Professor Takashi Yamaguchi received the "16th Prime Minister's Award for Meritorious Service in Promoting a Maritime Nation."
The award ceremony for the “16th Awards for Distinguished Contributions to the Promotion of Japan as a Maritime Nation” (Prime Minister’s Award)—organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; and the Ministry of the Environment, with the cooperation of the Secretariat for the Promotion of Comprehensive Ocean Policy under the Cabinet Office—was held, and Professor Takashi Yamaguchi, leader of Research and Development Project 5, received the award.
This chapter honors individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to public outreach and awareness, academic research, and industrial promotion in a wide range of marine-related fields, including science and technology, fisheries, maritime affairs, and the environment.
(Summary of Achievements) Development of technologies for water environment conservation and water resource utilization
With the goal of preserving and restoring the environment of public waterways, we conduct research and development on water resource regeneration technologies applicable both domestically and internationally, and promote their implementation in society. We are also advancing research on land-based aquaculture and water management technologies for marine fish and shellfish to help solve food security issues.
Furthermore, in terms of human resource development, we incorporated technology management methodologies into our education and research at an early stage; to date, we have produced 37 doctoral graduates and are building a collaborative framework for education and research by forming a global network of professionals in the fields of marine and aquatic environmental conservation, marine resource utilization, and water treatment and water resource regeneration. The energy-efficient water resource recycling technologies—originally developed in Japan and built in collaboration with industry networks—have been standardized and implemented in society both domestically and internationally.
As part of efforts to develop young talent, the university collaborates with technical colleges and universities both in Japan and abroad to spearhead SDG-oriented talent development programs—including those focused on SDG 14, “Sustainable Conservation and Use of the Ocean and Its Resources”—as well as the organization of international conferences and workshops, thereby promoting education and research on the ocean, water, and related topics. He was recognized and honored for founding a university-spinoff venture himself, actively spearheading talent development programs through entrepreneurship education, and advancing solutions to regional challenges—such as water management for marine organism cultivation and the utilization of water resources—both domestically and internationally.