Hachiro Tagami, MDJapanese dermatologist in a global community

Dr Hachiro Tagami, Professor and Chairman of Tohoku University School of Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Sendai, Japan in March 2003, in the age of 63, retires from his present position. Professor Tagami is amongst the most prominent international dermatologist. He opened Asia for the field bioinstrumentation and skin and even more important, he raised Japanese dermatology to the level of appreciation it has today. These achievements were done in a spirit of professional ambition, co-operation and friendship. It was in 1992 Professor Tagami organized the first international congress of the International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) in the Asian area, in Sendai, Japan. Professor Tagami was born in Tokyo in 1939 and educated in medicine at the Kyoto University School of Medicine. In 1966–1968 he was a research fellow of Professor Albert M. Kligman's laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. In the period 1969–1983 he continued his professional career in Kyoto and at the Hamamatsu Universty School of Medicine, in 1983 concluded with the position as Professor and Chairman at the Tohoku University, department of dermatology. In research Professor Tagami had a multidisciplinary approach, and he bridged between clinical dermatology and experimental research with in depth contributions within his fields of interest: inflammation and immunity of skin diseases particularly psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, contact dermtitis, warts and superficial fungal infection, and finally instrumental analysis of skin functions under various conditions. He is particularly known for his studies on hydration dynamics of the epidermis, the water sorption–desorption test. His record includes 482 papers written in English and 430 papers written in Japanese journals. Professor Tagami's impact on international research is outstanding. In two citation studies published in the Archives of Dermatology Professor Tagami ranked among the 25 top cited authors world wide and among the 18 most cited authors of classic and near-classic articles in the dermatologic literature (1, 2). Much progress happened in Japanese dermatology during the nineteenth century, starting with the period of Professor Dohi, concluded with the period of Professor Tagami. This progress is of course also due to many other Japanese dermatologists, researchers and professors, and also helped by research in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. The progress included the development of cosmetic science, and Professor Tagami had in his laboratory many students from the cosmetic industry doing advanced studies of the stratum corneum such as skin surface image analysis. Many talented students from Japan had fellowships abroad in Europe and in the USA as Professor Tagami had. Japanese dermatology is today truly international and contributes with very sofisticated research. In the future students from Europe and USA may even come to Japan to study after having overcome the language and cultural barriers! Professor Tagami has many friends. This is due to his kindness, openness, honesty and cultured, modest and warm interaction with people. He combines sublime Japanese cultural values and wisdom with a modern western approach. Professor Tagami through his personal example enriches his surroundings. Professor Tagami retires but his academic interest remains, and we shall hope to find him among us also in the future at meetings, in research, as editorial board member of the SRT journal and in many other relations. The journal, the societies behind and the readers with no doubt share our cordial thanks to Professor Hachiro Tagami for his generous contributions, friendship, and personal example.