Tohoku University Admitted Student Profiles & Alumni

Hideki Yukawa

Japan’s first Nobel Laureate in Physics (1949)

PhD Physics

1929

Shinichiro Tomonaga

Nobel Prize in Physics (1965)

PhD Physics

1929

Ryoji Noyori

Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2001)

PhD Chemistry

1967

Shinya Yamanaka

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2012)

MD, PhD

1987

Tasuku Honjo

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2018)

MD, PhD

1975

Makoto Kobayashi

Nobel Prize in Physics (2008)

PhD Physics

1972

Toshihide Maskawa

Nobel Prize in Physics (2008)

PhD Physics

1972

Akira Yoshino

Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2019) – lithium-ion battery pioneer

PhD Chemistry

2005

Koichi Tanaka

Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2002)

BSc Engineering

1983

Jun‑ichi Nishizawa

Inventor of PIN diode, “father of semiconductors” in Japan

Engineering diploma

N/A

Sumio Iijima

Discoverer of carbon nanotubes

PhD Physics

N/A

Fujio Masuoka

Inventor of flash memory

Engineering diploma

N/A

Masatoshi Shima

Co-inventor of the Intel 4004 CPU

Engineering diploma

N/A

Masato Sagawa

Inventor of NdFeB permanent magnets; Queen Elizabeth Prize Engineering 2022 winner

Engineering diploma

N/A

Kotaro Honda

Material scientist; 1932 Nobel Physics nominee

Engineering diploma

N/A

Hidetsugu Yagi

Co-designer of Yagi–Uda antenna

Engineering diploma

N/A

Shun‑ichi Iwasaki

Pioneer in perpendicular magnetic recording; IEEE 🇯🇵 Japan Prize & Franklin Medal winner

Electrical Engineering (faculty)

N/A

Atsuto Suzuki

Breakthrough Prize-winning neutrino physicist

PhD Physics

1974

Hirofumi Uzawa

Founder of modern Japanese theoretical economics

PhD Economics

N/A

Emiko Okuyama

Mayor of Sendai (2009–2017)

BA Law?

N/A

Lu Xun

Influential Chinese writer and literary critic

BA Literature (studied)

N/A

Ryuta Kawashima

Neuroscientist behind Brain Age video games

MD, PhD

N/A