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About Us

JSPS Honorary Fellow

Inaugurated in July 2014, “JSPS Honorary Fellow” is a lifelong title given to persons of distinctive merits who have held one of the following positions at JSPS.

  1. Member of JSPS Academic Advisory Board
  2. Director or Deputy Director of JSPS Research Center for Science Systems
  3. Director of a JSPS Overseas Office

Also eligible are persons whom the JSPS president acknowledges as having made outstanding contributions to the advancement of JSPS’s programs.
The president decides upon whom to confer the title based on consultation with JSPS’s Executive Board.
Fellows are presented a certificate by the president.
JSPS Honorary Fellows to date are listed below.

Name Dr. KODAIRA Keiichi
Title/Affiliation at the time of the Award Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
Professor Emeritus, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Professor Emeritus, Graduate University for Advanced Studies
Research Field Astronomy and Galactic Astrophysics
Date of Award December 17, 2018
Academic Career 1982: Professor at the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, University of Tokyo
1988: Professor at National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and Professor at University of Tokyo (concurrent posts)
1994: Director General of National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Chair of Department of Astronomical Science, School of Physical Sciences, Graduate University for Advanced Studies
1997: Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
2000: Professor Emeritus, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
2001: President, Graduate University for Advanced Studies
2008: Professor Emeritus, Graduate University for Advanced Studies
Position held during tenure at JSPS/ Periods of tenure Director, JSPS Bonn Office/ July 2008-September 2018
Reasons for the conferment

Prof. Kodaira made a major effort to strengthen cooperative relations with the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Research Foundation (DFG), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and the JSPS Alumni Association in Germany, and increased the greater presence of JSPS Bonn Office as a base for promoting Japanese-German academic exchange. He also contributed to the development of academic exchange between Japan and countries of the former Soviet Union as well as the Eastern Europe through his official visits where such exchanges had not been fully taken place until then. In addition, he encouraged the collaboration between Japanese universities/research institutions that ran their overseas offices in Europe and supported overseas development of Japanese universities, while contributing to the promotion of cooperation between Japanese universities and European universities. For these accomplishments, the title “JSPS Honorary Fellow” is conferred upon Prof. Kodaira.

Name Dr. MAEJIMA Makoto
Title/Affiliation at the time of the Award Professor Emeritus, Keio University
Research Field Probability theory
Date of Award May 9, 2018
Academic Career 1973: Assistant, Department of Mathematics, Keio University
1976: Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics, Keio University
1981: Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics, Keio University
1989: Professor, Department of Mathematics, Keio University
2011: Professor Emeritus, Keio University
Position held during tenure at JSPS/ Periods of tenure Director, Center for Global Science Information/ April 2013 – March 2018
Deputy director, Research Center for Science Systems/ April 2013 – March 2018
Reasons for the conferment

While heading Center for Global Science Information that was established in 2013 as a director, Prof. Maejima contributed to form the solid basis for the program development efforts at JSPS based on the analysis of scientific research information and evidence. To achieve this goal, he promoted the creation of database that enables the central management of the data obtained from JSPS programs including Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and conducted data analysis on these programs using the newly developed database.

In addition, he devoted himself to the collaboration between Research Center for Science Systems and Center for Global Science Information so that the achievements of the research and analysis activities of the latter would advance the reform measures for the JSPS programs, while also serving as a deputy director of Research Center for Science Systems. For these accomplishments, Prof. Maejima was awarded the title "JSPS Honorary Fellow."

Name ISHII Shiro
Title/Affiliation at the time of the Award Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
Research Field Legal history of Japan
Date of Award July 1, 2016
Academic Career 1962: Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
1972: Professor, University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
1994: Vice President, University of Tokyo
1996: Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
2001: Executive Member, Council for Science and Technology Policy, Cabinet Office
2006: Executive Director, Inter-University Research Institute, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Position held during tenure at JSPS/ Periods of tenure Special Advisor/ Jul 2003~Mar 2008
Senior Advisor/ Apr 2008~Mar 2012
Deputy Director/ Apr 2012~Mar 2017
Research Center for Science Systems
Reasons for the conferment Serving as its Deputy Director, Prof. Ishii has been involved with JSPS’s Research Center for Science Systems since its inception. He laid the cornerstones for Center’s establishment by defining its functions and setting its direction while compiling a cohort of program officers. Through his ensuing roles as a counselor and advisor, Prof. Ishii helped to create and reform the screening and evaluation systems of the programs Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and the Research Fellowships for Young Scientists. He also provides instrumental advice on the launching of new programs that respond to rapid advances and changing trends in scientific research. For his many and significant contributions to designing systems that are highly effective in advancing science, Prof. Ishii was awarded the title “JSPS Honorary Fellow.”

Name Dr. TAKEDA Seishi         
Title/Affiliation at the time of the Award Professor Emeritus, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
Research Field Accelerator Science
Date of Award December 15, 2014
Academic Career 1971 : Research Associate, Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University
1987 : Assistant Professor, National Laboratory for High Energy Physics (KEK)
2000 : Professor, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
2007 : Professor Emeritus, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
Position held during tenure at JSPS Director, JSPS Washington Office/ October 2000 – July 2004
Director, JSPS San Francisco Office/ April 2004 – March 2014
Reasons for the conferment   While heading JSPS’s Washington, DC Office, Prof. Takeda worked to strengthen JSPS’s cooperative relationships with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Then in 2003, he took the lead in establishing JSPS’s new office in San Francisco. As its director, Prof. Takeda supported the launching of JUNBA (Japanese University Network in the Bay Area), and had the office support its operation as the JUNBA secretariat. Through this and other efforts, he advanced a landmark initiative of JSPS overseas offices developing and carrying out activities based on their cooperative relationship with universities, while building networks among Japanese researchers working in the US and providing support for the overseas development of Japanese universities. For these accomplishments, the title “JSPS Honorary Fellow” is conferred upon Prof. Takeda.

Name Dr. NAKATANI Yoichi
Title/Affiliation at the time of the Award Professeur Conventionné and Chairman of the Japan Committee, University of Strasbourg
Research Field Chemistry
Date of Award October 17, 2014
Academic Career 1965 : Research Associate, University of Tokyo
1968 : Associate Professor, Ochanomizu University
1977 : Researcher, CNRS
1981 : Professeur Conventionné, Louis Pasteur (Strasbourg I) University
1988 : Research Director, CNRS
2002 : Research Director Emeritus, CNRS
Position held during tenure at JSPS Director, JSPS Strasbourg Office Periods of tenure April 2002 – March 2014
Reasons for the conferment As the director of JSPS Strasbourg Office, Prof. Nakatani held periodic science seminars to introduce research activities being advanced in Japan, and he participated in the Japan-France Joint Advisory Council on Cooperation in Science and Technology and the Japan-France Symposium on Higher Education. He also contributed to strengthening JSPS’s relationship with the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) by establishing a joint screening committee and carrying out joint symposiums in collaboration with French universities. All of these lead to a wide expansion of the office’s function as a base for Franco-Japanese scientific exchange. Prof. Nakatani also worked to launch JSPS French alumni association. Then, he developed a scheme for organically supporting the activities of the alumni association while advancing JSPS’s programs in France by holding introductory program briefings at universities throughout France in cooperation with the alumni members. For these accomplishments, the title “JSPS Honorary Fellow” is conferred upon Prof. Nakatani.

Name Dr. TANAKA Yasuo　　Dr. TANAKA Yasuo passed away on January 18, 2018.
Title/Affiliation at the time of the Award Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
Professor Emeritus, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
Scientific Member, Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physic
Research Field X-ray Astronomy
Date of Award September 18, 2014
Academic Career 1956 : Research Associate, Institute of Nuclear Study, University of Tokyo
1974 : Professor, Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science, University of Tokyo
1994 : Professor Emeritus, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (JAXA) and University of Tokyo
1996 : Guest Professor, University of Utrecht and University of Amsterdam
1997 : Guest Scientist, Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physic
Position held during tenure at JSPS Director, JSPS Bonn Office Periods of tenure April 1995 – June 2008
Reasons for the conferment Prof. Tanaka supported the activities of the German JSPS Club (the German alumni association of the former JSPS fellows), which was founded just after his assignment as the director of the JSPS Bonn Office. In this first JSPS attempt to support an alumni association, he worked to establish a systematic network of former JSPS fellows and paved the way for JSPS to add a new dimension to its international activities. He also built strong cooperative relationships between JSPS and its German counterpart organizations. Examples are the cooperative systems he created with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, including for screening proposals for collaborative programs between JSPS and these organizations. For such accomplishments, the title “JSPS Honorary Fellow” is conferred upon Prof. Tanaka.