# Masatoshi Koshiba

_Japanese physicist and astronomer (1926-2020)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/masatoshi-koshiba
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Masatoshi Koshiba (小柴 昌俊, Koshiba Masatoshi; 19 September 1926 – 12 November 2020) was a Japanese physicist and one of the founders of neutrino astronomy. His work with the neutrino detectors Kamiokande and Super-Kamiokande was instrumental in detecting solar neutrinos, providing experimental evidence for the solar neutrino problem.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 September 1926 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Toyohashi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P19))
- **Died:** 12 November 2020 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P570))
- **Place of death:** Tokyo ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Japan; Empire of Japan ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P27))
- **Occupation:** physicist; professor; researcher ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P106))
- **Education:** University of Tokyo; Meiji University; University of Rochester; Kanagawa Prefectural Yokosuka High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P69))
- **Awards:** Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; Order of Culture; Nobel Prize in Physics; Benjamin Franklin Medal; Order of the Rising Sun, 1st class; Wolf Prize in Physics; Humboldt Research Fellowship; Person of Cultural Merit; Asahi Prize; Fellow of the American Physical Society; Panofsky Prize; Humboldt Prize; Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Science; Nishina Memorial Prize ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773#P166))

## About

Koshiba won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002, jointly with Raymond Davis Jr., "for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos". Koshiba was the first Japanese Nobel laureate to hold two doctoral degrees. In addition, he was the second Japanese recipient of both the Nobel Prize and the Wolf Prize. His mentor, Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, and his student, Takaaki Kajita, were also Nobel Prize winners in Physics.

He was a senior counselor at the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics (ICEPP) and professor at the University of Tokyo.

## Questions

**When was Masatoshi Koshiba born?**  
Masatoshi Koshiba was born on 19 September 1926 in Toyohashi.

**Where did Masatoshi Koshiba study?**  
Masatoshi Koshiba was educated at University of Tokyo, Meiji University, University of Rochester, Kanagawa Prefectural Yokosuka High School.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Masatoshi Koshiba](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masatoshi_Koshiba) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q155773](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155773) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Masatoshi Koshiba 2002.jpg by 内閣官房内閣広報室 (CC BY 4.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masatoshi_Koshiba_2002.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Masatoshi Koshiba, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Masatoshi Koshiba 2002.jpg — 内閣官房内閣広報室, CC BY 4.0.

## Cite this page

"Masatoshi Koshiba". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/masatoshi-koshiba. Retrieved 4 November 2026.