Yoshinori Yasuda (1946–2026) A Japanese environmental archaeologist who served as a professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies and the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Tohoku University. Using scientific methods including pollen analysis, lake sediments, and annual sediment layers to reconstruct past environments, he studied the relationships between climate change, forests, human societies, and the rise and decline of civilizations. His research extended from the Yangtze River civilization to ancient societies in other parts of the world, and he played a major role in establishing environmental archaeology in Japan. He received the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2007. In "Kankyo Kokogaku no Susume," he examines climate, forests, rice cultivation, animals, and civilization to present an approach to human history that reconstructs past environments and considers how societies developed through their interaction with the natural world.
