Shōichi Watanabe, Japanese scholar and historical revisionist, Died at 86

Shōichi Watanabe was born on September 15, 1930, in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture and died on April 17, 2017.

He was an English scholar and one of Japan’s foremost cultural critics.

Watanabe was a graduate of Sophia University, where he obtained his Master’s degree, he completed his doctorate at University of Münster in 1958.

He released two volumes of autobiography on his years in Germany narrate his varied experiences during this period.

After returning to his alma mater, he became successively lecturer, the assistant professor and full professor, until his retirement.

Watanabe served as emeritus professor at the same university until his death.

Watanabe has always been passionate book-collector, he was chairman of the Japan Bibliophile Society.

Watanabe’s personal collection of books on English philology (see Bibliography) was perhaps his most important contribution to the field of English philology in Japan, containing many rare items.

Shōichi Watanabe passed away at 86 years old.