E7
Hamada Takashi Collection
the life of collecting materials

Dr. Takashi Hamada, professor emeritus of The University of Tokyo, is a scholar who studied and taught paleontology, geology, and natural history in the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hamada was a learned man with a retentive memory. Throughout his life, he collected, analyzed and described various materials. He left a large amount of materials behind him.

Dr. Hamada was born in 1933. During the war, he experienced air raids, and grew up in the period just following the war. I met Dr. Hamada when I enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences. He was not officially my supervisor, but I was taught the essence of being a real scholar by Dr. Hamada. I learnt huge words and acquired great knowledge. Of course both the words and the knowledge were endlessly instilled, but it may be said that Dr. Hamada’s daily way of life inspires my present scholar life.

Dr. Hamada sat in narrow professor’s room in Komaba, staring at specimens and writing. He always smiled at me. He worked among a large number of collections.

After his death, we received a donation from his will. About 200 boxes of his specimens are exhibited in the UMUT Hall of Inspiration. As he excelled at collecting materials, Professor Hamada must have troubled many places and people. Finally, he died, leaving five or six trucks of specimens in his house.

Of course, the Professor was not correct to keep so many of materials to himself. However, scholars should emulate his way of life. Universities and museums that are responsible for science and culture will not develop without scholars like him. We need the philosophy and attitude of Dr. Takashi Hamada in the UMUT Hall of Inspiration to develop academic and cultural spheres. (Hideki Endo)