Interviewer: The word "creativity" is frequently used in these days. Tell us what creativity is.

Okada: Creativity is something awesome. It's something like drawing characters on a clean white page. Surprisingly enough, a considerable amount of research funds have been used for education to equip children with creativity. The word creativity is used so easily that people end up undervaluing it.

Tanaka: Creativity does not require special abilities. Human beings were born with the ability to create. That's the exact reason why human beings have created the current civilization. As I have written in my book, some people achieved something when they accidentally exercised creativity at the right time. Other successful people may have been well aware of what creativity is and exercised it right. The difference between successful and unsuccessful people is that whether they exercised their own creativity or not. (Editors' Note: In his book titled "The Best Failure in My Life", Tanaka refers to the lecture presented by the Director of the Nobel Museum and lists nine required elements for creativity, which includes courage, challenge, a strong will and a fun-loving spirit. His book title is a translation from Japanese and the book is available only in Japanese.)

Okada: There should be no science which does not have creativity, in the first place. However, research work with creativity is hardly ever seen now. This is true even in the field of natural science. Let's say that somebody successfully increases the number of data featured in the report from just one to 20 or something, then it means that he has achieved something now. Biology used to be one of the most creative fields, but it's not the case now.

Tanaka: Dr. Okada has pointed out that biology is locked in stalemate, but it's not only in biology. Physics and chemistry are also in a state of deadlock. Now, I'm wondering what has growth potential from here on. What I am interested in is a combination of insights from different fields. For instance, I have worked with physicists and electronics engineers as a team. I joined the team as a chemist. Mechanical engineers were also in the team. This way, we could successfully make the best use of insights from various fields in our own research works.

Interviewer: Explain more about your research.

Tanaka: My prize-winning discovery was about "a matrix that could be used for ionization" and the matrix is the so-called "ultra fine metal powder" that was used in the field of metallurgy. One of my colleagues, Yoshikazu Yoshida suggested using this material as the matrix for my research on macromolecular ionization. This is quite a remarkable combination of insights from different fields, I think. So, my achievement could be boiled down to the research work I carried out based on his suggestion. Without his suggestion, I could not have discovered the matrix. Such a combination of insights from different fields may eventually make the best use of the teamwork that is one of the assets of the Japanese. Of course, you may sometimes come up against your team mates. But that's what inspires you to put more effort into your research. If your team mates are just pals to have fun with, your efforts would go nowhere.