In Memory of Professor Yoichi Sakakihara

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The Director of Child Research Net, Professor Yoichi Sakakihara passed away on March 29, 2025. In memory of Professor Sakakihara, we would like to express our deepest gratitude for the achievements, reflecting on his contribution through his activities.

Professor Yoichi Sakakihara has devoted many years to working as a pediatrician and as a researcher pursuing the well-being of children, always empathetic towards children. His dedication has left a profound impression in our hearts through his clinical work, his activities at CRN, and his various publications.

He always found purpose in listening attentively to the voices of each and every child. In one of his regular posts to the Director's Blog titled "My Purpose in Life is to Be a Basic Doctor," he wrote about how moved he was by the smiles children would show during consultations, and how he received a thank-you letter from the parent of a patient he had diagnosed and cared for over a decade ago. He said that feeling he had supported his patients, even in a small way, gave his life purpose. However, in the very next sentence, he also noted that pediatricians must always be mindful not to let the sense of having supported their patients lead to a raise in self-importance or arrogance. This reflects Professor Sakakihara's attitude of valuing his daily involvement with children and their families above all else.

Professor Sakakihara consistently advocated that "seeking the happiness of children is our responsibility as adults," and emphasized the importance of nurturing resilience in children. Amid rising expectations for children to navigate a future with such unpredictable occurrences as the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he collaborated with researchers from eight Asian countries and regions to conduct an international collaborative study under the theme "nurturing children's well-being and resilience." He played a leading role in facilitating cross-border communication. He often stated that, regardless of national or cultural differences, what is needed to foster resilience (the ability to recover from adversity and difficulties) is not a specific type of education, but rather "having enough to eat when you are hungry" and "having someone who will listen to you." His words underscore the importance of believing in the dignity and potential of children, not only in Japan but around the world.

Over the last few years, Professor Sakakihara had passionately questioned the meaning of true inclusion in the context of inclusive education in Japan. Through sincere discourse about the misunderstandings and institutional limitations surrounding "inclusion," he consistently advocated for the necessity of creating an environment where all children can learn together. His approach was not merely criticism, but rather a proposal for the future.

Cherishing the many research insights that Professor Sakakihara left behind, along with his warm and profound love and the message rooted in his solid intellect, we hope to continue addressing the issues surrounding children.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Yoichi Sakakihara (1951-2025) M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Ochanomizu University; Former Director of Child Research Net, Former Executive Advisor of Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD), Former President of Japanese Society of Child Science. Specializes in pediatric neurology, developmental neurology, in particular, treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Asperger's syndrome and other developmental disorders, and neuroscience. Born in 1951. Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Tokyo in 1976 and taught as an instructor in the Department of the Pediatrics before working with Ochanomizu University.

∎Main Activities∎
Professor Yoichi Sakakihara served as the Deputy Director of CRN since 2011 and as the Director since 2013, leading various activities until 2025.

✤Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia (2007-2016)

He launched this program in collaboration with the founding director, Professor Noboru Kobayashi in aim to deepen exchanges between researchers in East Asia, particularly between Japan and China, while expanding the field of child science in East Asia.

The First Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia, Changsha, China. Nov. 14, 2007

The Eighth Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia, Taiwan. Sept. 22, 2012

The Ninth Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia, Tokyo, Japan. Oct. 26, 2013

The 10th Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia, Shanghai, China. Oct. 19, 2014

✤Early Childhood Education and Care (2013-2016)

Let's promote the strengths of Japanese childcare to the world and enhance the quality of childcare globally! With this aspiration, he took the lead in holding research conferences and developing the tool "Early childhood Education and Care around the World at a Glance-ECEC Matrix 2020 of Various Countries and Regions-" for comparing the status of ECEC worldwide.

The Fifth ECEC Research Conference, Panel Discussion. Tokyo, Japan. Oct. 4, 2015

✤Child Research Network Asia (CRNA) (2016-2025)

Expanding the focus from East Asia to Asia, he led international conferences with researchers from eight countries and regions on the "Well-Being of Children in Asia." Subsequently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took the lead in launching and promoting international collaborative research on the theme of nurturing the well-being and resilience in children.

The First International Conference of CRNA, Shanghai, China. Mar. 4, 2017

The First International Conference of CRNA, Shanghai, China. Mar. 5, 2017

The Second International Conference of CRNA, Tokyo, Japan. Mar. 17, 2018

The Second International Conference of CRNA, Tokyo, Japan. Mar. 18, 2018

The Third International Conference of CRNA, Jakarta, Indonesia. Sept. 27, 2019

The Third International Conference of CRNA, Jakarta, Indonesia. Sept. 27, 2019

✤Developmental Disabilities, Inclusive Education

He has written numerous articles in the "Director's Blog" providing information about developmental disabilities. Additionally, in the series report in which he interviewed innovative practitioners working in inclusive education, he actively exchanged opinions with the interviewees.

Interviewing Director Masato Yamashita at Gallery gufguf, Atelier Yamanami, Shiga, Japan. Dec. 14, 2023

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From here on, we would like to introduce blog articles he wrote about his own activities and questions he pondered, as well as messages he disseminated from the perspective of a pediatrician and the research activities he was involved in.

∎Director's Blog∎
Please have a read through the Director's Blog, where he discusses his daily activities, child-related issues, personal reflections, and the unique series "Something's Strange" that offers a distinct viewpoint to provoke thought in society.
https://www.childresearch.net/chief2/

∎Q&A about Children's Health∎
He addressed concerns and questions regarding children's physical health at the section below.
https://www.childresearch.net/projects/health/

∎Aiming to Realize an Inclusive Society∎
In this series, he had discussions with practitioners engaged in innovative initiatives in inclusive education.
https://www.childresearch.net/projects/special/aiming/

∎Child Research Network Asia Collaborative Research∎
In collaboration with researchers from eight countries and regions in Asia, CRN conducted an international research project on "Nurturing Children's Well-Being and Resilience."
https://www.childresearch.net/crna-research-activities.html

∎Videos∎
Other than through writing, he also actively shared information through his own voice. He made various video contributions on topics such as the CRNA international collaborative research, inclusive education, and his perspectives as a physician during the COVID-19 pandemic.

✤CRNA Collaborative Research

✤What Are Developmental Disorders? -Series: [Diagnostic Criteria, Age-Specific Symptoms, and Approaches for ADHD, ASD, and LD in Developmental Disorders] (In Japanese only)

✤Thoughts on Inclusive Education (1)

✤COVID-19: Experts Address Parents' Concerns! [Health Edition] (1) [Video] What Should You Do If Your Child Contracts COVID-19? (In Japanese only)