Kitagawa Was ‘Impertinent’ as a University Student; Former Colleagues Recount Experiences with the New Nobel Prize Winner

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:08 JST, October 9, 2025

Newly chosen Nobel Prize in Chemistry laureate Susumu Kitagawa, 74, a distinguished professor at Kyoto University, was born and raised near Shijo Kawaramachi in central Kyoto. He attended a local middle school, where activities like reading books led him to develop a love of mathematics and science.

As a middle school student, he threw himself into volleyball, which he practiced diligently. He has reflected that serving as a team captain “trained [him] to lead,” and he credits it as a foundational experience that helped him become the organizational leader that he is now.

“Why not pursue a doctorate?” — It was Kyoto University’s Isao Morishima, then an assistant professor — now 85 and a professor emeritus — who encouraged Kitagawa to pursue a research career. At the time, Kitagawa was studying for a master’s degree at the university and Morishima was serving as his adviser.

When he told Kitagawa that he “[needed] to study more,” Kitagawa shot back, “You’re the one who needs to study more.”

But looking back, Morishima said, “For a researcher, being impertinent isn’t a bad thing. I actually thought it meant he had potential.”

Kitagawa had been thinking of working for a company, but Morishima’s encouragement gave him a push.

When he heard Kitagawa won the Nobel Prize, Morishima said, “Encouraging him to pursue research was not a mistake. His years of hard work have borne fruit; it’s truly wonderful.”

Takashi Tsujino, 43, a former student of Kitagawa and now president of Sakyo Ward, Kyoto-based computer graphics production company Science Graphics Co., upon learning of his mentor’s award, exclaimed, “It really happened!”

He was a member of Kitagawa’s lab for three years starting in 2004, his fourth year at Kyoto University. He recalled that it was a time when metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were just beginning to gain attention in academic circles.

“Even for chemistry majors, they were difficult to grasp, and it was hard to imagine any practical applications,” he reflected.

Kitagawa often told Tsujino and others, “Useless things are useful.” This meant that things with no clear applications at first glance can end up doing extremely important jobs. He had a habit of saying, “Science is about doing interesting things.”

Tsujino was delighted, saying: “I’m sure pioneering a new field wasn’t easy. I’m honored to have been able to help, even in a small way.”