Shiro Imawaki (Executive Director, JAMSTEC)

Dr. Shiro Imawaki is Executive Director of Research of JAMSTEC, appointed in 2009.  He received his Master of Science (in physical oceanography) in 1970 from Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University.  He was Research Associate of Kyoto University, Associate Professor of Kagoshima University and Professor of Kyushu University.  He also assumed prominent positions such as President of the Oceanographic Society of Japan, and President of International Association for the Physical Sciences of the Oceans.  He studied oceanic flow field variability; including mesoscale eddies at surface and abyssal layers, and variability of transport and flow axis of the Kuroshio Current,south of Japan, on the basis of field observation data and satellite altimetry data.

Jun Inoue (Senior Scientist, Northern Hemisphere Cryosphere Program, Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC)

Meteorologist. Research interests: air-ice-sea interaction in polar and sub-polar regions by focusing on sea-ice variability and its impact on atmospheric and oceanic circulations. R/V Mirai and ice-drifting buoys are main observing platforms.

Takashi Toyofuku (Team Leader, Institute of Biogeosciences, JAMSTEC)

Geobiologist. The main scope of his study is the calcification mechanism of foraminifera, one of the major carbonate producers in the marine environment, via laboratory culture experiment. He believes it is a keystone to reveal the interaction and coevolution between marine biology and environments.

Yoshiyuki Kaneda (Project Leader, Earthquake and Tsunami Research Project for Disaster Prevention, JAMSTEC)

Yoshiyuki Kaneda received Ph.D and M.Sc degree in geophysics, major in Physics geophysical, Tokyo University. Dr. Kaneda, who joined JAMSTEC in 1997, is now taking a role as a Project Leader of Japanese government funded leading project, Dense Ocean floor Network for Earthquakes and Tsunamis (DONET). He has directed the development of the real-time ocean floor observation system in the seismogenic zone with mega-thrust earthquakes, and also assumes leadership on the research of seismic linkage around the Nankai Trough. Both projects focus to explore disaster prevention system from earthquakes and tsunamis.

Saneatsu Saito (Team Leader, Institute for Research on Earth Evolution, JAMSTEC)

Marine Geologist. Dr. Saito sailed on drilling vessels seven times since 1993 and he investigated structure and physical property in subduction margins using core samples and downhole measurement data. In 2009 he sailed on D/V Chikyu as a co-chief scientist for the IODP Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment.

Asahiko Taira (Executive Director, JAMSTEC)

Dr. Taira obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Texas. After his research and teaching career at Kochi Univ. and Univ. of Tokyo, he joined JAMSTEC in 2002 and then became Executive Director in 2006. He was awarded the Japan Academy Prize for his research on the plate subduction zone process. He has been actively engaged with scientific ocean drilling including the promotion of IODP and Chikyu.