Japanese Literary Awards

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Hideki Goto

ごとう ひでき

Goto Hideki

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1943-02-25 （Matsue, Shimane, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, English
Residence History
Matsue, Shimane (birthplace) → Tokyo (residence/research) → Yokohama (Yokohama City University affiliation) → Iwate (Iwate Medical University affiliation)

Career

Occupations
Neurophysiologist, MD/PhD (Medicine), Science writer, University professor
Active Years
1968-
Affiliations
Columbia University (researcher), University of London (researcher), Yokohama City University (lecturer), Iwate Medical University (associate professor), Teikyo Heisei University (professor)

Education

Waseda University, Faculty of Science and Engineering
Faculty of Science and Engineering / Department of Applied Physics
Degree: 学士
Period: 〜1966
Year of Graduation: 1966
Country: Japan
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Graduate School
Graduate School / Department of Nuclear Engineering (master's)
Degree: 修士
Period: 1966-1968
Year of Graduation: 1968
Country: Japan
Yokohama City University
Faculty of Medicine
Degree: 医学博士
Period: 〜1976
Year of Graduation: 1976
Country: Japan
Doctoral thesis: A model of the activation process of Na[+] conductance in the squid axon

Awards

Japan Essayists' Club Prize
2014
Work: Geniuses and Eccentrics: A History of Japanese Science
Organization: Japan Essayists' Club
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Medicine of Axonal Transport

1986 Medical science

A technical book discussing the physiology and pathophysiology of axonal transport in nerves.

neurophysiologyintracellular transport

Nerves and Chemical Transmission

1988 Medical science

An explanatory work on neurotransmission and chemical mechanisms, containing material for researchers.

neurotransmissionchemical signaling

Squid Nerves, Human Brains

2009 Popular science

Using studies of squid nervous systems as an entry point, this book explains basics and applications of brain science for general readers.

brain sciencepopular explanation

One-month Easy English Conversation Brain Training by Leading Neuroscientists

2010 Practical guide

A training book for learning conversational English using insights from brain science.

learning methodsbrain training

Geniuses and Eccentrics: A History of Japanese Science — 150 Years from Opening to Nobel Prizes

2013 History of science / Biography

A popular history tracing the achievements and backgrounds of Japanese scientists since the country's opening, interpreting the development of modern Japanese science.

history of sciencebiographymodernization

Geniuses and Eccentrics: A History of Japanese Science (Kadokawa Sophia Bunko edition)

2023 History of science

Paperback edition of the above book, reedited for broader readership.

history of sciencepopularization

Bibliography

  • Medicine of Axonal Transport (Kainarisha, 1986)
  • Nerves and Chemical Transmission (University of Tokyo Press, 1988)
  • Squid Nerves, Human Brains (Shinchosha, 2009)
  • One-month Easy English Conversation Brain Training (ASCII Media Works, 2010)
  • Geniuses and Eccentrics: A History of Japanese Science (Minerva Shobo, 2013)
  • Geniuses and Eccentrics: A History of Japanese Science (Kadokawa Sophia Bunko, 2023)
  • The Science and Medicine of Pain — Can We Overcome Pain? (2018)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
expository and evidence-based style that renders technical knowledge accessiblefact- and history-driven narrative
Recurring Motifs
mechanisms of the brain and nervous systemportraits of Japanese scientists and the history of science

Legacy

Recognized both for contributions to neurophysiological research and for science popularization through accessible writing on neuroscience and history of science. Winner of the 2014 Japan Essayists' Club Prize, broadened readership for works on history of Japanese science.

Trivia

  • Born in Matsue, Shimane.
  • Known both for research achievements and for popular science and history-of-science writing.