Japan’s Sakaguchi, Wife Share Joy after Nobel Prize Win

Suita, Osaka Pref., Oct. 7 (Jiji Press)–Shimon Sakaguchi, 74, who has won this year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared joy with his wife in a press conference at the University of Osaka in western Japan on Tuesday. “I’m really glad that all the hard work we’ve put in for so long has finally paid off,” said Sakaguchi’s wife, Noriko, 71, at the conference in Suita, Osaka Prefecture. Sakaguchi is honorary professor at the University of Osaka, while Noriko is a visiting academic staff member who has been researching alongside him in his group. The two first met when Sakaguchi was studying at the Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute after leaving a Kyoto University graduate school. Noriko recalled her first impression of him, saying, “He was a strange person I had never even seen before who was dedicated to his research.” They later moved to the United States, where they began collaborating on studies and papers. “My wife is more dexterous, so I can leave detailed experiments to her, but I’m the one who fiddles with the mice,” Sakaguchi said, describing how they split up the work in the laboratory. He also mentioned the synergy between them, saying, “When we think together, we come up with various ideas.” When tensions arise among their team members, Noriko plays a key role in maintaining harmony in the laboratory. Sakaguchi said that since meeting her, people often say he has become more cheerful. “Maybe it’s because of my wife,” he said. Noriko attributed Sakaguchi’s success to his persistence and efforts driven by unwavering faith. “We’ve been together for so many years, so I’m grateful,” he said with a shy smile. Then, he added with a laugh, “If I didn’t say this, I would have been told off.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]