12 Scientists From Japan To Watch

By no means an exhaustive list, these 12 scientists have made significant contributions to Japan’s science and technology landscape.

AsianScientist (Nov. 9, 2016) – Known for its robust robotics, consumer electronics and automotive ecosystems, Japan nevertheless is an all-rounder in terms of R&D.

Across many science and technology fields and disciplines, Japanese scientists are prominent for their world-class standards of research, publications in internationally-renowned journals and numerous accolades. In fact, Yoshinori Ohsumi, one of the entries on our 2016 Asian Scientist 100 list, won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and was the second Japanese scientist in a row to do so. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Satoshi Omura, also on this list.

Read on to learn more about these 12 distinguished scientists who should be on your radar.

  1. Yutaka Takahasi

    Yutaka Takahasi credit Japan Prize

    Takahasi won the 2015 Japan Prize for his research into river basin management and water-related disasters.

    (Photo: The Japan Prize Foundation)

  2. Takuo Aoyagi

    14 Takuo Aoyagi Credit ETHW

    Aoyagi received the 2015 IEEE Medal for Innovations in Healthcare Technology for his research into pulse oximetry.

    (Photo: Engineering and Technology History Wiki)

  3. Akira Endo

    17 Akira Endo Credit Prince Mahidol Award Foundation

    Endo won the Prince Mahidol Prize 2014 in the medicine category for discovering the first statin (compactin), a major milestone in the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease.

    (Photo: Prince Mahidol Award Foundation)

  4. Kazutoshi Mori

    Asia's Scientific Trailblazers Professor Kazutoshi Mori

    Mori won the 2014 Shaw Prize in Life Sciences and Medicine—“Asia’s Nobel Prize”—and the 2014 Lasker Basic Medical Research Award—“America’s Nobel Prize”—for his work on the unfolded protein response, a quality control system which prevents the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the cell.

    (Photo: Mori Research Laboratory)

  5. Shigekazu Nagata

    Shigekazu Nagata Credit IFReC

    In 2015, Nagata was elected as foreign associate of the US National Academy of Sciences for helping to understand the role of apoptosis and phagocytosis in autoimmune diseases.

    (Photo: Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University)

  6. Yoshinori Ohsumi

    Yoshinori Ohsumi Credit Titech

    In 2015, Ohsumi received both the Canada Gairdner International Award and the Keio Medical Science Prize for his pioneering research into autophagy and its role in diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer and infection. Earlier this year, he was also awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Medicine.

    (Photo: Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  7. Satoshi Omura

    Satoshi Omura Credit satoshi-omura.info

    Omura, professor emeritus at Kitasato University, shared one-half of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of an anti-roundworm parasite drug, avermectin. Ivermectin, which is a newer derivative of avermectin, has radically lowered the incidence of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis, among other parasitic diseases.

    (Photo: Satoshi Omura)

  8. Shimon Sakaguchi

    Shimon Sakaguchi Credit IFReC

    For his discovery and characterization of regulatory T cells in autoimmune diseases and cancer, Sagakuchi received the Canada Gairdner International Award 2015.

    (Photo: Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University)

  9. Masayo Takahashi

    Masayo Takahashi_c300dpi

    Takahashi was placed on Nature magazine’s “Nature’s 10 2014” for carrying out the first-ever induced pluripotent stem cell clinical study for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. Since the surgery in 2014, the patient has shown no tumor formation, Takahashi’s team says. And in 2016, Takahashi was recognized again for her trailblazing work with the Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize.

    (Photo: RIKEN)

  10. Isamu Akasaki

    Isamu Akasaki Credit NAE

    Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving light sources.”

    (Photo: National Academy of Engineering)

  11. Hiroshi Amano

    Hiroshi Amano Credit Nagoya U

    Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving light sources.”

    (Photo: Nagoya University)

  12. Shuji Nakamura

    Shuji Nakamura Credit Shuji Nakamura

    Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura shared the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics “for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving light sources.”

    (Photo: Shuji Nakamura)

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Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Shutterstock.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

Coming from a design background, Filzah brings a fresh perspective to science communications. She is particularly interested in healthcare and technology.

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