“Your Life Is Short and Important”—A Conversation with Dr. Toshikatsu Tanaka.

Now in his second retirement, Dr. Toshikatsu Tanaka finally has time to delve into Japanese history, practice tai chi, and reflect on his career. Not that he has stopped working; he is simply working a little less. In a conversation covering everything from Portuguese desserts to philosophy, we discussed his devotion to research and a passion for sharing knowledge. His is a career defined by scientific study and elevated by collaboration. While conducting internationally recognized research, he connected Japan's scientists with the rest of the world, helping advance his country's power industry, shining a light on their own research, and developing life-long friendships along the way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]