It is our great pleasure to present the MURAKAMI Suminao Award to Prof. Hideaki Karaki.

Professor Karaki has made outstanding contributions to the Journal of Disaster Research (JDR) as an important member of the JDR editorial board for a long time. He is Professor Emeritus, in the Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, at The University of Tokyo, and he is a former president of Foundation of Food Safety and Security. His major contributions to the JDR have been in the area of medical disasters such as infectious disease pandemics. The JDR covers various kinds of disasters, both natural and man-made, such as geological, hydrological, or microbial disasters, and medical or infectious disease disasters are also important to mention. His excellent manuscripts have also been in the JDR. Furthermore, he has comprehensive knowledge of various fields in addition to his field of specialization. He has had a long career as an editor of the JDR, and his opinions in editorial meetings have always been valuable.

Thus, his contributions to the JDR make him very deserving of the MURAKAMI Suminao Award.

I wish to thank to Professor Karaki for his contributions and to congratulate him as the winner of the Award.