Dr. Takashi Kosaki has been Professor of Soil Science in the Graduate School of Agriculture as well as the one of Terrestrial Ecosystems Management in the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies at Kyoto University, Japan, since 1994. He worked on numerical soil classification and soil information systems and was granted Doctor of Agriculture from Kyoto University, Japan, in 1982. Then he joined the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1982-1985 and was involved in the research for developing of rice-based farming systems in West Africa being based on soil survey and fertility evaluation. He was also instrumental in the setting up of and then worked as the Secretary of the Committee on Unified Soil Classification System in the Japanese Society of Pedology (JSP) in order to modernize the framework of the soil classification system in Japan. He is currently interested in organizing multidisciplinary research projects related to global environmental issues being based on wise use of soils information. He was serving as Editor-in-Chief of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (SSPN) in 1996-1998 and is currently an editorial board member. He was also Editor-in-Chief of Pedologists, the official journal of JSP, in 2004-2006. He was Chair of Soil Genesis, Classification and Survey Division of the Japanese Society of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (JSSSPN) in 1998-2000 and is currently Chair of Soil Fertility Division of the same society. He was awarded the Progress Award and SSPN Award by JSSSPN in 1989 and 2006, respectively, and the Best Paper Award in 2007 by JSP. He has published 100+ scientific papers in refereed international journals, books, and the proceedings of the international symposiums and workshops.