Professor Masakatsu Izaki,

1919 - 1988

Dr. Masakatsu Izaki was born January 24, 1919, in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, as the fourth child of 8 children (4 boys and 4 girls) of Rev. Seiji Izaki, pastor of a Methodist Church.  His family moved to Tacoma city in Washington State in 1923, and Dr. Izaki started his schooling.  In 1929 his father was invited be a pastor of a church in Tokyo, and returned to Japan when Dr. Izaki was 10 years old.  Dr. Izaki completed Keio University, Medical School in 1943.

Dr. Izaki was drafted as a medical doctor, immediately after receiving a M.D. degree, and sent to Manchuria.  He planned to specialize in pediatrics for settlers in Manchuria, but six months later  he was assigned to Naha-city, Okinawa.  His primary duty was to inquire into the situation of lepers in Okinawa and quarantine  the patients into the National Leprosy Institute in Kunigami, Okinawa.  Unexpectedly, his work with lepers was disrupted as his troop was sent to Heirin, Taiwan in January, 1945.  While he worked at a field hospital, the war ended and he returned to Kagoshima, Japan and then to Tokyo, in February, 1946.

Deciding on a  future specialty, Dr. Izaki remembered the work he did for lepers in Okinawa.  He consulted his direction with Dr. Yoshio Kusama, a Professor of the Department of Public Health, Keio University, and dermatological training was decided to be necessary for the care of lepers.  He entered  Dermatological training at the Keio University Hospital in March 1946.  Dr. Izaki became engaged to marry to Mieko on July 1946, and they married on October, 1946. 

Dr. Izaki received a Ph.D. degree in 1951, and was highly recommended to be Professor and Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Morioka, Japan in 1955.  He stimulated the members of his department to continue research on leprosy and the fibrinolytic system as it affects skin diseases.  He was a marvelous and inciteful teacher who encouraged his students to explore the rim of knowledge and illuminate the future.  Naturally, his life as a doctor for lepers was terminated, but he maintained his personal activity in leprosy as a member of the Board of Directors of Japanese Leprosy Association; he joined the inspection and field research for leprosy patients in Okinawa (in 1968 and 1971) and taught at the Central JALMA Institute for Leprosy in 1976.  Dr. Izaki held the 15th Japanese Leprosy Association Meeting in Morioka in 1966.

Dr. Izaki was one of the most active leaders and supporters of Pacific Skin Research club, after  he attended the 1975 meeting in Palo Alto.  He organized two meetings, in 1978 and 1985, in Iwate Prefecture.  Those meetings were memorable for the visitors to see the beautiful countryside of Japan, in addition to the valuable learning experiences.  Dr. Izaki's contribution to National and International scientific meetings were numerous and constructive.  His vision was of a world of dermatology united through a common goal to understand science, medicine and humanity.

From the early 70's, Dr. Izaki was involved in additional activities through his religious background.  He was asked to participate in the social welfare activities to develop schools for retarded children, rehabilitation centers and hospitals for senior citizens in Iwate prefecture.  As he had achieved for the other activities throughout his life, Dr. Izaki accomplished the new tasks with diligence, skill and sensitivity.  He had always spear-headed many "good works."
 

Our memories:

• My Keio-U Comrade, Dr. Izaki by Masao Nakano 
• Dr. Izaki, gracious host by Terence J. Ryan 
• Izaki: Tough Humanitarian by William L. Epstein