Professor Toru Takahashi

Sometimes known as the "Mother of the Internet" in Japan, he was instrumental in bringing the Internet to Japan and promoting it throughout Asia in the 1990s and was key to the early commercial development of the Internet. A graduate of Tohoku University where he majored in Fine Arts History in1964, he joined the Laboratory of Innovation for Quality of Life (LIQOL), a think tank, in charge of VideoTex (NAPLPS) marketing after working in the publishing world as an editor and writer for 18 years. In 1986, he moved to Digital Computer Limited (DCL), and was assigned to be a Project Manager of UNIX workstations and incubation of high-speed LAN using PROTEON routers. In 1987, he studied the Internet and served on the Board of Directors of the Japan UNIX Society (jus). In 1988, he visited NSF after the ARPANET crush to see Stephen Wolf, and learn about the Internet. From 1989~1992, he organized a technical tour group to visit INTEROP every year with Jun Murai. It was there that he met Vint Cerf, Dan Lynch, Dave Clark and so many Internet people. He attended INET 91 Copenhagen, and then became involved in organizing an INET92 Kobe committee. He was an ISOC pioneer member and served as a member of the ISOC Jon Postel Service Award Committee from 2002 to 2005. He wrote the first Japanese book on the Internet. In 1994, he served as President of the Tokyo Internet Corporation, which was an organized UNIX users group. In December 1993, when Professors Ishida and Jun Murai formed the Internet Association of Japan, he was assigned to be secretary general of IAJ. In 1995 April, Tokyo Internet launched its ISP business and became the biggest in Japan. In 1998, he was elected to be chairman of the APNIC Executive Council, where he helped with the search for the next Director General, Paul Wilson. A member of CORE, he attended the first ICANN meeting in Boston. He was a Professor of the Tama Art University Information Design Division from 2000~2002. He has been a member of several governmental committees, mostly in MIC and METI. He was awarded by MIC for his contribution to the development of the Internet in Japan and Asia Pacific region.