The Takase Scholarship Foundation was founded on October 18, 1995 with an endowment donated by the late Hidetaro Takase from his personal funds. Following subsequent amendments to the public utility foundation system, the Foundation was authorized by the Cabinet Office to adopt the structure of a public interest incorporated foundation, and it took its current form on April 1, 2011. Hidetaro Takase established the Foundation based on his strong belief that providing opportunities for future generations to develop international understandings and engage in international cooperation, by promoting studying in Japan by promising students from overseas, was extremely important both to Japan and to international peace. Inheriting this wish of its founder, today the Foundation supports the studies of international students from abroad with the aim of contributing however it can to friendly relations and goodwill between Japan and the international community and to development of the human resources of the future.
Since its founding, the Foundation has provided scholarship programs funded with the considerable support of Takase Corporation, which supports Hidetaro Takase's vision. Takase Corporation has engaged in the international freight handling business ever since its establishment in 1872, and today it promotes international exchange through logistics operations in markets around the world, including Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Its corporate code of conduct calls for full cooperation in the Foundation's activities, as part of its social contributions, and it supports the Foundation's scholarship programs to contribute to further progress in international exchange.
Born in Tokyo in 1923, Hidetaro Takase took office as the third President and CEO of Takase Corporation in 1968. His grandfather Risaburo Takase was Takase Corporation's founder. Following his graduation from Tokyo Middle School No. 5 (now Koishikawa High School), he enrolled in the Okura Higher Commercial School (now Tokyo Keizai University). After being drafted when students were sent to the front during World War II, he was stationed in Manchuria at the war's end. He was detained in Siberia before returning to Japan in 1948, when he joined Takase-Gumi (now Takase Corporation). He was assigned to the maritime freight handling business (port transport business), where he worked in handling of export and import freight amid Japan's postwar economic recovery. With the arrival of the era of maritime container shipping in the 1960s, he played a leading role in the maritime shipping (maritime freight handling) industry during a time of logistics reforms, and in 1981 he received an award from the Minister of Transport for his contributions to port businesses. When the world conference of the International Federation of Forwarders Association (FIATA) was held in Tokyo in 1984, he guided the conference to success through his involvement in its promotion and operation as chairperson of the organizing committee. This would serve as one contributing factor behind his later establishment of the Foundation. He continued to play a leading role in Japan's maritime freight business after his appointment in 1986 as chairperson of the Japan Maritime Freight Handling Association, In 1988 he was awarded the Medal with Blue Ribbon, in 1989 he was appointed Chairperson of the Board of Takase Corporation, and in 1993 he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure (Fourth Class). He took office as Managing Trustee of the Takase Scholarship Foundation when its establishment was authorized in 1995 by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. He was named a senior advisor to Takase Corporation in 1999. After his passing on July 25, 2010, he was awarded a posthumous court rank of sixth class.
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April 1, 2002