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Ambassador Katsuhiko Oku (January 3, 1958 - November 29, 2003) played rugby for Oxford and Waseda University. 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 the interpreter Inoue Masamori 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 (http://www.oku-inoue-fund.com/eng/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.
A charitable fund (http://www.oku-inoue-fund.com/eng/introduction/) has been set up in his name for the children of Iraq and a collection at this year's Varsity Match (December 7, 2004) will go to that fund. 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 Oku Katsuhiko Memorial match. It was played on September 20, 2004 and Waseda won 25-9. The average weight of the forwards was Oxford 107kg, Waseda 99kg. The record now stands at one win, one draw and 10 losses.
Mr. Akira Kiyomiya, the present coach of Waseda's highly successful rugby team, was a friend of Mr. Oku, and is a trustee of his memorial fund in Japan. Together they invented a slogan "ULTIMATE CRUSH".
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