Saiichiro Nakatani
xx xx, xxxx - xx xx, xxxx
Dear friends and colleagues, It is with unspeakable sadness and shock that we learned about the unexpected passing of Prof Saiichiro Nakatani in Ghent (Belgium) on 13 March 2023. Saiichiro Nakatani (PhD Swansea University 2006) was Professor of Greek at Keio University in Tokyo and had been a visiting scholar at Ghent University since August 2022 during a sabbatical leave. He was 50 years old. Our deepest sympathy goes to his parents and family. Our thoughts are also with his colleagues and friends. This is also a tragic loss for our discipline. His work on the reception of the ancient Greek novels (several of which he translated into Japanese) is of major importance, and he was heading a collaborative research project on the reception of the Greek and Latin classics in Japan. Colleagues at Keio, Swansea and Ghent will always remember Prof. Nakatani with the greatest affection, admiration and love. This page is for those friends and colleagues who would like to leave a message for Sai's family. We will convey all messages to his parents. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Koen De Temmerman and Evelien Bracke
Condolences
Philip Adamek
Sai was a dear colleague of mine in Kagoshima, Japan, for a few years. His departure in 2015 for more stimulating circumstances deprived our department and school of a very positive social and intellectual presence. We missed him then, and I miss him even more so now that he is gone.
Luciana Cardi
中谷先生とは学会で初めてお会いし、その後、同じ研究グループで協力してきました。先生の笑顔はいつも周囲の人々を元気にして下さいました。大学教授や研究者というと、中谷先生のような優れた学歴の持ち主は高慢になりがちです。それに対して、中谷先生はいつもフレンドリーで心優しかったです。また、他人に古代ギリシャへの熱意を伝える術を心得ていました。 今でも私はまだ中谷先生がヨーロッパから帰ってきていないような、またお会いできるような気がしています。謹んでご家族の方々に深い哀悼の意を表します。 I have first met Nakatani-san at a conference and then I have cooperated with him in the same research group. His smile always put people around him in good humor. When it comes to university professors and academics, people with outstanding academic background tend to be haughty. Instead, Nakatani-san was always friendly and kind-hearted. He knew how to involve people in his projects and how to transmit his enthusiasm for ancient Greece. Even now, I still feel as if Nakatani-san has not come back from Europe yet and I could meet him again. I offer my deep condolences to his family.
島津久崇
本日、私は中谷先生が亡くなったことを知りました。 中谷先生とは、父の義秀から薩摩琵琶を学ぶ兄弟弟子でした。 いつも笑顔で、ひたむきに稽古され、素晴らしい演奏家でもいらっしゃいました。 今年は戻られて、また一緒に稽古できると思っていたので、本当に残念でなりません。 今でも信じられません。 どうか、安らかにお眠りください。
Akihiko Watanabe
He was a great scholar and great friend. Both professionally and personally his loss will be felt keenly around the world. Rest in peace Nakatani Sensei, we all feel you left us much, much too soon...
Michel Briand
My sadest condolences to his friends and family. I met S. Nakatani first in Orléans, in a conference about "performing arts between classical antiquity and contemporary Japan": his excellent presentation was about "Mishima's Kabuki-adaptation Mythology". As he did in Ghent about Longus, in his elegant manner, he had so many more fascinating reflexions to deliver to us, especially about the dialogue between two cultures both so different and so comparable, as well as between literature and performance. Quelle tristesse!
Tim Whitmarsh
Sai was a lovely man and a great scholar. We will all miss him immensely. All my thoughts are with his family.
Costas Panayotakis
My most heartfelt condolences to Sai's family. Remarkably kind, generous, and collegial, Sai still had a lot of joy and knowledge to share with his friends and the scholarly community. This is very sad news and it is difficult to believe and accept it; we (will) miss him very much. Costas Panayotakis, University of Glasgow
Olga Tribulato
I met Sai at Cambridge during his MPhil there. He was a shy, elegant and profound person who infused all gestures with rare grace. Our paths soon diverged, but he was always punctual with his seasonal greetings and emails about his progress at Swansea. I am shocked to hear of his untimely death. My condolences to his family and friends. Sai was a kind man. Olga Tribulato, University of Venice.
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