Katsuhiko Oku

Education

Waseda University.

Career

In Britain he was known as "Katsu". Character and A very popular and dynamic personality, he later became a diplomat and was sent from the Japanese embassy in London to Iraq where he was killed by unknown assailants with his colleague Masamori Inoue and their Iraqi driver when their car was ambushed on November 29, 2003. He was promoted posthumously to ambassador in recognition of his work by the Japanese foreign ministry (Gaimusho).

Katsuhiko Oku made a point of visiting many countries and finding out what the local people wanted.

He saw it as the first duty of a diplomat. (See RFU"s official newspaper Touchline, February 2007 issue).

A charitable fund has been set up in his name for the children of Iraq and a collection at the 2004 Oxford-Cambridge Varsity Match went towards that fund. The average weight of the forwards was Oxford 107 kg, Waseda 99 kg.

Together they invented a slogan "ULTIMATE CRUSH".

Achievements

• Proceeds from the recent game in Japan between Waseda and Oxford (which Waseda won for the first time ever) also went to the fund, and the game was called the Katsuhiko Oku Memorial match. lieutenant was played on September 20, 2004 and Waseda won 25-9. The record now stands at one win, one draw and ten losses.