The Spring 2026 Imperial Decorations were announced on April 29, 2026, and Professor Emeritus Nobuo Takeda was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star.

The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star is conferred upon individuals who have rendered distinguished service to the nation or the public through many years of dedicated service in public affairs and related fields.

Professor Takeda was born in Tokyo on April 5, 1952. After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Tokyo, he completed a master's degree at the Graduate School of Engineering of the same university. He subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics from the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Florida and later completed the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo.

Following appointments at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Kyushu University, and the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at The University of Tokyo, he was appointed Professor at the Center for Collaborative Research in July 1996. In April 1999, he became Professor at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. He served as Dean of the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences from April 2013 and as Executive Vice President of The University of Tokyo from April 2015.

In May 2016, he was appointed Executive Advisor to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). From April 2019 to March 2025, he served as Chairperson of the Japan Transport Safety Board.

Throughout his career at The University of Tokyo, Professor Takeda devoted himself to education and research in composite materials engineering, mechanics of materials, and elasticity, mentoring and developing many outstanding researchers and engineers. In particular, he pioneered the visualization and modeling of damage initiation and propagation processes in carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP), proposing and demonstrating the concept of “experimental micromechanics of composites” while advancing fundamental research in structural health monitoring systems. His development of the world's first small-diameter optical fiber FBG sensor and its embedding technology for CFRP laminated structures has been highly acclaimed both in Japan and internationally.

As Executive Vice President of The University of Tokyo, he also contributed significantly to the development of the Kashiwa Campus, the promotion of industry–academia collaboration, and the realization of the “Tsukuba–Kashiwa–Hongo Innovation Corridor” initiative. Furthermore, as Executive Advisor to JAXA, he promoted collaboration among industry, government, and academia in the field of composite materials engineering. Later, as Chairperson of the Japan Transport Safety Board, he led investigations into major transportation accidents, including the sinking of the sightseeing vessel KAZU I off the Shiretoko Peninsula and the aircraft collision at Haneda Airport, working tirelessly to improve transportation safety.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Takeda on this distinguished honor and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.

Professor Emeritus Nobuo Takeda

Cabinet Office Website

Spring 2026 Decorations and Related Honors
https://www8.cao.go.jp/shokun/hatsurei/r08haru.html

List of Recipients of the Spring 2026 Decorations
https://www8.cao.go.jp/shokun/hatsurei/r08haru/meibo_jokun.html

Related Information

Nobuo Takeda,『自分らしく、世界と渡り合えるか　一研究者の歩み』, (Choeisha, October 2025).
https://www.choeisha.com/pub/books/21695.html