Biography:

Dr.Tada is an Emeritus Professor of Immunology, Tokyo University. In 1971 He discovered "Suppressor T cell" that down regulates the immune response. He has been awarded many prizes including the Asahi Award and the Emile von Behrling Prize (Germany), and Japan’s Cultural Merit award. He served as the Presidents of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS,1995-1998), Japanese Society of Immunology (1985-1988), and as the Director of Research Institute of Life Sciences, Science University of Tokyo.
Since the 1990s, Dr. Tada has also been involved in the activities of Noh drama, a classical Japanese theatrical art of Noh Drama, and produced several modern Noh plays including “The well of ignorance”, which deals with brain death and heart transplantation, making successful performances in New York city and other cities. Another Noh Drama, "Resenting Lament", which depicts a Korean woman whose husband was forced into labor by militaristic Japan during the Word War II, was on stage of Pusan international theatrical festivity in Pusan, Korea. Tada is also known as a writer, having published many books represented by "Semantics of the Immune System" which was awarded the Osaragi Jiro Prize (1993) . Although a stroke has left Dr. Tada partially paralyzed and without speech, he still actively writes Noh plays and essays.

Dr. Tomio Tada’s first encounter with Noh was with Minoru Umewaka’s “Semimaru”, when he was eighteen years old. This experience spurred him to take ko-zutumi ( small shoulder drum) lessons at the Okura School and go on to perform on Noh stages. As an adult, Dr. Tada became known as columnist, commentary writer and editor on Noh for Asahi Shinbun, the largest newspaper in Japan. In addition, he has published several books on Noh, including “Noh no naka no Nou budtai”(Noh stage inside the brain)published by Shincho.In 1992, Dr. Tada wrote “Mumyou-no-I” (The Well of Ignorance). The theme of this contemporary Noh play was brain death and heart transplant. It was performed by the late Kyuma Hashimoto throughout Japan with great success.In 1994, “Mumyo-No-I” was performed in Pittsburg, Cleveland and other cities to successful reviews. The New York Times said “there was a moment when my heart froze.” Dr. Tada’s next Noh play “Bo-kon-Ka”was written based on the tragedies of Korean citizens who were forcefully brought to Japan during WWII. It was performed at the art festival in Pusan, Korea in 2005.Also in 2005, “The Hermit Isseki ” was performed at the special conference commemorating UNESCO’s “World Year of Physic” in Japan.In 2005, Dr. Tada wrote two other Noh plays called “Genbaku-Ki” and “Nagasaki-No-Seibo”, based on Japan’s unique experience as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombs.His most recent Noh plays “Yokohama-Sannji-Ku” and the children’s Noh play “Kumozoku-No-Gyakushu”, are scheduled to be performed soon.

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