentations of senior (4th year) undergraduate students and graduate students are jointly conducted with the Iryo Laboratory and Kato Laboratory, usually in September for the spring term and December for the fall term.

Nakamura Cup (Golf):

Since Prof. Nakamura is an avid golf enthusiast, the annual Nakamura Cup is held in early November, wherein not only the current members can participate but also the alumni of our laboratory. Although this event is very competitive, it is all in the spirit of sportsmanship and camaraderie. Of course, what better way to end a day of playing golf than to spend time drinking beer and having good food (while comparing scores :)).

Further Details and Other Inquiries

Please feel free to get in touch with us if you have interest in our research or if you have any other inquiries about joining our laboratory, through any of our contact details listed in the Access section of our website.