In Memoriam — Professor Ryozo Tanaka (1934–2010)
We have the sad duty of reporting the death of a valued member and dear friend, Professor Ryozo Tanaka, Professor Emeritus of Keio University. He passed away on 29th July 2010, a month short of his 76th birthday, after a brief hospital stay.
The funeral was private, but a memorial gathering (shinobu-kai) was held at the Tokyo Club on 13th September for members of the Cambridge & Oxford Society to pay tribute to Professor Tanaka and offer condolences to Mrs Shigeko Tanaka and their granddaughter Hisako.
A table displayed Ryozo’s books — or books he had contributed to — together with a recent portrait and a touching 1958 honeymoon photograph taken on the steps of Osaka Castle.
Academic Life and Career
Professor Tanaka graduated in English Literature from Keio University in 1963. His first visit to Britain was in 1968, leading a group of university students. He later studied English literature and philology at Cambridge University (1973–75), attached to Darwin College.
Returning again in 1987 and 1996, he studied architecture and art history under Dr David Watkin, developing a passionate interest in country houses. Over the years, he visited 300 English country houses, a subject central to his research and writing.
As Professor of English at Keio University, he used Evelyn Waugh’s novels in his teaching. After retiring in 2000, he continued lecturing at three universities, later expanding his interests into British and European art history.
He also served as Chairman of the Board of Azabu Junior and Senior High School for eight years, establishing its exchange programme with Winchester College.
Publications and Contributions
Professor Tanaka was among the first Japanese scholars to introduce British country houses to the wider public. His six major works include his magnum opus, Eikoku Kizoku no Yakata: The Country House (Kodansha, 1992), a beautifully illustrated 267-page volume featuring photography by Akihisa Masuda.
He was a popular lecturer with the Japan–British Society, his lively talks contrasting pleasantly with his natural reserve.
Service to the Asiatic Society of Japan
Although he joined the Asiatic Society of Japan only in 2003, Professor Tanaka became a deeply valued contributor. He assisted Mrs Shigeko Tanaka in her longstanding service and joined her on research trips connected to early Japanese ceramics — some of which were found in the same English country houses he visited.
His quiet helpfulness was legendary: preparing refreshments, transporting supplies, and ensuring meetings ran smoothly. On one occasion, when a venue lacked a slide projector, he drove across Tokyo to borrow several and returned just in time to save the event.
The Memorial Gathering
The shinobu-kai on 13th September was well attended. Honorary Secretaries Tim Minton and Teruhisa Nakamura opened with personal recollections.
Former British Ambassador Sir Stephen Gomersall, in Tokyo at the time, also spoke. With characteristic humour, he noted that Professor Tanaka attended so many embassy events that staff wondered whether he lived in a small room on the premises.
Later, Doreen Simmons recalled his unassuming contributions to ASJ life — from preparing refreshments to sensing the perfect moment to uncork the wine.
A Life Remembered
At the close of the evening, Mrs Shigeko Tanaka thanked guests and shared heartfelt memories. In her letter distributed afterwards, she described Ryozo as “a loving husband, a good father, and a doting grandfather. We all miss him very much.”
[This tribute is adapted from an article first published in the Bulletin of the Asiatic Society of Japan, written by Prof. Hugh Wilkinson and Doreen Simmons.]