Niigata University
Motoni Kadowaki
Born in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1951.
PhD in Agriculture from the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
Research Associate at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA
Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University
Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Niigata University
Vice Group Director, Institute of Science and Technology
Director, Niigata University Food Science Center
Kawasaki, where I was born, was a growing lively city, so that even a child like me could have felt Japan's booming economy. But, I lived on the outskirts of the city where a lot of paddies and fields were still left. From junior high school to university period, I was caught up in playing soft tennis and even participated on the intercollegiate circuit. In those days, I was also attracted by life science, particularly of animals, and thus joined the laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry in the University of Tokyo to investigate the mechanisms of animal body.
I have done for many years the research on the metabolism and physiology of amino acids and protein in animal cells to human health. About 15 years ago, after finishing my studies abroad, I obtained my position in Niigata, the rice capital of Japan. Since then I have lived face-to-face with rice. I was attracted by rice protein as a nutritional biochemist, because then, and even now, there have been few researchers involved in rice protein. Like soy, rice protein reduces a blood cholesterol level and plays an important role in protecting internal organs against fat accumulation. I focused on analyzing the digestibility, properties and granular structures of protein originating from rice and rice bran, and evaluating and validating their benefits and safety. I will continue my research with hope of contributing to the technological development of rice as food materials. The health benefits of rice protein have been elucidated only recently. If the effects of rice on kidneys and other organs can be further illuminated, it may help discover hidden potentials in prevention of diabetes or health enhancement.
At this symposium, I am hoping to exchange information from different angles with researchers involved in rice and, from there, expand the possibilities, i.e., benefits, applications, etc. Some day I hope to demonstrate and inform the health benefits of eating rice with scientific data.
| Hobbies: | My current hobby is working. Since I like my work so much, I just have to do it. To buy books for reading them in the future. Of course, I read some of them soon. |
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| In Wakayama: | I don't know much about Wakayama, but I would like to visit Mt. Koya. I hear that fish is good here, too, so I'd like to compare the taste against fish in Niigata. |