Dr. Masao Kobayashi, Professor Emeritus of Hiroshima University (current Director of the Japanese Red Cross Chugoku-Shikoku Center), and the Marimo Association, a medical corporation, were awarded the Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon on May 30, 2020, for their generous donations to the Hiroshima University Fund. On July 30, 2020, University President Ochi handed the Medal to Professor Kobayashi and the Chairman of the Marimo Association, Dr. Hiroo Hiramatsu, respectively.

The Medal with Dark Blue Ribbon is one of the national medals of honor awarded to individuals or organizations that have donated private funds (minimum requirement of 5 million yen for an individual or 10 million yen for an organization) for the public good.

<Comments from the recipients>

Professor Emeritus Masao Kobayashi
I have been a student, graduate student, and faculty member at the Hiroshima University School of Medicine for 47 years. When I was a professor of pediatrics, I received a great deal of help from the university in caring for patients with intractable pediatric diseases, including the establishment of the Hiroshima University Hospital Family House, an accommodation facility for pediatric patients hospitalized for a long-term and their families at the Hiroshima University Hospital. As the only medical training institute in the prefecture, I hope that the university will continue to make efforts to develop diagnosis treatment and make research progress in the field of intractable diseases, as well as foster human resources.

Medical Corporation Marimo Association
Based on the cooperation with Hiroshima University Hospital, the association is responsible for regional medical care in Minami-Ku, Hiroshima City. Hiroshima University is not only the sole medical research institution in Hiroshima Prefecture, but it is also a university with highly regarded research achievements, and we hope that we can be of some assistance to the development of the university as Japan’s leading university and one of the world's top 100 research universities in the future.