Japan's Top 2% Scientists 2021

Japan has 5,416 scientists on the 2021 single-year Top 2% list, up 20.8% from 4,484 in 2020. That places Japan 8th in the world by number of listed scientists, up 1 place. The University of Tokyo has the most listed scientists (356), followed by Tohoku University (220).

Single Year

5,416

+932 (+20.8%) vs 2020

Career Data

7,362

+1,046 (+16.6%) vs 2020

World rank by count

up 1 place vs 2020

Institutes

804

+174 (+27.6%) vs 2020

Scientists in Japan on the list, by year

The single-year count has grown 21% since 2020.

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 list2021

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All 5,416 scientists

Single-year list2021

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	60	MN Mizushima, Noboru	The University of Tokyo	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 1
2	103	AS Akira, Shizuo	WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 2
3	150	AM Awual, Md Rabiul	Japan Atomic Energy Agency	Chemical Engineering	Rank 2
4	194	KM Kanehisa, Minoru	Institute for Chemical Research	Bioinformatics	Rank 4
5	241	KM Kudo, Masatoshi	Kindai University School of Medicine	Gastroenterology & Hepatology	Rank 3
6	274	TK Tamura, Koichiro	Tokyo Metropolitan University	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 4
7	320	TY Tokura, Yoshinori	The University of Tokyo	Applied Physics	Rank 12
8	411	Sakaguchi, Shimon	WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 16
9	424	AH Akaike, Hirotugu	The Institute of Statistical Mathematics	Statistics & Probability	Rank 8
10	471	IS Iijima, Sumio	Meijo University	Applied Physics	Rank 17
11	510	MJ Ma, Jian Feng	Okayama University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 3
12	723	MK Maeda, Kazuhiko	Tokyo Institute of Technology	General Chemistry	Rank 8
13	771	AC Adachi, Chihaya	Kyushu University	Applied Physics	Rank 25
14	845	HH Hosono, Hideo	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Applied Physics	Rank 30
15	857	MH Maeda, Hiroshi	BioDynamics Research Foundation	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 27
16	960	EM Ezawa, Motohiko	The University of Tokyo	Applied Physics	Rank 31
17	1,016	KM Kimura, Motoo	National Institute of Genetics Mishima	Developmental Biology	Rank 43
18	1,021	GJ Gong, Jian Ping	Hokkaido University	Polymers	Rank 4
19	1,057	Kitagawa, Susumu	Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences	Inorganic & Nuclear Chemistry	Rank 6
20	1,163	KA Kudo, Akihiko	Tokyo University of Science	General Chemistry	Rank 12
21	1,375	AH Akagi, Hirofumi	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Electrical & Electronic Engineering	Rank 5
22	1,443	XQ Xu, Qiang	Kyoto University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 22
23	1,570	OY Ohsumi, Yoshinori	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 38
24	1,609	HM Haruta, Masatake	Tokyo Metropolitan University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 11
25	1,643	TH Takayanagi, Hiroshi	Graduate School of Medicine	Immunology	Rank 44
26	1,658	KT Kishimoto, Tadamitsu	Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 46
27	1,816	NM Niinomi, Mitsuo	Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University	Materials	Rank 39
28	1,833	NN Nagaosa, Naoto	Riken	Applied Physics	Rank 54
29	1,904	IA Isogai, Akira	Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Tokyo	Polymers	Rank 9
30	1,982	MW McDonough, William F.	Tohoku University	Geochemistry & Geophysics	Rank 24
31	1,983	OH Ohno, Hideo	Tohoku University	Applied Physics	Rank 59
32	2,009	NS Nagata, Shigekazu	WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 46
33	2,216	KH Kimura, Hideo	Sanyo-Onoda City University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 53
34	2,318	TK Tone, Kaoru	National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies	Operations Research	Rank 10
35	2,322	HK Hashimoto, Kenji	Chiba University	Psychiatry	Rank 60
36	2,384	KT Kokubo, Tadashi	Chubu University	Biomedical Engineering	Rank 12
37	2,519	KT Komori, Toshihisa	Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 58
38	2,522	KY Kanda, Yoshinobu	Jichi Medical University	Immunology	Rank 67
39	2,586	KM Kuro-o, Makoto	Jichi Medical University	Urology & Nephrology	Rank 11
40	2,862	ON Otsu, Nobuyuki	National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 104
41	2,884	BN Barker, Nick	Kanazawa University	Developmental Biology	Rank 114
42	2,909	AS Adachi, Sadao	Gunma University	Applied Physics	Rank 75
43	3,109	ST Someya, Takao	The University of Tokyo	Applied Physics	Rank 81
44	3,117	NS Nosé, Shuichi	Keio University	Chemical Physics	Rank 68
45	3,287	SK Shinozaki, Kazuo	Riken	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 26
46	3,416	FA Fujishima, Akira	Tokyo University of Science	Energy	Rank 66
47	3,433	TH Tsuji, Hideto	Toyohashi University of Technology	Polymers	Rank 16
48	3,444	AK Ariga, Katsuhiko	National Institute for Materials Science	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 109
49	3,573	KM Katoh, Masaru	National Cancer Center Tokyo	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 116
50	3,618	YM Yamamoto, Masayuki	Tohoku University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 87
51	3,627	NS Nojiri, S.	Nagoya University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 29
52	3,684	NR Noyori, Ryoji	Nagoya University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 53
53	3,715	KK Kario, Kazuomi	Jichi Medical University	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 112
54	3,865	TO Takeuchi, Osamu	Graduate School of Medicine	Immunology	Rank 102
55	3,911	YN Yabuuchi, Naoaki	Yokohama National University	Energy	Rank 82
56	3,970	FM Fujita, Makoto	The University of Tokyo	Organic Chemistry	Rank 59
57	4,034	KM Komatsu, Masaaki	Niigata University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 95
58	4,269	BK Bliokh, Konstantin Y.	Riken	General Physics	Rank 28
59	4,304	YT Yoshimori, Tamotsu	Osaka University	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 98
60	4,375	TK Takanabe, Kazuhiro	The University of Tokyo	Physical Chemistry	Rank 23
61	4,378	SM Shibuya, Masabumi	Jobu University	Oncology & Carcinogenesis	Rank 149
62	4,435	NE Niki, Etsuo	University of Tokyo, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 101
63	4,548	MT Miyasaka, Tsutomu	Toin University of Yokohama	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 134
64	4,735	KR Kubo, Ryogo	The University of Tokyo	General Physics	Rank 32
65	4,836	IM Irie, Masahiro	Rikkyo University	General Chemistry	Rank 35
66	4,866	TW Takahashi, Wataru	Keio University	General Mathematics	Rank 15
67	4,882	MK Miyazono, Kohei	The University of Tokyo	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 114
68	4,950	MY Matsuzawa, Yuji	Sumitomo Hospital	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 158
69	4,981	TK Takeda, Kiyoshi	Osaka University	Immunology	Rank 129
70	4,982	YN Yamazoe, Noboru	Kyushu University	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 18
71	5,047	SH Sakakibara, Hitoshi	Nagoya University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 54
72	5,112	KG Kojima, Gotaro	Videbimus Clinic Research Center	Geriatrics	Rank 10
73	5,126	KS Kobayashi, Shu	The University of Tokyo	Organic Chemistry	Rank 77
74	5,129	HW Hamilton, W. D.	Kyushu University	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 57
75	5,142	HM Hara, Michikazu	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Organic Chemistry	Rank 79
76	5,245	AS Amari, Shun ichi	Riken	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 154
77	5,312	KS Komaba, Shinichi	Tokyo University of Science	Energy	Rank 106
78	5,363	TK Tanaka, Keiji	Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology	Rank 126
79	5,391	TF Tajima, Fumio	The University of Tokyo	Evolutionary Biology	Rank 60
80	5,411	TY Tanaka, Yoshiya	University of Occupational and Environmental Health School of Medicine	Arthritis & Rheumatology	Rank 39
81	5,763	TS Tsujikawa, Shinji	Waseda University	Nuclear & Particle Physics	Rank 55
82	5,843	SY Saito, Y.	Chiba University	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 70
83	5,854	ST Sakurai, Takeshi	University of Tsukuba	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 376
84	5,855	DY Doi, Yohei	Fujita Health University School of Medicine	Microbiology	Rank 121
85	5,906	TH Tanaka, Hajime	Institute of Industrial Science	General Physics	Rank 38
86	5,998	YK Yamaguchi-Shinozaki, Kazuko	Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences The University of Tokyo	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 75
87	6,091	KH Kitano, Hiroaki	Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University	Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing	Rank 171
88	6,209	WK Watanabe, K.	National Institute for Materials Science	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 172
89	6,276	TK Tsubota, Kazuo	Keio University School of Medicine	Ophthalmology & Optometry	Rank 16
90	6,367	KT Kadowaki, Takashi	Toranomon Hospital	Endocrinology & Metabolism	Rank 135
91	6,451	OH Ohno, Hiroyuki	Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology	Polymers	Rank 40
92	6,530	OB Ohtani, Bunsho	Hokkaido University	Physical Chemistry	Rank 35
93	6,544	HN Hirokawa, Nobutaka	Graduate School of Medicine	Developmental Biology	Rank 245
94	6,711	SH Shimokawa, Hiroaki	Graduate School of Medicine	Cardiovascular System & Hematology	Rank 217
95	6,723	HP Holme, Petter	Tokyo Institute of Technology	Fluids & Plasmas	Rank 49
96	6,790	TT Taniguchi, T.	National Institute for Materials Science	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology	Rank 186
97	6,920	FT Furukawa, Toshi A.	Kyoto University School of Public Health	Psychiatry	Rank 170
98	6,961	FK Fukui, Kenichi	Institute for Fundamental Chemistry	Chemical Physics	Rank 133
99	6,992	MN Miyaura, Norio	Hokkaido University	Organic Chemistry	Rank 101
100	7,045	HK Honda, Kenya	Riken	Immunology	Rank 187
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Countries with a similar count

Single-year list2021

Canada7,479 scientistsin 2021

Australia7,138 scientistsin 2021

Italy6,126 scientistsin 2021

France5,274 scientistsin 2021

Netherlands3,945 scientistsin 2021

Spain3,402 scientistsin 2021

Explore other countries

Single-year list2021

China16,611 scientistsin 2021

South Korea2,715 scientistsin 2021

Taiwan1,358 scientistsin 2021

Hong Kong1,227 scientistsin 2021

Macau59 scientistsin 2021

India3,352 scientistsin 2021

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Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Japan are in the 2021 Stanford Top 2% list?

5,416 scientists affiliated with Japan are on the 2021 single-year list, and 7,362 are on the career-long list.

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

On the 2021 single-year list, The University of Tokyo has the most listed scientists from Japan, with 356. It is followed by Tohoku University with 220.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Japan changed since 2020?

On the single-year list, Japan went from 4,484 scientists in 2020 to 5,416 in 2021, a change of +20.8%.

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.