Japanese Sword

the key to our futureChemistry

日本刀

Ali Rachad Mourtada / Ali Feisal Issa / Mohammad Ali Shubat / Rouaa Kamal Al Nan

Sometimes referred to as “Bushi no Tamashii

(samurai’s spirit)”, a Japanese sword had been an

essential item for a soldier samurai until the Edo

period. Although it is a weapon, its beauty has come

to be highly appreciated today, and it has been

deemed as an object of art not only in Japan but

worldwide. Japanese swords are made from steel

called “wakou (Japanese steel)” or “tamahagane”,

produced by Japanese traditional technique that

uses clay furnace and bellows called “tatara”. This

method uses iron sand instead of iron ore used for

other methods found elsewhere in the world, and this

makes it possible to reduce to iron metal at relatively

low temperature. Consequently, this method can

produce very high quality and high purity steel which

exceeds the level of modern steel making methods.

This is the reason why Japanese swords attract wide

attention as a highest ranked iron sword in the world.

The three features required for a noted Japanese

sword are that it does not break, it does not bend,

and it cuts well. From ancient times Japanese sword

makers had made various efforts to realize all three

features at the same time. Not only the technique to

produce good steel, but also hammering methods

to make the material steel into swords have been

handed down. Material steel for swords is heated first,

hammered into thin and flat piece, and then cooled

rapidly in water. Excessive carbon contained in the

material is removed by repeating this process. Then

the surface is treated with rice straw preventing from

excessive oxidation of the steel by the help of silicon

contained in the straw. After this process, hammering

is repeated for a number of times by folding the

hammered steel. In this way, impurities such as

sulfur, excessive carbon and non-metal inclusion

are removed, and homogenous and strong multi-

thousand layered blade is created.

Japanese Sword

Rafael-Angel Rodríguez-Arguedas / Tachmajal Corrales-Sánchez /Oscar García-Montero / Wainer Camacho-Arias

NEW FACE!

©Okayama-ken Kanko Renmei/©JNTO

Nihon-to

Sharpening a sword

Hammering material steel

I am so happy and I feel that I’m a lucky person to participate in Japan.I think that Japan is a very nice country but I can’t stand its hot weather.

Syria

We want to achieve the

highest prizes by making our

efforts, and also we want to

know people, make friends,

and have a great time.

It’s awesome. The biggest

city we have ever seen and

also is really organized.

Costa Rica日本はとてもきれいですね。

" Very beautiful " They gave us the comment in Japanese.

42nd

Intern

ational C

hem

istry Olym

piad

O C N F P S I H B

F P B H I O C N S

H I S C N B O F P

S O I P F H N B C

N B F S O C P I H

P H C I B N S O F

I F H O C P B S N

B S P N H I F C O

C N O B S F H P I

Kamakura is an old city; this was where the Kamakura bakufu (shogunate) was based from late 12th century to mid-14th century. There are still many historic temples and Shinto shrines which have been there since the Kamakura period. The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine built in 1063 is a symbolic one; it enshrines the guardian god for the Genji family, the founders of Kamakura bakufu. This shrine still attracts a lot of worshippers and visitors and is a favorite spot for the Hatsumoude, the year’s first visit to a shrine. The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura daibutsu) is another famous symbol of this town. This huge bronze statue is believed to have been erected in 13th century, and was housed in a huge hall after completion; however, the hall was now said to be destroyed by natural disasters and never rebuilt since then. Therefore, it has been sitting outside as we can see today.

©JNTO

KAMAKURA©Yasufumi Nishi/© JNTO

PHOTO REPORT

Opening CeremonyThe opening ceremony of the Olympiad was held at NYC Large Hall from 9:30 am of July 20. After addresses by Prince Akishino, Vice Minister Masaharu Nakagawa (MEXT), Dr. Duckhwan Lee (Chair of Steering Committee of IChO), and Dr. Ryoji Noyori (Chair of IChO 2010), Hayate Saito of Japan team made an oath.

Great Buddha of Kamakura

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine

The Chemistry Olympiad has begun

We swear Fair Play!

Everyone is carefullylistening to the speech.

Chemistry: the key to our future

Shishimai

There are 14 elements which may be represented by single alphabets in the periodic table, nine of which are non-metals; H, B, C, N, O, F, P, S, and I.

Instructions(1) Take the 9 alphabets above, and place them in

the frames so that each single alphabet appears only once in the squares enclosed by bold lines, and along each row or column.

(2) Rearrange the letters in 1, 2, 3, and 4. What do you find?

Chemistry Sudoku 1LEVEL★☆☆

Answer : P.3

O C P 1

F H I O

I S 2 F

S F C

N S C H

P B F

F 3 4 B S

N H I O

S P I

Students Mentors and Scientific Observers

8:00- Breakfast 7:00- Breakfast

9:00- Excursion (Kamakura) 9:00- Translation

12:00- Lunch (OVTA)

13:00- Translation

18:00- Dinner (OVTA)

21:00- Free Time 20:00- Free Time

Program, July 21 [wed.]

English

▶　　　　　　　　　

▶ Japanese I Watashi わたし

You Anata あなたFriend Tomodachi 友達（ともだち）

Shop Omise お店（おみせ）Souvenir Omiyage お土産（おみやげ）

Money Okane お金（おかね）Station Eki 駅（えき）

Train Densha 電車（でんしゃ）Subway Chikatetsu 地下鉄（ちかてつ）

Street Toori 通り（とおり）House Ie 家（いえ）Room Heya 部屋（へや）

Washroom Toire トイレ（といれ）

Useful Japanese Phrases 2

42nd International Chemistry Olympiad

Beautiful country and polite people.

Contact: 42nd IChO Office1-5 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0062, JapanE-mail: contact@icho2010.orgWebsite: http://www.icho2010.org/

Editor-in-chief : Haruo Hosoya

Editors : Shigeru Machida, Atsunori Mori, Hiroshi Seta, Daisuke Takeuchi, Akiko Utagawa, Yuki Yamasaki, Translator : Maiko Katayama Designer : Keiko Tahara

WEATHER NEWSTokyo Chiba

high

low

high

low

fine

34 ºC 93 F 26 ºC79 F

fine

33 ºC 91 F 26 ºC79 F

As of July 20

Impression of Japan

Canada

My memory goes back 12 years when I participated in 30th IChO as one of Indonesian team members held in Australia. This year, I’m very happy that I can join IChO again as an Indonesian team guide. Hope you are all enjoying the unique Japanese summer experience. Yokoso to Japan!

Message from past participant

SoetrisnoIndonesia, participated in 30th IChO

Very interesting and different country. Many nice foods here!

Slovenia