In April 2004, Thomson Scientific Co. in the United States announced the world rankings of research institutions by judging the number of theses which they cited. For three years in a row, first place was awarded to Tokyo University for Physics and Tohoku University for Materials Science. Theses published in the 11-year period from 1993 to 2003 were considered. Kyoto University for Chemistry was in second place, while Tokyo University for Biology and Biochemistry took fifth place. For the 10-year period, twenty-four institutions in Japan ranked in the top 1%.

Many research institutions made use of this ranking in their organizational strategy. Max Planck institutions in Germany amalgamated institutions of their subsidiaries under the name of “Max Planck Society”. As a result, these institutions ranked in the top 1% in the world, in 21 out of 22 fields of “Essential Science Indicators”. Regarding these results, Thomson Scientific Co. comments every year: In three fields, Chemistry, Materials Science and Physics, Max Planck institutions have been ranked No.1 since 2005. However, this is a result of Max Planck Society having united all the names of more than 80 research institutions which belong to that Society. Tohoku University for Materials Science and Tokyo University for Physics should not be ranked any lower, given that they have consistently been in first place (until 2004).

Materials Science academic papers of Tohoku University and Physics papers from Tokyo University were virtually number one in the world, although the schools’ performances were ranked second in the world in 2005 and 2006. They were unbeaten until Max Planck Society was created.

In 2005 Kyoto University for Chemistry came in 3rd place, while Tokyo University for Biology and Biochemistry was in fifth place. In 2006 Kyoto University for Chemistry was in 3rd place. Overall, the number of citations tends to increase with the number of theses, and academic dispatching to the world from top Japanese research institutions is becoming more active.

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THOMSON SALUTES JAPAN’S CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL RESEARCH

As the Turkish envoy was returning to Turkey, it collided with rocks off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture during a typhoon. It was a tragedy. 587 lives including the special envoys were lost and only 69 people escaped from death. The inhabitants of the Ooshima Island saved them and supplied them with chickens that the Ooshima inhabitants had stocked for emergencies (e.g., earthquake, fire, flood, etc.).

Both governmental agents and Japanese searched for dead bodies and their belongings and salvaged the sunken ship. The survivors were sent back to Turkey with the warships, “Kongou” and “Hiei”, with the Emperor Meiji’s instructions. Memorial monuments were built in Kashinozaki (Japan) and in Turkey through donations.

The belongings left by the deceased, including a music score composed specifically in memory of the deceased by the Japanese, are on display in Naval Museum in Istanbul even today.

The first nationwide literacy test was conducted by GHQ in 1948 during the Occupation period. It tested about 20,000 Japanese men and woman between the ages of 15 and 64 throughout the country. It was found that the rate of literacy was higher than the world and American standards.

The test result was cited as proof that the level of literacy of the majority of prewar Japanese was high, and it dismissed the Occupation policy which claimed for the script reform (Romanization).

The researchers named published the most Hot Papers in the latest two-year period (2004-2006). Thomson Scientific identifies a published work as a Hot Paper if it has been cited in scientific journals more times than papers of similar type and age and has been ranked in top 0.1%. Researchers are ranked by the number of Hot Papers they have published. Those who make significant contribution to modern scientific thought are recognized as the hottest researchers,.

Seven papers authored by Professor AKIRA have been named ‘Hot Papers’. Among these, the most cited was published in the February 2006 issue of the journal “Cell.” It has been cited 29 times during the period reviewed.

His research subjects are biological defense mechanisms, signaling pathways of cytokines, and function analysis of biological molecules using knockout mice. Much attention has been focused on these findings, which are expected to provide a clue to treatment of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, allergenic diseases, and immunotherapy of cancers.

AKIRA showed that “innate immunity”, which was considered an earlier and primitive system, controls the whole immune system including “acquired immunity,” an essential immune system in vertebrate animals. This Copernican-type discovery resolves a mechanism of allergy and rheumatism and solves a mystery in organic evolution, contributing to the development of a new immunotherapy for cancer.

In the 2004-2005 period, with 10 researchers named to the list, Japan was second only to the United States with seven researchers.

Japanese “Hottest” Researchers with number of Hot Papers are listed below;
1. AKIRA Shizuo of Osaka University (Immunology) 11
2. Tamura Norio of Niigata University (Physics) 8
3. Watanabe Yasushi of Tokyo Institute of Technology (Physics) 7
4. Masashi Hazumi of KEK, Japan (Physics) 6
5. Toru Iijima of Nagoya University (Physics) 6
6. Nobuhiko Katayama of KEK, Japan (Physics) 6
7. Takeshi Okabe of Nagoya University (Physics) 6

“Our annual roundup of the hottest research celebrates those scientists making a significant impact,” said Christopher King, editor of Science Watch. “Having authored multiple Hot Papers is an achievement of the highest level, as it truly demonstrates their impact on modern scientific thought.”

According to press release by Thomson Scientific in April 2004, Tokyo University and Tohoku University ranked first in the world in the total number of citations of papers published in physics and materials science, respectively, for the third consecutive year.
Kyoko University ranked 2nd in chemistry and the University of Tokyo ranked 5th in biology & biochemistry. The Essential Science Indicators database of Thomson Scientific revealed that 24 Japanese institutions ranked in top 1% of highly cited papers during 10-year period.

In 2005 and 2006, Germany’s Max Planck Society takes the lead in the fields of chemistry, materials science and physics. Tohoku University places 2nd in materials science and The University of Tokyo also wins 2nd in physics.
Tohoku University and The University of Tokyo had taken the lead in each field in the previous years. Thomson Scientific stated that the fall from first place did not mean a decline in research performance at the Japanese Universities. In Germany, the work of more than 80 institutes and research bodies has been aggregated under the umbrella organization of the Max Planck Society. When the standings are viewed on the basis of independent institutes, Tohoku and Tokyo Universities retain the top ranking.

In 1860s Japan, revolution which overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate and restored the power to the Emperor, transformed the country from a feudal into a modern nation-state.In the late Tokugawa Shogunate, the intrusion of Western powers, particularly the United States under Admiral Matthew C. Perry exposed the weakness of the Shogunal power and triggered nationalist unrest.

The Choshu and Satsuma domains of western Japan demanded a new government loyal to the Emperor to expel the Western powers. On January 3, 1868, the revolutionary army with the support of anti-Tokugawa court nobles, succeeded in a palace coup in Kyoto and proclaimed a restoration of Imperial rule.

When Kaishu was informed of imminent attack on Edo planed by the Imperial Army, he sent a letter to Saigo. In the letter he wrote that they must avoid the war for the sake of Japan, and cooperate in order to deal with the very real threat of the foreign powers.

The historic meeting between Kaishu and Saigo was held on March 14, 1868, one day before the planned attack. Kaishu accepted Saigo’s conditions including the peaceful surrender of Shogunal Edo Castle, and allowing the House of Tokugawa to survive. Two great samurai saved the lives and property of Edo’s one million inhabitants and Japan’s future as well.

The original is thought to be an anonymous cerebrating poem of “Kokin Wakashu”, the first poem anthology in the Engi Era, the beginning of 10th century. The lyrics are: Waga kimi wa, Chiyo ni yachiyo ni, Sazare-ishi no, Iwao to narite, Koke no musu made. (May you, my lord, Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations, Until the pebbles, Grow into boulders, Lush with moss)
The first phrase “Kimi ga yo”, (Your reign) has been more familiar than the original stanza, “Waga kimi wa”,( You, my lord) dating from the end of Heian Era(794-1192).

In the early Meiji Era(1868-1912), the Restoration Government chose the lyrics “Kimi ga Yo” from the Satsuma Biwa Uta “Horai-san” when Japan decided on a national anthem to meet the demands of international protocol.

An Englishman, John William Fenton, a military band leader, composed the national anthem of Japan. On September 18, 1870 (Meiji 3rd), it was first performed in front of the Emperor Meiji at the national first military review in Japan. 

The melody, however, was not in harmony with Japanese language. Ten years later, Hiromori Hayashi, a bandmaster of the Imperial Household Agency, produced a new national anthem, composed by Yoshiisa Oku and arranged by Franz von Eckert, a foreign advisor to the Imperial Japanese Navy. And so, “Kimigayo” was completed.
On the Emperor Meiji’s birthday, November 3rd in 1880, the new national anthem was performed in the Imperial Court for the first time.

Reference: Wikipedia, “Kimi ga Yo”

This sum greatly appealed to the Meiji Administration, which was suffering financially, but the Administration flatly refused this offer, saying that “selling our national flag means selling our own country”.

In 1945, two days after the Japanese surrender in the Second World War, Indonesia declared its independence. Indonesia was deeply grateful to Japan’s cooperation toward its independence, so they fixed the date of their declaration of independence on August 17th, of ’05′. The ’05′ standing for the 2605th year of the Japanese Imperial reign.

Japanese soldiers regretted that they couldn’t fulfill their responsibilities to create an independent Indonesia, so about two thousand Japanese soldiers remained there after the end of the war and fought battles at the head of the local people. About half of those soldiers were killed in battle. Soldiers who lost their lives in the ‘Independence War’ lie buried in Jakarta Military Cemetery.

Indonesia decided to color its national flag with red and white, imitating that of Japan, because Japan is so respected. At Independence Commemorations, one person dressed as a Japanese soldier, one male and one female Indonesian, together hoist the national flag.

The asymmetrical design, strong lines and simple flat colors of Ukiyoe attracted many eminent Impressionist artists from Manet to Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Mary Cassatt, Monet, Van Gogh and many more.

Claude Monet kept Ukiyoe on the walls of his villa in Giverny: He collected 231 Japanese prints. These included works by such great masters as Ando Hiroshige 安藤 広重, Katushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎 and Kitagawa Utamaro 喜多川 歌麿.

Vincent Van Gogh was also one of those admirers. In his Le Pere Tanguy, Gogh painted in its background scene, six different Japanese Ukiyoe featuring Japanese scenes and objects, including cherry blossom, a Japanese courtesan, Mount Fuji, and a cluster of morning-glory. He copied two prints by the Japanese great master of genre, Hiroshige. He wrote on his admiration for Japan in his letter to his brother: “I envy the Japanese artists for the incredible neat clarity which all their works have. It is never boring and you never get the impression that they work in a hurry. It is as simple as breathing; they draw a figure with a couple of strokes with such an unfailing easiness as if it were as easy as buttoning one’s waist-coat.”

The former Prime Minister of Thailand, Kukrit Pramoj, who was Chief Editor of the newspaper ‘Siam Rath’ at the time and who took office as Prime Minister in 1973, stated:
 
“It was thanks to Japan that all nations of Asia gained independence. For Mother Japan, it was a difficult birth which resulted in much suffering, yet her children are growing up quickly to be healthy and strong.  

Who was it that enabled the citizens of the nations of Southeast Asia to gain equal status alongside the United States and Britain today? It is because Japan, who acted like a mother to us all, carried out acts of benevolence towards us and performed feats of self-sacrifice. December 8th is the day when Mother Japan – who taught us this important lesson – laid her life on the line for us, after making a momentous decision and risking her own well-being for our sake.

Furthermore, August 15th is the day when our beloved and revered mother was frail and ailing. Neither of these two days should ever be forgotten”.

Samurais who defended their country and governed Japan dutifully came to raise the quality of the original moral culture “Bushido”(which means ‘The Way of the Samurais’) through the times.

The Samurais represented justice, politeness, truthfulness and loyalty to their lord.
They faithfully served their country with pride and they could even give up their lives for their country and their lord.

“Seppuku(harakiri)” is essential to the samurai. It was considered very manly and showed strong self-responsibility, pureness and sense of mortality of life. Their way of life was compared to cherry blossoms which are scattered manfully at the same time as they are in full glory. This is what Japanese pride meant.

The book “Bushido” of Inazo Nitobea (新渡戸 稲造) introduced the Japanese samurai to the world. It captured the hearts of intellectuals and young people in the world strongly.

Bangladesh means “the country of Bengal”. Three Bengalis who pride themselves in their close ties with Japan are: Tagore, a poet who won the Nobel Prize for Asian literature; Chandra Bose, who risked his life for the independence of India; and Radhabinod Pal, a judge. Tagore was a friend of Tenshin Okakura. He visited Japan several times. Because of Chandra Bose, the Japanese supported the independence of India. Pal asserted that the Japanese were not guilty in the Japanese war crimes trial.

In 1963, the televising of “Tetsuwan Atom” began, and was broadcast overseas as “AstroBoy” causing Osamu Tezuka’s audience to grow worldwide. Some notable Japanese animation accomplishments include: “Doraemon” (1969), “UFO Robo Grandizer” (1978) (it had the highest audience rating of 100% in France and Italy and the theme songs were smash successes selling over 1 million copies), “Dragonball” (1986) ( with a rating of 70% which made Akira Toriyama the most popular Japanese in France), Akira (アキラ) (1988), “Pokemon”(ポケモン) (1997) for which the 1999 movie version took first place in United States box offices, and Naruto (ナルト) (2002) which had the highest ratings among Japanese households with boys aged 6-14 (as of 2006). All of these projects are milestones of success in Japanese animation that have taken place throughout the world. Recently, the animated movie “Spirited Away” claimed The Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear in 2002 as well as the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.

In 1961 Mifune appeared in the intrnational picture for the first time. In 1967 he costarred with Yves Montand in Grand Prix directed by John Frankenheimer. In 1971 he costarred with Alain Delon and Charles Bronson in Red Sun directed by Terence Young.

George Lucas reportedly considered Mifune for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars Episode　Ⅳ( 1977), but Mifune turned down the offer.

The early origins of Noh were mostly folk-type of rustic entertainment; Sarugaku 猿楽 that derived from Sangaku 散楽, the entertaining arts brought to Japan from China. Sarugaku included many types of performing arts, from acrobatics to song-and-dance, magic tricks, and humorous mimicry.

Sarugaku was very popular and often performed at shrine and temple festivals by the common people. In the mid-Kamakura Period (1185-1333) Sarugaku troupes formed under the patronage of shrines and temples.

Noh theater combines elements of dance, drama, music and poetry into highly aesthetic stage art. Kan-ami 観阿弥, and his son Zeami 世阿弥 developed Sarugaku into a form of theater recognizable to modern audiences as Noh in the 14th century under the patronage of Ashikaga Yoshimitu 足利義満.

Zeami is considered to be the father of Noh; he further refined the art of mimicry left by his father into a performing art of song and dance that is based upon the ideal of quiet elegance (yugen 幽玄).

NOH & KYOGEN -An Introduction to the World of Noh & Kyogen-

British well-known scholar of gardening, Robert Fortune who visited Japan in 1860 wrote in a book called “Edo and Beijing” as follows: “Regardless of social position, the clear characteristic of Japanese people is that they like flowers. If the love of flowers is a way to measure human intellectual standard, the lower classes in Japan seem to be superior, comparing to people of the same class in England.

A worldwide well-known German botanist, Hans Molisch was invited by the Japanese government in 1922 to work for the Northeastern Imperial University. He published a book, where he explained the reason why Japanese have a true heart for nature and flowers: “A plant is an existence that has a soul for the Japanese, and it is important for them that it should be loved in the same way as a human being,”

Concerning the Japanese way of watching plants compared to that of a westerner, Molisch discussed as follows, “In this country, there is still the same way of thinking that ancient Greek people had. The people of the ancient Greece thought that trees had souls and hamadryads lived there. And as for ancient Teutons, they had the same feeling that something noble, something like a soul dwelled in trees. But such simple thinking has been totally abandoned today in the West. However, such a way of thinking is still there among the people in Japan up to today.”

Molisch thought that the reason why the Japanese loved flowers was connected with their outlook on Japanese nature. They believe that God dwells in the mountains, rivers, all the trees and plants. And he wrote “In this country, where I am, the close friendship between nature and human beings, specially plants is shown to us everywhere. A lot of streets in Tokyo are named after plants and many girls have flower names. The chrysanthemum has become the crest of the Imperial family.”

In addition, he paid attention to the difference between Japanese and Westerners when they name plants. In both Western countries and Japan, each plant has a special name. “A person’s name is often used in the West, and in France in particular, they have the custom to use names of famous persons for new flowers. However Japanese don’t have that kind of feelings for such a way of naming,” said Molisch.  He wrote as follows. “In Japan they demand support from nature and take names out of the natural world and abstract names, too. For example, ‘benishio’ , ‘Lotus flower’, ‘kinka mountain’, ‘Milky Way’, ‘virtue of emperor’ etc..

Furthermore, Molisch showed interest for “flower arrangement”. The flower arrangement is performed according to a unique view of the world, a philosophy principle, an aesthetic model. “The Japanese flower arrangement can not be compared to the European way of arranging bouquets, I think, because flower arrangement is an art really full of originality, and Westerners do not have the terms which can express this precisely. Neither ‘the bouquet’ nor ‘the flower basket’ or ‘a bunch of flowers’ is suitable. The artists of the flower arrangement, so to speak, have a communication with the flowers they use and they must be devoted in their souls. It is not only the flower itself that Japanese people love. For them, all from the stem and the leaf, the branch of the flower, the moss and the mushroom which sticks to branches and leaves have important value in them. Japanese make use of all of the flowers, the blooming tree and branches for art. Therefore you must not think the Japanese flower arrangement, is just for flowers. The branch without a flower is also flower arrangement.