Renowned Japanese political scientist Takashi Inoguchi passed away after a fire accident at his residence in Tokyo on the night of November 27, 2024.
He is survived by his wife Liberal Democratic Party Senator Kuniko Inoguchi (72) and one daughter, who were away from the house when the fire took place.
Another daughter and Prof Inoguchi were confirmed to be at home when the devastating fire occurred and their bodies were found by the rescue team who reached the apartment after the fire alarm was activated.
Flames and smoke were seen rising from the apartment building on Wednesday night in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, said the Tomisaka Police of the Metropolitan Police Department. One person was found dead in the unit, and another, found near the unit's entrance, was confirmed dead after being transported to a hospital, they said.
The incident occurred in the neighborhood of apartment buildings and houses, about 500 meters north of the Tokyo Dome. Orange flames briefly rose from the scene, and smoke filled the surrounding area, said witnesses.
Professor Emeritus Takashi Inoguchi of the University of Tokyo (80) and his daughter were last seen in CCTV footage to have entered the apartment separately around 5 p.m., as per the information provided by the police.
According to the police and witnesses, the scene of the fire was on the top floor of a six-story apartment building, with only one apartment on each floor. The Fire Service personnel transported one woman's body to the hospital. The fire was extinguished around 12:40 a.m. and rescue vehicles were dispatched to the scene.
Takashi Inoguchi, born January 17, 1944 in Niigata, was a renowned Japanese academic researcher of foreign affairs and international and global relationships of states. After graduating from Niigata High School, he attended the University of Tokyo from 1962 to 1968, obtaining a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and master's degree in international relations.
Inoguchi studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1968 to 1974 and obtained a Ph.D. in political science. Following his Ph.D., he taught at Sophia University from 1974 to 1977, and at the University of Tokyo from 1977 onward. He was also at the University of Geneva from 1977 to 1978, and at Harvard University from 1983 to 1984.
Prof Inoguchi also served as Assistant Secretary General at the United Nations University in mid-1990s. He was the president of the University of Niigata Prefecture, and a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo.
"Depending on where you stand, the political scenario changes," is one of his famous quotable quotes often used by his students and fellow academics across Asia and Pacific.
A well-known author of several research books in Political science and International Relations, Prof. Inoguchi (80) had remained a key commentator on global politics throughout his academic career and mentored many research graduates across the globe spanning from Southeast Asia, India, US and Europe.
