[Misawa Homes Co., Ltd.] Employees participate in the 66th Antarctic Regional Expedition as construction-related wintering crew
Misawa Homes Co., Ltd. Press release: September 27, 2024 Employees participate in the 66th Antarctic Regional Research Expedition as construction-related wintering crew members ○ A total of 29 members participated from the Misawa Home Group, participating for 17 consecutive terms since the 50th observation expedition
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(Representative Director, President and Executive Officer Tetsuya Sakuo) has been selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology as a member of the 66th Antarctic Regional Research Expedition. Our employee Yuji Okamoto plans to participate in the 66th Antarctic Regional Expedition as a member of construction and civil engineering. We first participated in the 17th (Summer Expedition) in 1975, and the total number of participants in the Antarctic Regional Research Expedition from Misawa Homes, including this one, is 29, and this is our 17th consecutive
participation since the 50th Expedition. Antarctic regional
observation is one of the projects carried out by the country with international cooperation based on the Antarctic Treaty. It has been carried out for more than 60 years since 1957, and research activities continue in a wide range of fields such as upper atmosphere physics, meteorology, glaciology, biology, and geology at Showa Base, which is the base of activities in Japan. Okamoto has already been seconded to the Polar Research Institute from Misawa Homes, and will be working as a member of the construction team for the 66th Antarctic Expedition, building summer quarters and maintaining existing buildings. Okamoto, who will be joining the expedition this time, will utilize his past work experience to comprehensively carry out new construction work and maintenance work on existing buildings, contributing to expanding the base of activities in the Antarctic region and improving the living standards of the members. I will. Misawa Homes will continue to cooperate with Antarctic research activities by dispatching employees with specialized skills. ■Member profile
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/71302/135/71302-135-e8bcfdfd50825b1c57e40440c4baba35-1181×1704.jpg Okamoto’s character based on the image of a Sakhalin dog 〇Yuji Okamoto (Yuji Okamoto) In April 2002, he joined a construction company affiliated with Misawa Homes Kinki Co., Ltd. After 22 years of carpentry experience, he will be transferred to Misawa Homes from July 1, 2024. This is the second time since 2016 that I have participated in the Antarctic Regional Research Overwintering Team. In his private life, he is a father of two children. Eight years have passed since the last time they participated, and the children have grown up to understand the harshness of living in Antarctica, and have even voiced their opposition. In the end, the whole family agreed to participate in this project. ・Comments from Okamoto himself Although life in Antarctica is difficult at times, I feel that there is also a lot to enjoy. I wanted to participate because I wanted to take on the challenge again in Antarctica, where I can face the same challenges and find joy together with friends from various fields across generations and regions. ■About the 66th Antarctic Regional Expedition There are two types of observation teams: a summer team that stays for two months during the summer, and a winter team that stays for more than a year, and each conducts research observations and routine observations. The base is made up of “observation type” members who are in charge of such things, and “construction type” members who are in charge of maintaining base equipment and daily life. Okamoto, who has been selected this time, will participate as a wintering member of the “construction type” team. Okamoto was selected as a carpenter who is familiar with construction work, as the important work this time was to construct the summer quarters for the members. Okamoto and the other members of the 66th Antarctic Regional Expedition will leave Japan in early December, board the Antarctic research vessel Shirase in Fremantle, Australia, and head to Showa Station, scheduled to arrive by the end of the year. After his activities there, Okamoto plans to return to Japan in February 2026. ■Antarctica and Misawa Home Misawa Homes has received orders for buildings that support the activities and lifestyles of Antarctic research expeditions since 1968 when it built the 10th residential building, and has completed a total of 36 buildings with a total floor area of approximately 5,900 square meters. The Antarctic Regional Research Expedition is currently constructing the “summer quarters” which, when completed, will be the largest building at Showa Station. The wood-bonded composite panels that are used in many of the buildings we deliver are pre-installed at the factory under a thorough quality control system, with the exterior, insulation, and interior installed in advance, and more than half of the panels are
hand-installed by members with no construction experience. It can be erected during a short summer period and is characterized by its ability to withstand the harsh Antarctic climate. The technology and know-how cultivated under harsh environments is being utilized in Japan as well, and in 2017 the Century Monocoque Construction Method, which uses the same 120mm thick wood bonded composite panels used in residential buildings, was introduced in Japan. However, it was commercialized and sold. In Japan, in collaboration with school cooperatives and education-related organizations across the country, and with the cooperation of the Polar Research Institute, we are implementing an educational support program in which employees who participated in the Antarctic expedition serve as instructors and hold classes mainly at elementary and junior high schools. The “Antarctic Class*” has been held since 2011. During the coronavirus pandemic, various activities were held not only in person but also online. In addition to giving students a closer look at the far-off world of Antarctica, we also teach them the importance of having hopes and dreams for the future, and the importance of teamwork to support each other and accomplish a mission. As of last year, the event has been held at 2,311 schools for more than 220,000 students.
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http://www.eco.misawa.co.jp/antarctic-class/ That’s all ＊Contact information regarding this matter＊ Misawa Homes Co., Ltd. Management Headquarters Public Relations/External Relations Department Corporate Communication Division Masanari Abe Manabu Koyama TEL:
03-3349-8088／FAX: 03-5381-7838／E-mail: koho@home.misawa.co.jp