Different from University Professors

A professor of dermatology at the University of Tokyo was arrested on suspicion of bribery.
According to reports, he lived lavishly—so much so that the party offering the bribes eventually reported the matter themselves.

He is 62 years old, the same age as I am.

 

On social media, it was said that he was rarely seen on campus.
Perhaps his evenings were simply too busy, leaving him unable to wake up in the morning.

For someone like me, who checks the clock every day and rides a crowded commuter train to work, it feels like an entirely different world.

This made me wonder:
why do people become university professors in the first place?

Ordinarily, one would assume the answer is research.
But perhaps some are also drawn to what comes along with the title.

There are unspoken rankings for lectures and conference chairs—
so much for a professor, so much for an associate professor.

I once heard that a substantial portion of a professor’s income comes from such side earnings.
The so-called “perks” of the position can be quite remarkable.

Because he was a professor at a national university, the issue of bribery became a serious public matter.
Had he been at a private university, it might not have attracted quite the same level of scrutiny.

I have lived a life mostly unrelated to titles like “professor.”
And I have certainly remained untouched by late-night entertainment and lavish hospitality.

That may not be such a bad thing after all—
or is that simply sour grapes?