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Member Profiles
Director of the Japan Research Institute,
President of Tama University,
Representative Director of Terashima Bunko
Jitsuro Terashima
Jitsuro Terashima was born in Hokkaido in 1947. After earning his master’s degree from Waseda University’s Graduate School of Political Science, Terashima joined Mitsui & Co. He subsequently held a variety of positions, including director of the Mitsui & Co. Washington Office, executive managing officer of Mitsui & Co., and professor in Waseda University's Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, before assuming his current positions as Director of the Japan Research Institute and President of Tama University. He also serves, or has served, on a number of national councils and committees. He is the author of Jerontoroji Sengen “Chi no Sai-buso” de 100-sai Jinsei wo Ikinuku (published as a pocketbook paperback by NHK)and numerous other books. He often appears in the media; most notably, he appears about twice a month on the TBS news program Sunday Morning (8:00 a.m. on Sundays).
In August of 2007, I delivered a summer course lecture at Koyasan University about the lasting influence of the monk Kukai. He traveled to China 1,200 years ago and is a front-runner for being considered a citizen of the world, as we would call it today. Kukai was not only a teacher of Shingon Mikkyo (Shingon Buddhism’s esoteric practices) but also something of an engineer, having brought back civil and hydraulic engineering-related knowledge from China, as well as pharmaceutical, metallurgical and other knowledge. Koyasan, where Kukai based himself, the Kumano Kodo and many other influential areas located just south of Japan’s ancient capitals of Nara and Kyoto are part of the DNA that have shaped Wakayama.
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