Chemistry Nobel Prize winner Susumu Kitagawa reveals Japanese research mindset: 'Don’t switch off the light, even…'

What drives a scientist to pursue a discovery that almost everyone else believes is impossible? For Japan’s 2025 Chemistry Nobel Prize winner, Professor Susumu Kitagawa, the answer lies in a mindset passed down through generations of Japanese researchers. In a conversation recorded just a day after his Nobel win, he laughingly summed it up in one memorable line: “Don’t switch off the light, even at night.” The phrase reflects more than long hours. It captures a philosophy of relentless curiosity, deep discipline, and the belief that breakthrough science emerges when the prepared mind refuses to rest. Kitagawa recalls that when he began exploring metal organic frameworks (MOFs) in the 1990s, many dismissed the idea as impractical. But scepticism only fuelled him, the more people said