Professor Takuzo Aida – A visionary leader in polymer science

Welcome to this special issue of the Journal of Polymer Science, celebrating the life and works of Professor Takuzo Aida on his 67th birthday. His journey starting from a small town in Oita to becoming a giant in the field of polymer science is truly inspiring. He is currently a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Tokyo, and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Art and Science. Through contributed works of friends and colleagues of Professor Aida, we aim to highlight the remarkable impact he has had in the field of polymer science. We hope that this special issue will not only honor the many incredible achievements of Professor Aida as a scientist, mentor, and visionary leader, but also encourage new generations of future scientists to follow in his footsteps and push the boundaries of scientific knowledge.

Professor Aida was born and raised in Oita, a beautiful part of the southern island, famous for its rugged mountains and stunning coastline in Japan. He attended Yokohama National University, majoring in Physical Chemistry, and received his B.S. degree in 1979. During his graduate studies, he worked under the tutelage of Professor Shohei Inoue at the University of Tokyo. After earning his Ph.D. in Polymer Chemistry in 1984, he remained at the university to begin his academic career. Early in his career, he went to the IBM Almaden research center in San Jose in 1989 as a visiting scientist. This experience was an eye-opening one for him: He witnessed major innovations happening at the intersection of science through collaboration of scientists. With a newfound vision, Professor Aida returned to Tokyo and established an open and collaborative research environment where ideas could be freely discussed and shared, and as we all know, many innovations in polymer science were made.

After returning to Tokyo, he was promoted to full professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology in 1996. Since then, he has led several of Japan's leading research projects, including the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)'s ERATO “AIDA Nanospace Project,” commenced in 2000, the ERATO-SORST project from 2005, and the Specially Promoted Research Program that began in 2013. He also served as the director of the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute from 2008 to 2012. Since 2013, he has been a Deputy Director of the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS). In 2022, he was appointed as a Distinguished Professor of the University of Tokyo.

At the forefront of the rapidly evolving field of polymer science, Professor Aida has made significant contributions to numerous facets of this field. He is most well-known for the development of supramolecular polymers, in which he played a major role in the initiation of the basic concept, conceptual expansion, and development of functional materials. Importantly, his work bridged the gaps between conventional polymer chemistry and supramolecular polymerization and realized new properties from the noncovalent nature of supramolecular building blocks. He also pioneered the development of novel soft materials based on organizations of molecules, including bucky gels, aqua materials, protein-based nanotubular carriers, photoactuators, field-responsive liquid crystals, nanochannels for water transport, porous organic materials, and mechanically robust polymer glass. His accomplishments have been recognized with many prestigious awards, including the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2010 in Japan, the Leona Ezaki Award in 2015, and the Japan Academy Prize in 2018.

With his strong commitment to fostering an environment of open discussion, creativity, intellectual rigor, and curiosity, he has set a standard of excellence that has inspired many of his students. During his academic career at the University of Tokyo and RIKEN, he supervised 68 Ph.D. students, and more than 90 people from Aida Lab are now actively contributing to academia in Japan and other countries around the world.

We invite readers to join us in honoring the legacy of Professor Aida. As a visionary leader in the field of polymer science, he shaped how we think about supramolecular polymerization and expanded the scope of what is possible. His mentorship set a strong foundation for the careers of many scientists and inspired them to push the boundaries of knowledge. We celebrate Professor Aida's life and achievements with great admiration and gratitude. Congratulations, and happy birthday, Professor Aida!