Tailored Professional Tribute

Junichiro Matsumoto

Distinguished Departed Pioneer

Professional background

Junichiro Matsumoto (1923-2006) was Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Tokyo in 1947, and received his Master’s degree from the Department of Sanitary Engineering, John Hopkins University, USA and his PhD from The University of Tokyo in 1961. He worked as Associate Professor of Sanitary Engineering from 1955 to 1963 and as Professor from 1964 to 1986 at Tohoku University. He also served as Professor of The University of Tokyo (1973-1983) and Nihon University (1986-1993). He was an internationally recognized expert in water pollution control and anaerobic biotechnology. He served as the President of Japan Society on Water Environment (1983-1985) and Vice President of Japan Society of Civil Engineers (1984-1985).  

He was decorated for his services with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, Third Class, Japanese Government, in 1999. 

Major Contributions to IWA

Dr. Matsumoto served as the regional editor of Water Research from 1982 to 1989, as Vice President of IAWPRC (the predecessor of IWA) from 1984 to 1986 and the Chairman of the editorial committee of Water Science and Technology from 1985 to 1988 to strongly support academic exchange and development of water environment.  

He also served as the Congress Chair of the 15th IAWPRC Biennial Congress in Kyoto in 1990.  

A major contribution of Dr Matsumoto was the expansion of the IAWPRC’s international collaboration into the Asian region in the 1980s. He was the leading force in establishing the IAWPRC Asia Conference series, the first of which was held in 1985 in Tokyo, the second one in 1988 in Bangkok and the third one in 1991 in Shanghai.  

Authors: Tatsuo Omura and Yu-Yu Li, Japan