

Greetings
Welcome to the RERF Open House 2022
The Open House, one of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation’s main annual events, is being held for the 27th time this year.
Each August, we typically open RERF’s doors to the public, welcoming people from the local communities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as those from elsewhere in Japan and overseas. Unfortunately, for the second consecutive year, we had to make the decision to hold the event online.
For this year’s Open House theme of “Connecting locally, reaching globally,” we have prepared a variety of content to provide the public with a behind-the-scenes look at RERF.
Over a period of 10 days—between Monday, August 1 and Wednesday, August 10—we hope as many people as possible take the opportunity to experience RERF for themselves.
RERF staff looks forward to a time soon when we will all be able to meet again in person at our Hiroshima and Nagasaki laboratories.
August 1, 2022Ohtsura Niwa, Chairman
RERF Staff
Radiation Effects Research Foundation
I am RERF
通訳・翻訳をやっています

T.Sさん(男性)
- 働いている場所は?
事務局 翻訳室 - 出身地はどこですか?
アメリカ合衆国ミシガン州
デトロイト市 - 放影研で働いて何年ですか?
約5年
WORK
- 放影研でどんな仕事をしていますか?
主に日本語の文章を英語に翻訳する仕事やノンネイティブの方が書いた英語文章の校正も担当しています。
また、通訳として異なる言語を話すスタッフ間のコミュニケーションを円滑にするための「声」の役割を果たすこともあります。 - どんなことに仕事のやりがいを感じますか?
異なる国の専門家同士が共通の目的に向かうコミュニケーションの手助けができることです。
LIKE
私、これにはまってます!
- ランニング!
- エルデンリング(ゲーム)
- プロテインバー
- 自家製サングリア
Welcome!
放影研は映画「七人の侍」のように、様々なバックグラウンドやユニークなスキルを持った人たちが集まっている場所です。

Chairperson
I am RERF
My work is to handle important information and data.

Y.K (Female)
- Where do you work at RERF?
System Technology Section, Department of Information Technology (Hiroshima) - Where are you from?
Hiroshima - How many years have you been working at RERF?
Almost 25 years.
WORK
- What kind of work do you do at RERF?
I am in charge of developing operational applications used within RERF and maintaining databases that store important information obtained from the health examinations and other sources. - What do you find rewarding about your work?
It makes me happy when I hear from users of my applications (staff) that these applications became easier to use or made their work simpler than before. It also makes me want to create more easy-to-use systems (regardless of my skills).
LIKE
I’m addicted to this!
- Golfing!

A commemorative photo of my first round of golf (at Regus Crest Golf Club).
Welcome!
RERF is surrounded by trees, so many of you may wonder what we do. This year’s event will be held online, but we hope to have you visit RERF for this event sometime in the future!

I am RERF
I am an interpreter and translator.

T.S (Male)
- Where do you work at RERF?
Secretariat Translation Office (Hiroshima) - Where are you from?
Detroit, Michigan, USA - How many years have you been working at RERF?
Almost 5 years
WORK
- What kind of work do you do at RERF?
I mostly translate text from Japanese to English. Sometimes, I edit English that has been translated from Japanese by a non-native speaker.
Other times, I act as a voice to promote oral communications between staff who speak to each other in different languages. - What do you find rewarding about your work?
To help professionals who speak different languages communicate and to have opportunities to help them work together towards a common goal.
LIKE
I’m addicted to this!
- Running… a lot.
- Protein bars.
- Homemade sangria.
- Elden Ring (Game).

I’m running hard to look cool 😊
Welcome!
People are the heart of an organization.
When you look at “I am RERF (RERF staffs’ profiles)”, know that you see the real RERF.
I hope you enjoy the rest of the website—there is a lot to explore!

I am RERF
Research on radiation’s health effects.

K.Y (Female)
- Where do you work at RERF?
Department of Epidemiology (Hiroshima) - Where are you from?
Miyazaki Prefecture - How many years have you been working at RERF?
This is my second year.
WORK
- What kind of work do you do at RERF?
I am mainly working on two projects: the first is research on the health effects of radiation exposure on A-bomb survivors and their children from an epidemiological point of view. This research is regarded as one of the most important studies on radiation effects in humans in the world.
The other is the cancer registry, which provides cancer statistics on the numbers of cancer patients among the general population in Hiroshima and Nagasaki Prefectures. Cancer registry data collected by individual prefectures provide important information on cancer statistics. - What do you find rewarding about your work?
These data have been accumulated over a long period of time by many researchers and staff members from the valuable data of those who have participated in our research studies. When I deal with those data, I feel a sense of satisfaction and a weighty responsibility.
LIKE
I’m addicted to this!
- Watching sports
- traveling
- appreciating artwork
- viewing videos
- admiring my lovely cat
- walking in nature
- looking up cooking recipes

These are some DVDs I have been purchasing little by little.
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting this page. A variety of content is available on the website, so we hope that you will find at least one type to your liking. Have fun!

Hiroshima staff
I am RERF
I take X-rays and measure bone density.

K.Y (Male)
- Where do you work at RERF?
Division of Radiology, Department of Clinical Studies (Nagasaki) - Where are you from?
Nagasaki Prefecture - How many years have you been working at RERF?
20 years
WORK
- What kind of work do you do at RERF?
I am engaged in chest X-rays, abdominal ultrasounds, thyroid ultrasounds, and bone density examinations, some of the examination our study participants undergo. I may also perform more detailed ultrasound examinations as required in certain studies. I perform these examinations every day with the aim of ensuring that our study participants are willing to continue to undergo health examinations over the long term.
I am also involved in data preservation work, including digitizing old X-ray films. - What do you find rewarding about your work?
I feel rewarded when I hear words of gratitude from our study participants, such as “Thanks to the examination, my disease was found.” or “I am glad that I was examined so thoroughly.”
LIKE
I’m addicted to this!
- Watching movies
- Minecraft livestreams

Entrance of the movie theater I often go to.
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the RERF Open House.
I will be happy if you get an idea of what RERF is doing.

I am RERF
I am engaged in cancer registry work.

C.N (Female)
- Where do you work at RERF?
Tumor and Tissue Registry Office, Department of Epidemiology (Nagasaki) - Where are you from?
Nagasaki City - How many years have you been working at RERF?
In my sixth year.
WORK
- What kind of work do you do at RERF?
RERF is entrusted by Nagasaki Prefecture with cancer registry work. The purpose of the cancer registry is to help prevent cancer and improve cancer care by analyzing cancer incidence, treatment statuses, survival rates, and other data. RERF uses such cancer information for research purposes upon application for use of data collected through the cancer registry. I am engaged in such cancer registry work. - What do you find rewarding about your work?
The cancer registry helps to prevent cancer and improve cancer care and is important for RERF’s research. So, I find it rewarding to know that I can contribute to improving the health and welfare of people, including A-bomb survivors and second-generation A-bomb survivors, through RERF’s research.
LIKE
I’m addicted to this!
- Cameras
- dieting

Snowy landscape the morning after a record-breaking snowfall in Nagasaki (This photo won a contest.)
Welcome!
I will be happy if this open house will help you understand more about RERF. When the situation changes and you are actually able to come to RERF, I hope you will see RERF in person and deepen your understanding of this foundation. I look forward to meeting you in person.

I am RERF
I am engaged in specimen storage and testing.

S.T (Male)
- Where do you work at RERF?
Division of Clinical Laboratories, Department of Clinical Studies (Nagasaki) - Where are you from?
Nagasaki City - How many years have you been working at RERF?
Next thing I know, I am in my 30th year.
WORK
- What kind of work do you do at RERF?
I have been a laboratory technician for 30 years. Currently, I mainly perform blood sample preservation work and also perform biochemical and immunochemical tests (measurement and analysis of blood components) and urinalysis. - What do you find rewarding about your work?
Being involved in operations that other institutes are not doing. (I get a bit of a sense of accomplishment when I see the number of the freezers and liquid nitrogen tanks increasing.)
LIKE
I’m addicted to this!
- Drives to rediscover food (locally)


“Rao” watermelon (about 20 kg) purchased in Shimabara and fruit bus stop cookies from Isahaya City
Welcome!
When Covid 19 pandemic settles down and you come to RERF for a visit, I will be in the liquid nitrogen tank corner, so please come and see how much I have grown. I will be waiting for you.

Nagasaki staff
Please send your questions and comments about the Open House here.
Radiation Effects Research Foundation
Hiroshima Laboratory:5-2 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima City,
732-0815 Japan
Nagasaki Laboratory:8-6 Nakagawa 1-chome, Nagasaki City,
850-0013 Japan
Radiation Effects Research Foundation Open House Working Committee
TEL: 082-261-3131
E-mail: oh2022@rerf.or.jp