Korokuro Hirose

Distinguished Departed Pioneer

Professional background

Korokuro Hirose (1899-1964) was Professor of Sanitary Engineering, at the University of Tokyo. He graduated from both the Faculty of Engineering in 1923 and Medicine in 1930 at the University of Tokyo. He received two PhD degrees in Engineering and in Medicine in 1940 from The University of Tokyo. Dr. Hirose was promoted to Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering, at the University of Tokyo in April 1942. He received a Fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation and studied for two years under Professor Gordon M. Fair at Harvard University from 1932 to 1934. He also studied for 7 months in Germany following his studies in the USA. 

Prof. Hirose published many textbooks on Water Supply and Wastewater Engineering. He was thought by many to be the founder of the academic activities of modern Sanitary Engineering in Japan. 

Major contributions to IWA

Professor Hirose organized the Second International Congress of IAWPR held in Tokyo in 1964 with the participation of representatives from many research fields related to water pollution in Japan, including sanitary engineering, civil engineering, hygiene, chemistry, fisheries, and oceanography. It was a very difficult project, because the Japanese National Organization for Water Pollution Research had not yet been established, and the preparation time was very short after the first IAWPR Conference in London in 1962. The number of participants were over 600 from 25 countries and regions.  

The members of this organizing committee became the core members of the Japanese National Committee of IAWPR, IAWPRC, IAWQ and IWA and founded the present Japan Society on Water Environment in 1971. 

Author:  Tomonori Matsuo, Japan