Reminiscing about Professor Shoji Shibata

Abstract

Professor Shoji Shibata was born on October 23, 1915 and lived a long natural life, passing away on July 12, 2016 at the age of 100. The Japan Academy sent a telegram to the memorial of the former Academy member. Shoji Shibata retired from Tokyo University and Meiji Pharmaceutical University where he worked as a professor for 10 years. His main interests was educational research. He often played tennis with students and faculty staff. He was involved in the Shosoin drug study and was a teacher of Okuyama. The first scientific survey of Shosoin drugs was performed in 1948-1949, immediately following Word War II after being proposed by the Imperial Household Agency to a team of scientists lead by Yasuhiko Asahina, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo. Shoji Shibata, associate professor with University of Tokyo at the time, participated as one of the team members. An enormous amount of information on chemical and pharmacological knowledge of traditional Chinese medicines has been accumulated over the past 50 years. The second scientific survey of Shosoin drugs was proposed by the Shosoin office of the Imperial Household Agency, and carried out from 1994 to 1995, renewing the research project under Shoji Shibata (Chief M.J.A., and Prof. Emeritus, University of Tokyo).