Photo: 大臣官房人事課 / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
To me, Tasuku Honjo represents the quiet heroism of basic science. Born in Kyoto in 1942 and trained at Kyoto University, he spent decades pursuing immunology, and his identification of PD-1 ultimately rewrote how we treat cancer, earning him the 2018 Nobel Prize among a glittering list of honors. But what truly moves me is not the medals; it is the patience. Research dismissed as impractical can, decades later, save millions of lives. Honjo embodies that long game, and I find his persistence far more inspiring than any single award. He is, to my mind, one of Japan's great minds.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Tasuku Honjo
- Name (Japanese)
- 本庶佑
- Reading
- 不明
- Born
- January 27, 1942 (age 84)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aquarius / Horse
- Origin
- Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- immunologist / biochemist / university teacher / physician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Yamaguchi Prefectural Ube High School
- University
- Kyoto University
Awards & achievements
- 2014 Tang Prize
- 1981 Asahi Prize
- 1996 Imperial Prize of Japan Academy
- 2000 Person of Cultural Merit
- 2012 Robert Koch Prize
- 2013 Order of Culture
- 2014 William B. Coley Award
- 2016 Keio Medical Science Prize
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Xhttps://x.com/HonjoTasuku
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%AC%E5%BA%B6%E4%BD%91
Frequently asked questions
When was Tasuku Honjo born?
Born January 27, 1942 (age 84).
Where is Tasuku Honjo from?
Tasuku Honjo is from Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.
What does Tasuku Honjo do?
Tasuku Honjo works as immunologist, biochemist, university teacher, physician.
Biochemist — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.