from ISSMGE Bulletin: Volume 4, Issue 3 (p.48)
OBITUARY
Keiichi Fujita (1924-2010)
On July 31, 2010, Dr. Keiichi Fujita died suddenly at home at the age of 85 after he was diagnosed as cancer at the end of May. His death has deprived Japanese and international community of geotechnical engineering of an eminent engineer and distinguish leader. He was a rare breed of academician who integrated the practices of foundation engineering with research and education.
He was born in 1924 and graduated from the Department of Civil Engineering, University of Tokyo in 1946. He embarked on his career as a civil engineer at construction company, Hazama. Because of his high caliber as a man of hardworking with vitality and intellect, he was given an assignment to work in the section of research and exploration of new technologies associated with soil mechanics and foundation engineering. His achievements were highly recognized in the company culminating in 1983 in the position of Executive Director of Hazama in charge of research and exploitation of new technologies.
In 1988, he was conferred professorship at the Tokyo University of Science and move to academic arena as an educator and a researcher. Since then he kept on being affiliated with this university until he completely retired in 2004.
From an early year of his career, Dr. Fujita engaged himself positively in the work of the Japanese Geotechnical Society (JGS) as members of several technical committees discussing practical problems such as pile drivability, ground anchors and deep excavation. His engagement with JGS was not only in the technical areas but also more deeply in voluntary businesses associated with management of the Society as a selfsupporting organization. He was instrumental in improving details of clerical works of the Society consisting of about 15 personnel.
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