J. Plasma
J.
Plasma Fusion
Fusion Res.
Res. SERIES,SERIES,Vol.
Vol.6 6(2004)(2004)97–99
000–000

Reminiscences of Prof. Masahiro Wakatani
IIYOSHI Atsuo
Chubu University, Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Japan(Received: 11 December 2003 / Accepted: 30 March 2004)

Abstract
I am deeply grieved at the sudden death of Professor Masahiro Wakatani on January 9th 2003. His great
contributions to the worldwide fusion research, the development of Heliotron programs and the education of next
generation are reminisced along with his thoughtful and warm personality.
Keywords:Professor Masahiro Wakatani, acclaimed plasma physicist, Hasegawa-Wakatani equation, Heliotron,
thoughtful and warm personality

This speech is dedicated to a great friend of mine, Prof.
Masahiro Wakatani of Kyoto University (Fig. 1), who passed
away about a year ago.
On the January 6th this year, I was hit by shocking news
that Prof. Wakatani was in coma under critical condition.
Despite our desperate prayers, he passed away on January 9th.
What a great loss it was to the fusion community that he left
us in the middle of many unresolved technical issues. He wasonly 57 years old, way too young to end his life.
Prof. Wakatani was an internationally acclaimed plasma
physicist and provided leadership in the worldwide fusion

community for a long time, including his recent contribution
to ITER physics activities. His pioneering work on plasma
theory helped us understand the experimental data to a greatdeal. The RMHD equation he came up with became astandard technique for helical plasmas, widely used forexperimental data analysis, especially anomalous transport ina confinement magnetic field. Also, he explained the driftinstability at the periphery of plasma, predicting that there
was a reverse cascade to transfer energy from short to longwaves. Hasegawa-Wakatani equation is well known to prove
this type of plasma instabilities, and used frequently todescribe plasma turbulence behavior.
Prof. Wakatani was truly an asset of Kyoto University.
Wakatani laboratory was always full of graduate students.
Those students are promised to become future leaders of theirareas of research.
Prof. Wakatani received his doctor’s degree in 1973 at
Kyoto University. He worked as a research associate at theJapan Atomic Energy Research Institute from 1973 to 1976,
and then worked at the Plasma Physics laboratory, Nagoya
University from 1976 to 1978. He then became Associate
Professor at the Plasma Physics Laboratory, Kyoto University
in 1978 and was promoted to full professor in 1985. Heserved as a member of the council of Kyoto University andwas nominated as an APS fellow in 1990.
In 1978 he was recruited to the head of plasma theory
group in the Heliotron E program (Fig. 2) when I was thehead of the experiment. Until 1989 when I moved to NIFS,
he and I worked together very closely. In fact, we had lunch
together almost everyday, talking about teaching, research,and life as a scientist etc.. NIFS was decided to be located inToki to inter-relate University fusion activities, constructing

Fig. 1 A photograph of Prof. Masahiro Wakatani.

©2004 by The Japan Society of Plasma
Science and Nuclear Fusion Research

Corresponding author’s e-mail: iiyoshi@isc.chubu.ac.jp
197

Iiyoshi A., Reminiscences of Prof. Masahiro WakataniFig. 2 A photograph of Heliotron-E device.

Fig. 5 Many students of Prof. Masahiro Wakatani gathered toremember him.

Fig. 6 A photograph of Prof. Masahiro Wakatani and his wife,Yasuko.

Fig. 3 A photograph of LHD.

LHD for nation-wide collaboration (Fig. 3). Although Prof.
Wakatani decided to stay in Kyoto, he made a tremendous
contribution in the LHD design and construction program interms of physics and optimization of the magnetic field. As
such, he was the key supporter to the LHD program, andeducated many brilliant students at the Kyoto University now
are working in NIFS. Without his contribution, the LHD
program wouldn’t be this successful.
Recently, in 2000, Prof. Wakatani conducted to construct
the Heliotron-J (Fig. 4) as an advanced heliotron in Kyoto
University.
Prof. Wakatani was not only a marvelous scientist but
also a person who really cares about the education of young
physicists to be future leaders (Fig. 5).
His personality is very thoughtful and warm hearted toeveryone around him. He was also a caring husband for hisloving wife Yasuko and a great father for his 3 daughters(Fig. 6). I don’t know how much they miss him. Once again,
I would like to send my deepest condolence to his family.

Fig. 4 A photograph of Heliotron-J device.

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Iiyoshi A., Reminiscences of Prof. Masahiro Wakatani

Dear Masahiro, I would like to express my thanks to you.
They say that a friend makes a person. I would not haveachieved anything in my life without you. I am sure that all
the students and friends of yours feel the same way.
Here, I promise you that your accomplishments will bepassed on to many generations of scientists in the fusion
community.
Lastly, I would like to show you some pictures of him.
This picture is an article from the Asahi Newspaper when hewas 36 years old (Fig. 7). On this page, he was telling us that
fusion of human intelligence would eventually make ourfusion dream come true.
Thank you very much.

Fig. 7 The article for Prof. Masahiro Wakatani when he was 36years old (Jan. 9, 1981). (Courtesy Asahi Newspaper.)399