More Retractions for Tokyo Scientist?

A university panel has detected irregularities in 43 papers by Shigeaki Kato.

Written byKate Yandell
| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share

FLICKR, ROBERT CUDMOREA University of Tokyo panel is recommending that former university scientist Shigeaki Kato withdraw 43 scientific papers, according to the Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper.

The recommendations are the result of an investigation that was triggered last year (January 2012) when an anonymous tipster made a Youtube video chronicling allegedly fraudulent manipulations made to figures in Kato’s papers. Kato resigned from his position at the university in March 2012. According to Retraction Watch, five papers by Kato have already been retracted.

The University of Tokyo told ScienceInsider that the panel’s report has not yet been released and did not confirm the assertions made by Asahi Shumbun.

According to the Japanese newspaper, the committee reviewed 165 papers and found questionable material in 43 of them. The problems included duplicated and reversed images, as well as forgery.

Kato told Asahi Shumbun that he planned to withdraw the papers. “There certainly were irregularities,” ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Related Topics

Meet the Author

Share
July Digest 2025
July 2025, Issue 1

What Causes an Earworm?

Memory-enhancing neural networks may also drive involuntary musical loops in the brain.

View this Issue
Genome Modeling and Design: From the Molecular to Genome Scale

Genome Modeling and Design: From the Molecular to Genome Scale

Twist Bio 
Screening 3D Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery

Screening 3D Brain Cell Cultures for Drug Discovery

DNA and pills, conceptual illustration of the relationship between genetics and therapeutic development

Multiplexing PCR Technologies for Biopharmaceutical Research

Thermo Fisher Logo
Discover how to streamline tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte production.

Producing Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapeutics

cytiva logo

Products

The Scientist Placeholder Image

Sino Biological Sets New Industry Standard with ProPure Endotoxin-Free Proteins made in the USA

sartorius-logo

Introducing the iQue 5 HTS Platform: Empowering Scientists  with Unbeatable Speed and Flexibility for High Throughput Screening by Cytometry

parse_logo

Vanderbilt Selects Parse Biosciences GigaLab to Generate Atlas of Early Neutralizing Antibodies to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella

shiftbioscience

Shift Bioscience proposes improved ranking system for virtual cell models to accelerate gene target discovery