Japan's Top 2% Scientists 2020

Japan has 4,484 scientists on the 2020 single-year Top 2% list. That places Japan 9th in the world by number of listed scientists. University of Tokyo has the most listed scientists (364), followed by Kyoto University (273).

Single Year

4,484

First year listed

Career Data

6,316

First year listed

World rank by count

First year listed

Institutes

630

First year listed

Scientists in Japan on the list, by year

Single-year list, change on the previous year

2021+20.8%

2022+1.5%

2023+3.6%

2024-1.5%

2025+1.9%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	4,484		6,316
2021	5,416	+20.8%	7,362	+16.6%
2022	5,496	+1.5%	7,630	+3.6%
2023	5,694	+3.6%	8,126	+6.5%
2024	5,609	-1.5%	8,261	+1.7%
2025	5,713	+1.9%	8,730	+5.7%

Top 10 institutes in Japan

By number of listed scientists

Single-year list2020

Show the list

1University of Tokyo364
2Kyoto University273
3Tohoku University200
4Osaka University191
5Hokkaido University131
6Tokyo Institute of Technology125
7Riken113
8Nagoya University110
9National Institute for Materials Science106
10Kyushu University102

All 4,484 scientists

Single-year list2020

The first 100 are free to browse.

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Rank in Japan	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	71	MN Mizushima, Noboru	University of Tokyo	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 2
2	94	AS Akira, Shizuo	Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 2
3	240	TK Tamura, Koichiro	Tokyo Metropolitan University	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 4
4	309	TY Tokura, Yoshinori	University of Tokyo	Applied Physics	Rank 13
5	324	IS Iijima, Sumio	Meijo University	Chemical Physics	Rank 12
6	347	AH Akaike, Hirotugu	-	Statistics & Probability	Rank 6
7	351	Sakaguchi, Shimon	Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 11
8	470	KM Kanehisa, Minoru	Kyoto University	Bioinformatics	Rank 5
9	478	MK Maeda, Kazuhiko	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 5
10	505	AM Awual, Md Rabiul	Japan Atomic Energy Agency	Chemical Engineering	Rank 4
11	508	KM Kudo, Masatoshi	Kindai University	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 6
12	540	AC Adachi, Chihaya	Kyushu University	Applied Physics	Rank 24
13	676	KA Kudo, Akihiko	Tokyo University of Science	General Chemistry	Rank 7
14	688	HH Hosono, Hideo	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Applied Physics	Rank 29
15	733	AH Akagi, Hirofumi	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Rank 4
16	753	MH Maeda, Hiroshi	BioDynamics Research Foundation	Pharmacology & Pharmacy	Rank 4
17	824	KM Kimura, Motoo	National Institute of Genetics Mishima	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 10
18	925	Kitagawa, Susumu	Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences	General Chemistry	Rank 10
19	1,005	HM Haruta, Masatake	Tokyo Metropolitan University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 6
20	1,080	EM Ezawa, Motohiko	University of Tokyo	Applied Physics	Rank 38
21	1,087	MJ Ma, Jian Feng	Okayama University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 6
22	1,144	OY Ohsumi, Yoshinori	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 24
23	1,242	GJ Gong, Jian Ping	Hokkaido University	Polymers	Rank 5
24	1,395	OH Ohno, Hideo	Tohoku University	Applied Physics	Rank 48
25	1,405	XQ Xu, Qiang	Kyoto University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 24
26	1,610	KT Kokubo, Tadashi	Chubu University	Biomedical Engineering	Rank 9
27	1,650	YS Yamanaka, Shinya	Center for iPS Cell Research and Application	Developmental Biology	Rank 75
28	1,726	TH Takayanagi, Hiroshi	University of Tokyo	Immunology	Rank 38
29	1,735	KH Kimura, Hideo	National Institute of Neuroscience, Kodaira	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 37
30	1,850	IA Isogai, Akira	University of Tokyo	Polymers	Rank 9
31	1,924	MW McDonough, William F.	Tohoku University	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 26
32	1,966	KT Kishimoto, Tadamitsu	Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 44
33	1,989	FA Fujishima, Akira	Tokyo University of Science	Energy	Rank 40
34	2,015	NS Nagata, Shigekazu	Osaka University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 43
35	2,020	NM Niinomi, Mitsuo	Osaka University	Materials	Rank 43
36	2,110	NN Nagaosa, Naoto	Riken	Applied Physics	Rank 65
37	2,419	ON Otsu, Nobuyuki	National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 100
38	2,442	KM Kuro-o, Makoto	Jichi Medical University	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 11
39	2,657	TH Tsuji, Hideto	Toyohashi University of Technology	Polymers	Rank 17
40	2,682	KT Komori, Toshihisa	Nagasaki University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 55
41	2,994	NS Nosé, Shuichi	Keio University	Chemical Physics	Rank 70
42	3,019	KM Komatsu, Masaaki	Niigata University School of Medicine	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 56
43	3,090	BN Barker, Nick	Kanazawa University	Developmental Biology	Rank 126
44	3,124	YT Yoshimori, Tamotsu	Osaka University Faculty of Medicine	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 58
45	3,127	HW Hamilton, W. D.	Kyushu University	Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology	Rank 5
46	3,153	ST Someya, Takao	Riken	Applied Physics	Rank 82
47	3,189	AS Adachi, Sadao	Gunma University	Applied Physics	Rank 84
48	3,191	NR Noyori, Ryoji	Nagoya University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 53
49	3,197	OS Oyama, S. Ted	University of Tokyo	Physical Chemistry	Rank 18
50	3,267	TK Tone, Kaoru	National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies	Operations Research	Rank 10
51	3,480	FM Fujita, Makoto	University of Tokyo	Organic Chemistry	Rank 58
52	3,501	IM Irie, Masahiro	Rikkyo University	General Chemistry	Rank 29
53	3,538	YN Yamazoe, Noboru	Kyushu University	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 15
54	3,556	YN Yabuuchi, Naoaki	Yokohama National University	Energy	Rank 70
55	3,652	HK Hashimoto, Kenji	Chiba University	Psychiatry	Rank 103
56	3,657	OH Ohno, Hiroyuki	Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology	Polymers	Rank 27
57	3,685	SK Shinozaki, Kazuo	Riken	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 31
58	3,738	SM Shibuya, Masabumi	Jobu University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 127
59	3,747	DK Domen, Kazunari	University of Tokyo	Physical Chemistry	Rank 23
60	3,784	MT Miyasaka, Tsutomu	Toin University of Yokohama	General Chemistry	Rank 31
61	3,846	HM Hara, Michikazu	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 67
62	3,928	TF Tajima, Fumio	University of Tokyo	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 50
63	3,952	AK Ariga, Katsuhiko	National Institute for Materials Science	General Chemistry	Rank 33
64	3,994	NS Nojiri, Shin'ichi	Nagoya University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 26
65	4,072	KY Kanda, Yoshinobu	Jichi Medical University	Immunology	Rank 96
66	4,153	AS Amari, Shun Ichi	Riken	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 145
67	4,246	KH Kitano, Hiroaki	Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 149
68	4,262	MY Matsuzawa, Yuji	Sumitomo Hospital	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 123
69	4,331	ZH Zhou, Haoshen	National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 129
70	4,339	NE Niki, Etsuo	University of Tokyo, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 78
71	4,444	TO Takeuchi, Osamu	Kyoto University	Immunology	Rank 104
72	4,509	KK Kario, Kazuomi	Jichi Medical University	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 132
73	4,537	KS Kobayashi, Shu	University of Tokyo	Organic Chemistry	Rank 81
74	4,603	TK Takeda, Kiyoshi	Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 111
75	4,625	HK Hono, K.	National Institute for Materials Science	Materials	Rank 82
76	4,638	TS Tsujikawa, Shinji	Tokyo University of Science	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 32
77	4,645	KM Katoh, Masaru	National Cancer Center Tokyo	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 151
78	4,792	ST Sakurai, Takeshi	University of Tsukuba	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 335
79	4,858	IY Ikada, Yoshito	Kyoto University	Biomedical Engineering	Rank 31
80	4,910	SA Suzuki, Akira	Hokkaido University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 88
81	4,980	OB Ohtani, Bunsho	Hokkaido University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 29
82	4,987	AR Abe, Ryu	Kyoto University	General Chemistry	Rank 41
83	5,056	TH Tanaka, Hajime	University of Tokyo	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 43
84	5,092	MK Miyazono, Kohei	University of Tokyo	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 93
85	5,114	YK Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko	University of Tokyo	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 51
86	5,152	TK Tanaka, Keiji	Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 96
87	5,155	SK Saito, Kazuki	Chiba University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 53
88	5,406	KT Kadowaki, Takashi	University of Tokyo	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 108
89	5,416	HA Harada, Akira	Osaka University	Polymers	Rank 43
90	5,424	KT Kato, Takashi	University of Tokyo	Polymers	Rank 44
91	5,520	AM Anpo, Masakazu	Osaka Prefecture University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 33
92	6,178	TK Takada, Kazunori	National Institute for Materials Science	Energy	Rank 121
93	6,293	TY Tanaka, Yoshiya	University of Occupational and Environmental Health	Arthritis & Rheumatology	Rank 39
94	6,386	AT Ando, Tsuneya	Tokyo Institute of Technology	General Physics	Rank 45
95	6,396	ZD Zhao, Dapeng	Tohoku University	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 113
96	6,571	KR Kirchheim, Reiner	I2CNER, WPI	Materials	Rank 119
97	6,584	HP Holme, Petter	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 55
98	6,624	FK Fukui, Kenichi	Institute for Fundamental Chemistry	Chemical Physics	Rank 135
99	6,651	AF Abe, Fujio	National Institute for Materials Science	Materials	Rank 120
100	6,690	HK Honda, Kenya	Riken	Immunology	Rank 153
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Countries with a similar count

Single-year list2020

Australia6,100 scientistsin 2020

Italy4,746 scientistsin 2020

France4,502 scientistsin 2020

Netherlands3,480 scientistsin 2020

Spain2,767 scientistsin 2020

Switzerland2,622 scientistsin 2020

Explore other countries

Single-year list2020

China12,955 scientistsin 2020

South Korea2,139 scientistsin 2020

Taiwan1,097 scientistsin 2020

Hong Kong1,033 scientistsin 2020

Macau50 scientistsin 2020

India2,313 scientistsin 2020

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Japan are in the 2020 Stanford Top 2% list?

4,484 scientists affiliated with Japan are on the 2020 single-year list, and 6,316 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in Japan has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2020 single-year list, University of Tokyo has the most listed scientists from Japan, with 364. It is followed by Kyoto University with 273.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.