Prominent Figures

Soil nurtured by people will grow rich; rich soil will allow people to grow strong.

The School of Science at Nagoya University counts among its faculty and alumni a world-leading line-up of eminent scientists, some of whom are introduced below. The School of Science is dedicated to building upon this rich history to nurture ever more outstanding research by future giants of science.

Makoto Kobayashi

  • Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008 for his work on CP violation and flavour mixing. Also awarded the Order of Culture in Japan and the Japan Academy Prize.

Toshihide Maskawa

  • Awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008 for his work on CP violation and flavour mixing. Also awarded the Order of Culture in Japan and the Japan Academy Prize.

Osamu Shimomura

  • Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008 for his work on the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein GFP. Also awarded the Order of Culture in Japan and the Asahi Prize.

Ryoji Noyori

  • Awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001 for his work on asymmetric catalysis and its science and technology. Also awarded the Order of Culture in Japan and the Japan Academy Prize.

Shigefumi Mori

  • Awarded the Fields Medal in 1990 for his work in the development of algebraic geometry. Also awarded the Japan Academy Prize and designated a Person of Cultural Merit by the Japanese government.

Kumeji Iida

  • Renowned for his work in discovering the Ishimoto-Iida formula on earthquakes. Worked as the Chairman of the IUGG Tsunami Commission.

Reiji and Tsuneko Okazaki

  • Reiji Okazaki

  • Tsuneko Okazaki

Awarded the LOreal Helena Rubinstein Award and the Medal with Purple Ribbon for their work in discovering the so-called Okazaki fragments of DNA.

Ken Sugawara

  • Awarded the Japan Academic Prize for his work in the development of earth and water environmental studies as an academic field.

Fumio Osawa

  • Awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon by the Japanese government and the Fujiwara Award for his work in the foundation of the biophysics as an academic field.

Sachio Hayakawa

  • Awarded the Japan Academy Prize for his work in the establishment of space astronomy as an academic field. Former President of Nagoya University.

Shoichi Sakata

  • Awarded the Imperial Prize of the Japan Academy and the Japan Academy Prize for his work in proposing the two meson theory and the Sakata model and for predicting the neutrino mixing (oscillation).

Yoshimasa Hirata

  • Awarded the Japan Academy Prize for his work on the organic chemistry of natural materials.

Tadashi Nakayama

  • Awarded the Japan Academy Prize for his work in completing Frobenius algebraic theory.