Professor Takehiko Kariya was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon (紫綬褒章) earlier this year. This is a Japanese Medal of Honour awarded to individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to academic and artistic developments, improvements, and accomplishments.
Professor Kariya joined the University of Oxford in 2008 after a long career at the University of Tokyo. His research interests include the sociology of education, social stratification and social mobility, social changes of Postwar Japan, and social and educational policies. He has written many books, and often gives talks and provides comment on issues relating to modern Japanese society and education. He is a hugely popular academic here at the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies.
