Astrophysicist Yoshio Fujita Passes Away
Professor Yoshio Fujita, a one-time President of the Japan Academy, passed away due to heart failure on January 9, 2013, aged 104.
Professor Fujita is world authority on studies on low temperature stars. His researches based on spectroscopic observations of low temperature stars were appreciated, with the result that he was awarded the Imperial prize of the Japan Academy.
Prof. Fujita was born in Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture in 1908. After graduation of Department of Astronomy, Physics Division, Tokyo Imperial University (present University of Tokyo) in 1931, he hold successively an assistant professor and an professor of Physics Division. He also worked as the board chairperson of the Japan Astronomical Society, the President of the Japan Academy, and so on. In 1996, he was selected as Persons of Cultural Merit in 1996.
We respectfully offer our condolences.
January 15, 2013
| 1931 | Graduate of Tokyo Imperial University (present University of Tokyo) Assistant Professor of Tokyo Observatory, Tokyo Imperial University |
| 1939 | Ph.D. Tokyo Imperial University |
| 1943 | Technical Expert at Tokyo Observatory |
| 1948 | Associated Professor at the University of Tokyo |
| 1951 | Professor at the University of Tokyo, Professor at Tokyo Observatory |
| 1955 | Wining the Imperial prize of the Japan Academy for his research on "Spectroscopic Studies of Low Temperature Stars" |
| 1957 | Chairperson of Astrophysics Subcommittee of Committee on Astronomical Research Correspondence, Science Council of Japan |
| 1961 | Administrative director of the Astronomical Society of Japan |
| 1965 | Elected to the Member of the Japan Academy |
| 1969 | Retire Professor at the University of Tokyo (by Retirement Age System) Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo |
| 1971 | Received the Cultural and Encouragement Prize from Fukui City |
| 1979 | Honorary Citizen of Fukui City |
| 1984 | Honorary Member of American Astronomical Society |
| 1986 | Lifetime Member of the Royal Astronomical Society |
| 1994 | President of the Japan Academy |
| 1996 | Person of Cultural Merit |
| 1997 | President of the Japan Academy (Re-election) |
| 1999 | Utakai Hajime (New Year's Poetry Reading) As Professional Poets |
| 2002 | Fukui Prefectural Prize |
| 2012 | Honorary Member of National Academy of sciences, Republic of Korea |