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In Memory of Emeritus Professor Yasuo Yamauchi

By Moroe Beppu, MD, PhD

On behalf of everyone involved in the practice of hand surgery in Japan, I would like to express our deepest sympathies for the loss of Dr. Yasuo Yamauchi who passed away on June 26th, 2021, at the age of 89. The Japanese Society of Hand Surgery has lost a giant star.

Professor Yamauchi was born on October 23rd, 1931, and graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1956. He was president of the annual meeting of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand (JSSH) in 1982 and was later a Society President of Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) from 1993-1994. He also served as society president of International Society for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH). Most recently he was Emeritus Professor of Juntendo University’s School of Medicine. He was especially responsible for helping to internationalize the practice of Japanese hand surgery and made innumerable efforts to deepen the relationship between JSSH and ASSH.

I first met Dr. Yamauchi at the 1981 ASSH meeting in New Orleans. At the time, I was studying hand & microsurgery abroad at Louisville Hand Surgery Associates and he hosted a dinner for Japanese students who were studying abroad and from this point I was honored to have had his acquaintance for 40 years. He trained at the University of Michigan, stayed at Swanson’s Grand Rapids hospital for two months, and visited there again a few years later as chief researcher.

We became extremely close and he helped me deepen my network of acquaintances with hand surgeons in the United States. In addition, following the first Japan-U.S. Joint Hand Surgery Conference (held in Japan) in 1974, the second Japan-U.S. Joint Hand Surgery Conference was held in Hawaii between Japan and the United States with the help of Professor Yamauchi. Since then, we have met every five years until now.

Professor Yamauchi, the entire hand surgery community thanks you for your international contribution to the Japanese Society of Hand Surgery. We would like to thank his many friends among the membership of ASSH and we pray that the friendly relationship between our communities will continue in the future and build on his legacy.

Moroe Beppu MD, Ph.D.
International Member of ASSH
Emeritus Professor, St. Marianna University, School of Medicine

Comments (3)
Robert M. Szabo
August 12, 2021 11:41 pm

Professor Yamauchi will be missed by all of us who had the privilege of knowing him. His willingness to teach and host me and many other hand surgeons from the United States and introduce us to Japan will always be remembered and appreciated. He was a true friend to many of us. My sympathies go out to his family.

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James Chang
August 13, 2021 1:57 am

Thank you Moroe, for sharing your remembrances of Dr. Yamauchi. It was such a pleasure to know him. He was a wonderful host to me, and to many Bunnell Fellows. He was a true gentleman, so sophisticated and worldly in his interests and knowledge.
Jim

Reply

Moroe Beppu
August 13, 2021 6:35 pm

Dear Dr. Szabo and Dr .Chang
Thank you very much for your nice comment. I appreciated Prof. Yamauchi to teach ​me a lot not only Hand but also how to organize
international combined meeting. I have made many international especially ASSH friends. Right now, we have had difficulty to see each
other face to face because of Covid-16 Pandemic infection. Please keep in touch. best regards
Moroe
.

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