Professor Emeritus, Ryukoku University. Born in Kobe, Nov. 1929; graduated from Kobe City University of Foreign Languages (B.A.), Ryukoku University (M.A.), and School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (Ph.D., 1968). Lecturer in Buddhism at School of Oriental and African Studies, 1969-1981; professor at Ryukoku University, 1982-1998. Appointed to Numata professorship at the University of California, Berkeley (1985), the University of Hawaii at Manoa (1989), and Leiden University, The Netherlands (1992). President of the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies since 1993. Honoary President of the same since 2005. Representative of the Jodo Mandala Study Group since 1993. Editor of The Pure Land since 1979. Representative of the Honganji Shin Buddhism Translation Committee and Portuguese Translation Committee.

Major publications: A Tri-lingual Glossary of the Sukhavativyuha Sutras (1984), A Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Terms (1984,85, 88, 2003), Anantamukhanirhara-dharani Sutra and Jnanagarbha's Commentary (1987), A Glossary of Zen Terms (1991 & 95), The Three Pure Land Sutras: a study and translation (1994, 95, 2000), The Three Pure Land Sutras (BDK English Tripitaka 12-II,III,IV, 1995, 2003). The Amida Sutra Mandala: an iconography with the text of the Amida Sutra (1995), T'an-luan's Commentary on Vasubandhu's Discourse on the Pure Land: a study and translation (1998), Nagarjuna's Discourse on the Ten Stages: translation and study of the verses and the chapter on the Easy Practice (1998), and Home-page "Jodo Mandala" (1998). Amida Dharani Sutra and Jnanagarbha's Commentary: An annotated translation from Tibetan of the Anantamukha-nirhara-dharani Sutra and Tika (1999). Liturgy for Birth (in the Amida Net, 2000), Kyogyoshinsho (BDK English Tripitaka, 2004). Shan-tao's Kannenbomon (2005).

Translations of other Buddhist texts: Pratyutpanna-samadhi Sutra, Shan-tao's Pan-chou tsan, Kukai's Sokushin-jobutsugi, Kakuban's Amida-hishaku, etc.

Mailing address: A-1911, Akutagawacho 1-2, Takatsuki 569-1123, Japan