DATE2026.11.04 #Awards & Prizes

Emeritus Professor Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa has been awarded the Order of Culture for 2026

Disclaimer: machine translated by DeepL which may contain errors.

Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa, Emeritus Professor

Emeritus Professor Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa has been awarded the Order of Culture for his outstanding contributions to elucidating the fundamental principles governing the division, proliferation, and inheritance of cellular organelles, particularly mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Professor Kuroiwa discovered that mitochondria—which generate energy for cells—and chloroplasts—which produce oxygen and organic compounds through photosynthesis—possess their own nuclear-like structures (nucleoids) within cells and proliferate using a division apparatus consisting of multiple rings. He also identified a division apparatus in peroxisomes. To elucidate these fundamental phenomena and their molecular basis, he developed the single-celled red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae as a model organism and achieved the first-ever 100% genome sequencing of a eukaryote. Furthermore, he discovered that maternal inheritance—the fundamental mode of inheritance in mitochondria and chloroplasts—arises from the selective degradation of paternal DNA. Professor Kuroiwa’s research, which led to this series of groundbreaking discoveries through his unique microscopy techniques and extensive use of unique biological materials, has opened numerous new avenues in the biological sciences.

Professor Kuroiwa earned his Ph.D. in Botany from the Graduate School of Science at this university in 1971. He was appointed professor in the Faculty of Science in 1987 and devoted himself to research, education, and the administration of the university until 2003. His unwavering commitment to originality and his continued dedication to research are a great inspiration to many younger researchers, including his former students. He has also made significant contributions to the development of the academic community, serving as an honorary member of organizations such as the Botanical Society of Japan and the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists.

His outstanding research achievements, accompanied by compelling microscopic photographs, have graced the covers of numerous international journals and are highly regarded. In 2008, he received the C.R. Barnes Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists and the Medal with Purple Ribbon; in 2010, he was awarded the Midori Academic Prize and the Japan Academy Prize. In 2011, he was honored as a Person of Cultural Merit, and in 2015, he received the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays. Since 2010, he has also contributed to the advancement of academia as a member of the Japan Academy.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Kuroiwa on receiving this prestigious honor and wish him continued good health and success in his future endeavors.

Fall Reiwa 8 Decorations and Honors

(Written by Tetsuya Higashiyama, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences)