- Email: [email protected]
Kenji Fujiwara, MD, PhD
In Memoriam Kenji Fujiwara, MD, PhD
P
rofessor Kenji Fujiwara passed away on November 4th, 2012. He was 74 years old. We are saddened by his passing but have to come to realize his true greatness. Despite undergoing treatments for cancer of unknown origin, he continued to fulfill his commitments up until a week prior to his final hospitalization in Yokohama Rosai Hospital, including moderating a session at the 48th Congress for the Japanese Society of Transplantation on September 22nd, 2012. Sadly, the latter was his final public appearance. Dr Fujiwara was born in Akita prefecture, a Northern part of Japan where people patiently endure a long winter season with heavy snowfall. He entered the University of Tokyo (UT) School of Medicine, which was an exceptional achievement for a local Akita high school student. While in Tokyo, he enjoyed student life, playing on and managing the medical school baseball team. In 1964, he received his MD degree and continued his medical training in the First Department of Medicine, UT, where he became involved in research on liver fibrosis under the direction of the late Professor Toshitsugu Oda. During this period, anti-war and antigovernment student protest was at its peak and severely affected academic activities at UT, including those in the medical school. Many of his colleagues left Japan to study abroad and avoid the chaos, but Dr
Kenji Fujiwara, MD, PhD
Fujiwara remained in the department to continue his relentless research efforts. Dr Fujiwara lived in his laboratory, 24 hours a day, and eventually, in 1973 and 1974, made a seminal discovery on the presence of collagenase in Kupffer cells and the liver. This ground-breaking finding formed the foundation for subsequent progress in research on matrix metalloproteinase. Dr Kentaro Sugano, the current president of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (JSGE), notes, “I first met Dr Fujiwara as a junior resident in the Tokyo University Hospital in 1974 when he was senior instructor. At that time his research started to bear fruit. His energy and passion radiated and attracted many young doctors, soon forming the largest group of dedicated and talented doctors called “the Fujiwara Clan” under his ‘bossmanship’.” Dr Fujiwara’s dynamic and magnetic personality continued to attract many students and collaborators and his group’s research soon began to uncover the causal role of intra-sinusoidal coagulation in fulminant hepatitis and liver transplantation graft failure; therapeutic effects of glucagon and insulin on fulminant hepatitis; and the role of polyamines in liver regeneration. The research of his group also revealed the mechanisms of action of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-␣) in liver regeneration and sinusoid regeneration involving vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other angiogenic factors. As reflected in the 264 publications in English and 210 in Japanese, to date, the Fujiwara Clan generated cutting edge and prolific science. Dr Fujiwara also trained new generations of leaders including 7 full professors, 2 associate professors, 1 research institute director, and 4 major hospital presidents. Dr Fujiwara’s cutting edge studies on liver failure and regeneration nat-
urally attracted attention abroad. Among those who established a close relationship with him is Dr George Michalopoulos, chairman of the department of pathology at the University of Pittsburgh, who remarked, I was deeply saddened to hear of the unfortunate news of the passing away of my dear friend Dr Kenji Fujiwara. Through many decades of scientific interaction, in addition to our friendship, we shared a common goal of basic and translational research in liver biology and liver disease. His contributions in this area have not only been fundamental but also organizational. He was a paragon of fostering a bridge of interaction between Japanese and American scientists. I was very fortunate to have been invited to Japan by him several times and to be given the opportunity to communicate with Japanese colleagues and share our common interests in research. His face and smile are always there in all my memories of the beautiful country of Japan. Meeting Dr Fujiwara at the annual liver meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) was always an event I looked forward to. He was a very kind, open-hearted, pleasantly interactive, and honest person who enjoyed science. He was always mindful of scientific ethics. He was not only a great scientist but also a great clinician. He mentored many young scientists who have evolved into high academic positions and who constitute his intellectual family. He will be sorely missed by all friends of liver research and by me personally.
Dr David Brenner, dean of the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California also comments on Dr Fujiwara’s legacy: Kenji Fujiwara was a giant in the field of hepatology. He was an expert on hepatic injury and regeneration. He extended his fundamental research into clinical and translational studies on new biomarkers and therapies for patients with liver diseases. His work was frequently ahead of its time, such as his observations that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is fibrogenic in the liver and that the coagulation cascade has a critical role on the microcirculation in liver injury.
In 1994, Dr Fujiwara was recruited to Saitama University School of Medicine as professor and chairman of the Third Department of Internal GASTROENTEROLOGY 2013;144:661– 663
In Memoriam, continued Medicine. As his research continued to expand and accelerate, he became a leader in academic societies such as the Japan Society of Hepatology (JHS), JSGE, and the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. He was elected president of JSGE in 2004. Dr Kentaro Sugano notes: During his tenure as JSGE president, which spanned 4 years, he made major reforms for JSGE’s operations to make the society more transparent, fair, and open to overseas societies. Specifically, he started the AGA-JSGE joint symposium, the first of which was held in Washington, DC in 2006.
A testimonial to Dr Fujiwara’s contribution to the AGA-JSGE relationship is offered by Dr Daniel Podolsky, president of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: I am pleased to write in honor of the memory of a colleague and friend, Professor Kenji Fujiwara. I had the pleasure of getting to know Dr Fujiwara as a leader of gastroenterology in Japan and president of the JSGE. It was through his creativity and goodwill that AGA partnered with the JSGE in establishing an annual symposium that brought together members from both societies to develop new collaborations by focusing on the most dynamic challenges in the discipline of gastroenterology. Professor Fujiwara was a catalyst that launched these meetings, which alternated across the Pacific, and which brought together leading members of the gastroenterological communities of each country for topics as diverse as innovation in endoscopy, approaches to GI tract cancer, and others. These symposia highlighted new science, facilitated new collaborations, and have been an outstanding forum for enhancing collegiality. This was all possible because of the aligned interest of the two societies in fostering advances that ultimately benefit patients, and the firm belief that this was best accomplished through encouraging the very best in GI science. It was for me a special pleasure on a personal level as I participated in the planning that eventually launched these joint symposia during a period when I was privileged to be president of AGA and a member of the AGA Institute Governing Board. Dr Fujiwara was a man of great goodwill whose overwhelming priority was to assure advancing collaboration to the benefit of our members and ultimately our 662
field and patients. He was always a gentleman and someone who clearly took great joy in life and in his role as a leader of JSGE. He set a wonderful example for international cooperation and collaboration and I feel fortunate to have been among his legion of friends.
For the inaugural joint symposium, Dr Sugano served as the course director on the JSGE side with Professor Michael Wallace on the AGA side. The proceedings of this successful meeting were published in the first supplementary issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and a consensus was formed at the meeting that provided the momentum required to formulate the Imaging Study Group in the National Institute of Health (NIH). Dr Fujiwara also expanded JSGE’s relationship with Asian-Pacific countries and hosted the highly successful Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) in Kobe as a congress president. Another contribution that Dr Fujiwara has made to US-Japan relations was his leadership in facilitating the commitment of JSGE and Japanese Society of Hepatology (JSH) to sponsor international symposia on alcoholic liver and pancreatic disease (ALPD) and cirrhosis jointly with the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) of the NIH. Dr Hide Tsukamoto, director of the Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis at the University of Southern California, reflects: With his clear vision of the importance of these diseases at the global level, Dr Fujiwara fostered this initiative during the last year of his appointment as the JSGE president. His efforts eventually led to the 2nd International Symposium on ALPD and Cirrhosis being held as a special event for APDW in 2009 with pivotal support from Professor Yutaka Atomi, the succeeding JSGE president, Professor Michio Imawari, the JSH President (2008 –2010), and Professor Shigeki Arii, president of the 11th JSH General Meeting. With Dr Fujiwara’s arrangement, Dr Ting-Kai Li, the former NIAAA Director, had successful diplomatic meetings with a congressman and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (JMHLW) officials in charge of
guideline establishment for nutrition and health in Japan. Because of this path paved by Dr Fujiwara, the international symposium has returned to Japan for its 6th meeting in Fukuoka in 2011. Dr Kenneth Warren, the Acting NIAAA Director, delivered an opening lecture, and many renowned investigators from Japan, the US, and other nations joined both successful events. Their proceedings were published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Dr David Brenner comments on the global impact of Dr Fujiwara: He was also a key thought leader in the development of the societies to support gastroenterology and hepatology. He was critical in developing the alliances between the Japanese societies and other international societies, including AGA and AASLD. He became the face of Japanese gastroenterology, and represented Japan in international gastroenterology and hepatology meetings. He not only attended every meeting, but his vitality and enthusiasm were infectious. He knew everyone in every society and all of us knew Professor Fujiwara.
Dr Fujiwara’s activities were not limited to academic societies but extended to socio-medical issues such as living donor transplantation and medical subspecialty reform. He was appointed by the JMHLW to chair the Council of Inspection for Cadaveric Organ Transplantation and Committee for Evaluation of Recipient of Cadaveric Liver Transplantation. In these roles, Dr Fujiwara made historical contributions to the establishment of a national consensus, to the development of guidelines for cadaveric liver transplantation, ushering in a new era for liver transplantation in Japan. In recent years, he has made tireless efforts to establish a new ICD-10 (international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th revision) in Japan by persuading the JMHLW to cooperate with the World Health Organization. The revision process commenced in Tokyo in 2006 and is currently underway involving many Japanese and interna-
In Memoriam, continued tional academic societies with the support of JMHLW. Dr Fujiwara touched the souls of many and he was and is loved by many. Three qualities stood out as defining features of his personality: deep compassion for others, unparalleled self-discipline, and a strong sense of justice. He could not leave anyone who was suffering or dismayed. He constantly offered his support to colleagues and friends, particularly to the young, even if he had to do so through his own sacrifices. He demanded quality from others but much more from himself. His logic and consistency made him compelling even when his decision to make it right rocked the boat. He was a man of integrity and firmness but with sweetness and gentleness inside. Many distinguished attendees, numerous young doctors, nurses, students, care helpers, and administrative staff flocked to Dr Fujiwara’s memorial service and farewell events, held on November 11th and 25th, 2012. Many attendees who could not enter the halls stood outside to bid farewell, weeping for the great loss. David Brenner shares his personal memories: Late in his life, Kenji and his wife Mariko became close friends to me and my wife Tatiana. They were an amazing couple: elegant, charming, and cultured. They enjoyed fine food and wine, theater, and music. Mariko would travel with Kenji to many international meetings, and this provided many opportunities for us to socialize and to engage in conversation over a wide variety of topics. We shared fantastic meals and discourse during the meetings for the JSGE in Tokyo, during the AASLD
meetings in Boston and San Francisco, and during the Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis meetings in Los Angeles. On one special occasion in Japan, Mariko took us for lunch and to a museum dedicated to its spectacular views of Mount Fuji. More recently, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to host Kenji and Mariko for dinner at Coronado Island during their visit to San Diego. Professor Fujiwara was warm, embracing, and funny. He truly enjoyed all aspects of life, and in many ways he was a larger-than-life figure. We will miss him terribly, but will always cherish his friendship.
Hide Tsukamoto also recalls: I remember my first visit to the Yokohama Rosai Hospital after Dr Fujiwara’s appointment as director. As I toured the hospital with him, every doctor, nurse, care helper, and janitor replied to him with genuine smiles and respect upon his greeting them. It was obvious that he truly cared for them. He loved people giving their best regardless of their social or economic status. His view of people was not influenced by stereotype but focused on individual qualities. He tirelessly worked to help people, society, and the nation while touching the souls of many. His style did not change even when he delivered a lecture on acute liver failure in an auditorium packed with medical and graduate students and faculty as a visiting professor at the University of Southern California in May 2004. He gave a carefully prepared and dynamic lecture and everyone applauded its great science and loved his wonderful charm despite a Japanese accent— he has never studied abroad. My last two meetings with him were on September 6th and December 2nd of 2012. On both occasions, he greeted me with his typical “Oh,” but it was the last voice I heard from him on the latter occasion. Yes, he has departed us but he is an eternal boss to many including me.
We have received life lessons from Professor Fujiwara through witness-
ing his academic passion and drive, fighting spirit, and compassionate and gentle heart. The background music for his wake and memorial services was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”, a song he loved. He truly did things his way and his legacy and goals as a professional and as a man will certainly be passed on to many of us around the world. He is survived by his charming wife Mariko, three great sons, one lovely daughter, and ten beautiful grandchildren. KENTARO SUGANO Professor and Chairman, Department of Gastroenterology Jichi Medical University President, Japanese Society of Gastroenterology Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan DANIEL K. PODOLSKY President, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas DAVID A. BRENNER Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, Dean, School of Medicine, UC San Diego San Diego, California GEORGE MICHALOPOULOS Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania HIDEKAZU TSUKAMOTO Professor of Pathology, University of Southern California Director, Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis Los Angeles, California
http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2013.02.031
EDITORS’ NOTE: As a testament to Dr Fujiwara’s contributions to our field at large, this commentary is being jointly published in the following journals (as unanimously agreed upon by the respective editors): The American Journal of Gastroenterology and GASTROENTEROLOGY.
663
P
rofessor Kenji Fujiwara passed away on November 4th, 2012. He was 74 years old. We are saddened by his passing but have to come to realize his true greatness. Despite undergoing treatments for cancer of unknown origin, he continued to fulfill his commitments up until a week prior to his final hospitalization in Yokohama Rosai Hospital, including moderating a session at the 48th Congress for the Japanese Society of Transplantation on September 22nd, 2012. Sadly, the latter was his final public appearance. Dr Fujiwara was born in Akita prefecture, a Northern part of Japan where people patiently endure a long winter season with heavy snowfall. He entered the University of Tokyo (UT) School of Medicine, which was an exceptional achievement for a local Akita high school student. While in Tokyo, he enjoyed student life, playing on and managing the medical school baseball team. In 1964, he received his MD degree and continued his medical training in the First Department of Medicine, UT, where he became involved in research on liver fibrosis under the direction of the late Professor Toshitsugu Oda. During this period, anti-war and antigovernment student protest was at its peak and severely affected academic activities at UT, including those in the medical school. Many of his colleagues left Japan to study abroad and avoid the chaos, but Dr
Kenji Fujiwara, MD, PhD
Fujiwara remained in the department to continue his relentless research efforts. Dr Fujiwara lived in his laboratory, 24 hours a day, and eventually, in 1973 and 1974, made a seminal discovery on the presence of collagenase in Kupffer cells and the liver. This ground-breaking finding formed the foundation for subsequent progress in research on matrix metalloproteinase. Dr Kentaro Sugano, the current president of the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology (JSGE), notes, “I first met Dr Fujiwara as a junior resident in the Tokyo University Hospital in 1974 when he was senior instructor. At that time his research started to bear fruit. His energy and passion radiated and attracted many young doctors, soon forming the largest group of dedicated and talented doctors called “the Fujiwara Clan” under his ‘bossmanship’.” Dr Fujiwara’s dynamic and magnetic personality continued to attract many students and collaborators and his group’s research soon began to uncover the causal role of intra-sinusoidal coagulation in fulminant hepatitis and liver transplantation graft failure; therapeutic effects of glucagon and insulin on fulminant hepatitis; and the role of polyamines in liver regeneration. The research of his group also revealed the mechanisms of action of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-␣) in liver regeneration and sinusoid regeneration involving vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and other angiogenic factors. As reflected in the 264 publications in English and 210 in Japanese, to date, the Fujiwara Clan generated cutting edge and prolific science. Dr Fujiwara also trained new generations of leaders including 7 full professors, 2 associate professors, 1 research institute director, and 4 major hospital presidents. Dr Fujiwara’s cutting edge studies on liver failure and regeneration nat-
urally attracted attention abroad. Among those who established a close relationship with him is Dr George Michalopoulos, chairman of the department of pathology at the University of Pittsburgh, who remarked, I was deeply saddened to hear of the unfortunate news of the passing away of my dear friend Dr Kenji Fujiwara. Through many decades of scientific interaction, in addition to our friendship, we shared a common goal of basic and translational research in liver biology and liver disease. His contributions in this area have not only been fundamental but also organizational. He was a paragon of fostering a bridge of interaction between Japanese and American scientists. I was very fortunate to have been invited to Japan by him several times and to be given the opportunity to communicate with Japanese colleagues and share our common interests in research. His face and smile are always there in all my memories of the beautiful country of Japan. Meeting Dr Fujiwara at the annual liver meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD) was always an event I looked forward to. He was a very kind, open-hearted, pleasantly interactive, and honest person who enjoyed science. He was always mindful of scientific ethics. He was not only a great scientist but also a great clinician. He mentored many young scientists who have evolved into high academic positions and who constitute his intellectual family. He will be sorely missed by all friends of liver research and by me personally.
Dr David Brenner, dean of the School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California also comments on Dr Fujiwara’s legacy: Kenji Fujiwara was a giant in the field of hepatology. He was an expert on hepatic injury and regeneration. He extended his fundamental research into clinical and translational studies on new biomarkers and therapies for patients with liver diseases. His work was frequently ahead of its time, such as his observations that lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is fibrogenic in the liver and that the coagulation cascade has a critical role on the microcirculation in liver injury.
In 1994, Dr Fujiwara was recruited to Saitama University School of Medicine as professor and chairman of the Third Department of Internal GASTROENTEROLOGY 2013;144:661– 663
In Memoriam, continued Medicine. As his research continued to expand and accelerate, he became a leader in academic societies such as the Japan Society of Hepatology (JHS), JSGE, and the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine. He was elected president of JSGE in 2004. Dr Kentaro Sugano notes: During his tenure as JSGE president, which spanned 4 years, he made major reforms for JSGE’s operations to make the society more transparent, fair, and open to overseas societies. Specifically, he started the AGA-JSGE joint symposium, the first of which was held in Washington, DC in 2006.
A testimonial to Dr Fujiwara’s contribution to the AGA-JSGE relationship is offered by Dr Daniel Podolsky, president of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: I am pleased to write in honor of the memory of a colleague and friend, Professor Kenji Fujiwara. I had the pleasure of getting to know Dr Fujiwara as a leader of gastroenterology in Japan and president of the JSGE. It was through his creativity and goodwill that AGA partnered with the JSGE in establishing an annual symposium that brought together members from both societies to develop new collaborations by focusing on the most dynamic challenges in the discipline of gastroenterology. Professor Fujiwara was a catalyst that launched these meetings, which alternated across the Pacific, and which brought together leading members of the gastroenterological communities of each country for topics as diverse as innovation in endoscopy, approaches to GI tract cancer, and others. These symposia highlighted new science, facilitated new collaborations, and have been an outstanding forum for enhancing collegiality. This was all possible because of the aligned interest of the two societies in fostering advances that ultimately benefit patients, and the firm belief that this was best accomplished through encouraging the very best in GI science. It was for me a special pleasure on a personal level as I participated in the planning that eventually launched these joint symposia during a period when I was privileged to be president of AGA and a member of the AGA Institute Governing Board. Dr Fujiwara was a man of great goodwill whose overwhelming priority was to assure advancing collaboration to the benefit of our members and ultimately our 662
field and patients. He was always a gentleman and someone who clearly took great joy in life and in his role as a leader of JSGE. He set a wonderful example for international cooperation and collaboration and I feel fortunate to have been among his legion of friends.
For the inaugural joint symposium, Dr Sugano served as the course director on the JSGE side with Professor Michael Wallace on the AGA side. The proceedings of this successful meeting were published in the first supplementary issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and a consensus was formed at the meeting that provided the momentum required to formulate the Imaging Study Group in the National Institute of Health (NIH). Dr Fujiwara also expanded JSGE’s relationship with Asian-Pacific countries and hosted the highly successful Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) in Kobe as a congress president. Another contribution that Dr Fujiwara has made to US-Japan relations was his leadership in facilitating the commitment of JSGE and Japanese Society of Hepatology (JSH) to sponsor international symposia on alcoholic liver and pancreatic disease (ALPD) and cirrhosis jointly with the National Institute on Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) of the NIH. Dr Hide Tsukamoto, director of the Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis at the University of Southern California, reflects: With his clear vision of the importance of these diseases at the global level, Dr Fujiwara fostered this initiative during the last year of his appointment as the JSGE president. His efforts eventually led to the 2nd International Symposium on ALPD and Cirrhosis being held as a special event for APDW in 2009 with pivotal support from Professor Yutaka Atomi, the succeeding JSGE president, Professor Michio Imawari, the JSH President (2008 –2010), and Professor Shigeki Arii, president of the 11th JSH General Meeting. With Dr Fujiwara’s arrangement, Dr Ting-Kai Li, the former NIAAA Director, had successful diplomatic meetings with a congressman and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (JMHLW) officials in charge of
guideline establishment for nutrition and health in Japan. Because of this path paved by Dr Fujiwara, the international symposium has returned to Japan for its 6th meeting in Fukuoka in 2011. Dr Kenneth Warren, the Acting NIAAA Director, delivered an opening lecture, and many renowned investigators from Japan, the US, and other nations joined both successful events. Their proceedings were published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Dr David Brenner comments on the global impact of Dr Fujiwara: He was also a key thought leader in the development of the societies to support gastroenterology and hepatology. He was critical in developing the alliances between the Japanese societies and other international societies, including AGA and AASLD. He became the face of Japanese gastroenterology, and represented Japan in international gastroenterology and hepatology meetings. He not only attended every meeting, but his vitality and enthusiasm were infectious. He knew everyone in every society and all of us knew Professor Fujiwara.
Dr Fujiwara’s activities were not limited to academic societies but extended to socio-medical issues such as living donor transplantation and medical subspecialty reform. He was appointed by the JMHLW to chair the Council of Inspection for Cadaveric Organ Transplantation and Committee for Evaluation of Recipient of Cadaveric Liver Transplantation. In these roles, Dr Fujiwara made historical contributions to the establishment of a national consensus, to the development of guidelines for cadaveric liver transplantation, ushering in a new era for liver transplantation in Japan. In recent years, he has made tireless efforts to establish a new ICD-10 (international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems, 10th revision) in Japan by persuading the JMHLW to cooperate with the World Health Organization. The revision process commenced in Tokyo in 2006 and is currently underway involving many Japanese and interna-
In Memoriam, continued tional academic societies with the support of JMHLW. Dr Fujiwara touched the souls of many and he was and is loved by many. Three qualities stood out as defining features of his personality: deep compassion for others, unparalleled self-discipline, and a strong sense of justice. He could not leave anyone who was suffering or dismayed. He constantly offered his support to colleagues and friends, particularly to the young, even if he had to do so through his own sacrifices. He demanded quality from others but much more from himself. His logic and consistency made him compelling even when his decision to make it right rocked the boat. He was a man of integrity and firmness but with sweetness and gentleness inside. Many distinguished attendees, numerous young doctors, nurses, students, care helpers, and administrative staff flocked to Dr Fujiwara’s memorial service and farewell events, held on November 11th and 25th, 2012. Many attendees who could not enter the halls stood outside to bid farewell, weeping for the great loss. David Brenner shares his personal memories: Late in his life, Kenji and his wife Mariko became close friends to me and my wife Tatiana. They were an amazing couple: elegant, charming, and cultured. They enjoyed fine food and wine, theater, and music. Mariko would travel with Kenji to many international meetings, and this provided many opportunities for us to socialize and to engage in conversation over a wide variety of topics. We shared fantastic meals and discourse during the meetings for the JSGE in Tokyo, during the AASLD
meetings in Boston and San Francisco, and during the Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis meetings in Los Angeles. On one special occasion in Japan, Mariko took us for lunch and to a museum dedicated to its spectacular views of Mount Fuji. More recently, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to host Kenji and Mariko for dinner at Coronado Island during their visit to San Diego. Professor Fujiwara was warm, embracing, and funny. He truly enjoyed all aspects of life, and in many ways he was a larger-than-life figure. We will miss him terribly, but will always cherish his friendship.
Hide Tsukamoto also recalls: I remember my first visit to the Yokohama Rosai Hospital after Dr Fujiwara’s appointment as director. As I toured the hospital with him, every doctor, nurse, care helper, and janitor replied to him with genuine smiles and respect upon his greeting them. It was obvious that he truly cared for them. He loved people giving their best regardless of their social or economic status. His view of people was not influenced by stereotype but focused on individual qualities. He tirelessly worked to help people, society, and the nation while touching the souls of many. His style did not change even when he delivered a lecture on acute liver failure in an auditorium packed with medical and graduate students and faculty as a visiting professor at the University of Southern California in May 2004. He gave a carefully prepared and dynamic lecture and everyone applauded its great science and loved his wonderful charm despite a Japanese accent— he has never studied abroad. My last two meetings with him were on September 6th and December 2nd of 2012. On both occasions, he greeted me with his typical “Oh,” but it was the last voice I heard from him on the latter occasion. Yes, he has departed us but he is an eternal boss to many including me.
We have received life lessons from Professor Fujiwara through witness-
ing his academic passion and drive, fighting spirit, and compassionate and gentle heart. The background music for his wake and memorial services was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”, a song he loved. He truly did things his way and his legacy and goals as a professional and as a man will certainly be passed on to many of us around the world. He is survived by his charming wife Mariko, three great sons, one lovely daughter, and ten beautiful grandchildren. KENTARO SUGANO Professor and Chairman, Department of Gastroenterology Jichi Medical University President, Japanese Society of Gastroenterology Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan DANIEL K. PODOLSKY President, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, Texas DAVID A. BRENNER Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences, Dean, School of Medicine, UC San Diego San Diego, California GEORGE MICHALOPOULOS Professor and Chairman, Department of Pathology University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania HIDEKAZU TSUKAMOTO Professor of Pathology, University of Southern California Director, Southern California Research Center for ALPD and Cirrhosis Los Angeles, California
http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2013.02.031
EDITORS’ NOTE: As a testament to Dr Fujiwara’s contributions to our field at large, this commentary is being jointly published in the following journals (as unanimously agreed upon by the respective editors): The American Journal of Gastroenterology and GASTROENTEROLOGY.
663