Award

On April 23, Professor Emeritus Ryozo Ishiwata was awarded the Education Award by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). This award recognizes his long-standing efforts in producing experimental videos on fluid dynamics and continuously publishing them on the JSME website under the series “Enjoyable Fluid Experiments.”

These resources are designed to allow a wide audience—from elementary and junior high school students to the general public—to engage with fluid dynamics in an enjoyable way, thereby fostering greater interest in and understanding of science. Some of the experiments are particularly striking, and the YouTube videos have accumulated over 750,000 views in total.

The project began in 2009, and the number of featured topics has now exceeded 350, with new content continuing to be added. In addition to individual viewing, the materials have reportedly been used in junior high and high school classes and extracurricular activities, as well as in technical college and university courses, and at open campus events.

Furthermore, hands-on experimental demonstrations have been conducted at science workshops in schools and community events, as well as at science exhibitions such as “The Wonders of Flow” (co-hosted by JSME and the University). These activities have received many positive responses from children and members of the public, including comments such as “It was fun” and “I finally understood how wings work.”

This initiative was highly evaluated as a practical demonstration of the importance and effectiveness of experiential learning—not only reading books or listening to explanations, but directly engaging with natural phenomena to deepen understanding.