Katsuhiko Oku
Encyclopedia
Katsuhiko Oku was a Japanese diplomat who played rugby for Oxford and Waseda University
. In Britain he was known as "Katsu".
ese embassy in London
to Iraq
where he was killed by unknown assailants with his colleague Masamori Inoue and their Iraqi driver when their car was ambushed on November 29, 2003. He was promoted posthumously to ambassador in recognition of his work by the Japanese foreign ministry
(Gaimusho).
Katsuhiko Oku made a point of visiting many countries and finding out what the local people wanted. He saw it as the first duty of a diplomat.
Since 2004 an Oku Memorial Trophy has been contested annually in Richmond, London by the Kew Occasionals club (founded by Katsu Oku's good friend Reg Clark) and some Japanese teams. (See RFU's official newspaper Touchline, February 2007 issue).
Varsity Match
went towards that fund. Proceeds from the recent game in Japan between Waseda and Oxford (which Waseda won for the first time ever) also went to the fund, and the game was called the Katsuhiko Oku Memorial match. It was played on September 20, 2004 and Waseda won 25-9. The average weight of the forwards was Oxford 107kg, Waseda 99kg. The record now stands at one win, one draw and ten losses.
Mr. Katsuyuki Kiyomiya
, the coach of Waseda's highly successful rugby team 2001-6, was a friend of Mr. Oku, and is a trustee of his memorial fund in Japan. Together they invented a slogan "ULTIMATE CRUSH".
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
. In Britain he was known as "Katsu".
Character and Life
A very popular and dynamic personality, he later became a diplomat and was sent from the JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese embassy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
where he was killed by unknown assailants with his colleague Masamori Inoue and their Iraqi driver when their car was ambushed on November 29, 2003. He was promoted posthumously to ambassador in recognition of his work by the Japanese foreign ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)
The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
(Gaimusho).
Katsuhiko Oku made a point of visiting many countries and finding out what the local people wanted. He saw it as the first duty of a diplomat.
Since 2004 an Oku Memorial Trophy has been contested annually in Richmond, London by the Kew Occasionals club (founded by Katsu Oku's good friend Reg Clark) and some Japanese teams. (See RFU's official newspaper Touchline, February 2007 issue).
Charitable fund
A charitable fund has been set up in his name for the children of Iraq and a collection at the 2004 Oxford-CambridgeCambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
Varsity Match
The Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
went towards that fund. Proceeds from the recent game in Japan between Waseda and Oxford (which Waseda won for the first time ever) also went to the fund, and the game was called the Katsuhiko Oku Memorial match. It was played on September 20, 2004 and Waseda won 25-9. The average weight of the forwards was Oxford 107kg, Waseda 99kg. The record now stands at one win, one draw and ten losses.
Mr. Katsuyuki Kiyomiya
Katsuyuki Kiyomiya
is a notable Japanese rugby union coach, formerly of Waseda University RFC and now of Suntory Sungoliath. Many in Japan hope he will coach the national side in the future.-Early life:...
, the coach of Waseda's highly successful rugby team 2001-6, was a friend of Mr. Oku, and is a trustee of his memorial fund in Japan. Together they invented a slogan "ULTIMATE CRUSH".
See also
- Anglo-Japanese relationsAnglo-Japanese relationsThe history of the relationship between Britain and Japan began in 1600 with the arrival of William Adams on the shores of Kyūshū at Usuki in Ōita Prefecture...
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan)The is a cabinet level ministry of Japan responsible for the country's foreign relations.The ministry is due to the second term of the third article of the National Government Organization Act , and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Establishment Act establishes the ministry...
- Japan Rugby Football UnionJapan Rugby Football UnionThe Japan Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed November 30, 1926 and is currently one of only two federations from a "Tier 2" country with a seat on the International Rugby Board executive council, the sport's international governing body...
- Waseda University Rugby Football ClubWaseda University Rugby Football ClubWaseda University R.F.C. was founded in 1918. It is one of the top rugby union clubs for students in Japan, together with Kanto Gakuin University RFC, Keio University RFC and Doshisha University RFC....
External links
- The Oku-Inoue fund for the children of Iraq (English version)
- Waseda University Rugby Football Club (in Japanese)
- Oxford University Rugby Football Club