![Kazuo Inamori](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Kazuo_Inamori.jpg)
was a Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur and the founder of
Kyocera
is a Japanese multinational ceramics and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. It manufactures industrial ceramics, solar power generating systems, telecommuni ...
and
KDDI
() is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed on October 1, 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp. (Daini-Denden Inc.), KDD (Kokusai Denshin Denwa) Corp. (itself a former listed state-owned enterprise privatized in 1998), and IDO Corp. It h ...
. He was the chairman of
Japan Airlines
, also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
.
Inamori was elected as a member into the
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...
in 2000 for innovation in ceramic materials and
solar cell
A solar cell, or photovoltaic cell, is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect, which is a physical and chemical phenomenon. development/manufacturing, entrepreneurship of advanced technologies, and for being a role model for relating science to society.
In 2011, he received the
Othmer Gold Medal
The Othmer Gold Medal recognizes outstanding individuals who contributed to progress in chemistry and science through their activities in areas including innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, and ph ...
for outstanding contributions to progress in science and chemistry.
Biography
Kazuo Inamori was born 21 January 1932 in
Kagoshima
, abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, on the island of
Kyushu
is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...
in Japan.
Inamori graduated from
Kagoshima University
, abbreviated to , is a Japanese national university located in Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
History
The university was established in 1949 consolidating the following schools because of educational reform in occupied Japan.
* - e ...
in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in applied
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
.
[ He became a researcher at Shofu Industries in Kyoto, Japan.] There he was important in several developments, developing fosterite as an insulator for high frequency radio waves; using fosterite for the mass production of high frequency insulator components; and developing an electric tunnel kiln for use in sintering
Clinker nodules produced by sintering
Sintering or frittage is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by pressure or heat without melting it to the point of liquefaction.
Sintering happens as part of a manufacturing ...
.
In 1959, Inamori and several other colleagues established Kyoto Ceramic, later known as Kyocera
is a Japanese multinational ceramics and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. It manufactures industrial ceramics, solar power generating systems, telecommuni ...
. The company manufactured high-frequency insulator components for television picture tubes for Matsushita Electronics Industries (later Panasonic
formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Osaka P ...
) in Japan, and silicon transistor headers for Fairchild Semiconductor
Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. was an American semiconductor company based in San Jose, California. Founded in 1957 as a division of Fairchild Camera and Instrument, it became a pioneer in the manufacturing of transistors and of int ...
and ceramic substrates for IBM in the United States. At Kyocera, Inamori implemented his Amoeba Management
Amoeba is a Management System{{cite journal , url=http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/amoeba-management-lessons-from-japans-kyocera/ , title=Amoeba Management: Lessons from Japan's Kyocera , journal=MIT Sloan Management Review , date=18 Septemb ...
system.
After deregulation of Japan’s telecommunications industry in 1984, Inamori founded Daini Denden (DDI) Corporation. DDI later entered the cell phone business, merging with KDD (Kokusai Denshin Denwa) and IDO (Nippon Idou Tsushin Corporation) in 2000 to form KDDI
() is a Japanese telecommunications operator formed on October 1, 2000 through the merger of DDI Corp. (Daini-Denden Inc.), KDD (Kokusai Denshin Denwa) Corp. (itself a former listed state-owned enterprise privatized in 1998), and IDO Corp. It h ...
, which has grown to become Japan's second-largest telecommunication services provider.
At the age of 77, Inamori became the CEO of Japan Airlines
, also known as JAL (''Jaru'') or , is an international airline and Japan's flag carrier and largest airline as of 2021 and 2022, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport, as w ...
when it entered bankruptcy protection on 19 January 2010, and led the air carrier through its restructuring, eventually allowing the company to re-list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in November 2012. Inamori has been an International Advisor of Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
Philanthropy
Inamori, who was a Zen Buddhist
Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
priest,[ established the Inamori Foundation in 1984, which awards the annual ]Kyoto Prize
The is Japan's highest private award for lifetime achievement in the arts and sciences. It is given not only to those that are top representatives of their own respective fields, but to "those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, ...
to honor those who have made "extraordinary contributions to science, civilization, and the spirituality of humankind."
In 2005
the Alfred University School of Engineering
(Alfred, NY) was renamed in honor of Dr. Inamori. He endowed the Inamori Scholarship fund in 1996, doubling the fund in 2004. In Dr. Inamori's honor, the Kyocera Corporation has given a $10 million endowment to enable expansion of the Kazuo Inamori School of Engineering's research faculty.
In 2005, Inamori helped to establish the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University
Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location in the Connecticut Western Reser ...
(Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
), with a gift of $10 million. The center awards the Inamori Ethics Prize to those who serve as examples of ethical leadership and make significant contributions to the betterment of global society.
Awards and honors
Inamori has received many awards and honors, including:
* Honorary Doctorate from Kagoshima University, 1999
* Honorary Doctor of Science from Alfred University, 1988
* Honorary Doctorate from Kyushu University, 2006
* Honorary Doctorate from Kyoto Institute of Technology, 2010
* International Citizens Award, Japan America Society of Southern California, 2011
* Honorary Doctorate of Science, San Diego State University
* Othmer Gold Medal
The Othmer Gold Medal recognizes outstanding individuals who contributed to progress in chemistry and science through their activities in areas including innovation, entrepreneurship, research, education, public understanding, legislation, and ph ...
, 2011[
* Honorary Knight Commander of the ]Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
, 2019
References
External links
*
Inamori Foundation
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inamori, Kazuo
1932 births
2022 deaths
Kyocera
KDDI
Japan Airlines
Japanese chief executives
Kagoshima University alumni
People from Kagoshima
Goldman Sachs people
Honorary Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Japanese Zen Buddhists
Zen Buddhist priests