On August 31st, science writer Ryuichi Kaneko passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. In the 1990s, for us dinosaur fans who were starved for information, Mr. Kaneko was truly a godsend, constantly providing the latest dinosaur news. I personally owe him a great debt; he even took me on a dinosaur tour of the East Coast of America in 1998 (see Treasure House Vol. 20). For some reason, we went up the Empire State Building as two men to admire the night view, and we ate an absurd amount of rich lobster at a long-established restaurant in Boston, creating many pleasant memories. Sadly, I don't have any two-shot photos with him, only pictures of dinosaur skeletons…

For the past decade or so, our contact was limited to exchanging New Year's cards, but I was delighted to be able to assist him with materials for his 2007 book, "Unknown Japanese Dinosaur Culture."

This time, I'd like to look back at the dinosaur-related works by Mr. Kaneko that I own, in chronological order, with gratitude.

[1978]
"Shonen Jump Special Issue 'Dinosaurs & SF Feature'"
Mr. Kaneko was 22 years old. I'm not sure if this was his debut as a dinosaur commentator, but he poured his heart into it. The explanations were so detailed that they were unexpected for a feature in a boy's manga magazine. While the dinosaur representations only briefly touched upon the warm-blooded theory and introduced ideas like sauropods being aquatic or Parasaurolophus having snorkels, which weren't "cutting edge" at the time, his "Dinosaur Encyclopedia" featured 220 species of dinosaurs and ancient creatures, showcasing many obscure ancient organisms, revealing glimpses of Kaneko's distinctive style.

[1990]
After a 12-year hiatus (or rather, a gap in my own awareness), he released three dinosaur books in quick succession. 1990 was a year of considerable dinosaur boom, with the National Museum of Nature and Science's Maiasaura exhibition and the Great Dinosaur Expo at Makuhari Messe.
"The Mystery of the Great Dinosaur Extinction" (Gakken Junior Books) - Even though it was for children, Mr. Kaneko's narrative was passionate.
"Why Did the Giant Dinosaurs Disappear?!" (Gakken's Dokkin Series) - He was in charge of the composition, and while his distinctive writing style isn't present in the text itself, devoting almost an entire book to extinction theories was a bold approach.
"The Great Dinosaur Debate!" (JICC Booklet) - This book catered to the needs of dinosaur fans by meticulously explaining the latest dinosaur theories of the time. Furthermore, in "Book Guide Magazine Special Issue: The Full Course of Dinosaur Books for Adults" (Gensho Bungaku Publishing), he introduced recommended dinosaur books under the title "Book Guide to Dinosaur Science."

[1991]
Contributed "A Visit to the Zigong Dinosaur Museum" to "SF Magazine Special Issue: Dinosaur Millennium Kingdom."

[1992]
Authored the guidebook for the Fuji Television-sponsored dinosaur exhibition "The Last Dinosaur Kingdom." In "Latest Dinosaur Evolution Theory" (Bessatsu Takarajima EX), which gathered talented writers, he contributed three articles, more than anyone else: "Keywords for Understanding Dinosaurs," "Will the Dream of Dinosaur Resuscitation Come True?," and "Dinosaurs that Lived in a Freezing World."

[1993]
As expected for a year when Jurassic Park was released and a dinosaur boom erupted, this year was particularly lively.
"New Dinosaur Legends" (Hayakawa Shobo)
Packed with niche topics such as "The Confusion Surrounding the Melanoro-sauridae," "Is Protoceratops Truly a Monotypic Genus?," "The New Classification of Ceratosauria," and "The Confusion Surrounding Protoavis."
"99 Mysteries of the Great Dinosaur Romance" (Futami Bunko)
This one feels a bit softer, perhaps due to co-authorship with Eriko Nagao.
"Tyrannosaurus Was Led by a Queen" (Pocket Booksha) was also for the general public. The "queen" in the title, of course, refers to the much-discussed "Sue" at the time.
In "SF Magazine Special Issue: Dinosaur Kingdom," he authored "Dinosaur Museums of the World" and "Dinosaur Book Guide."
In "Quark October Issue: Dramatic Changes in the Latest Dinosaur Theories," under the title "Dinosaur Evolutionary Theory Is Being Rewritten," he explained monophyletic and polyphyletic theories.
Supervised "The 100 Latest Mysteries of Dinosaurs" (Gakken Muteki Books).

[1994]
The dinosaur boom continued.
"Evolutionary Strategies of the Rulers, Dinosaurs" (Shin Hayakawa Nonfiction Bunko) - Topics include social behavior of T-Rex / aquatic ceratopsians? / tripod locomotion of sauropods / 150th anniversary of dinosaur naming, etc.
"An Introduction to Dinosaur Studies" (Shokabo Popular Science) - Topics include a new era in dinosaur taxonomy / molecular biology of dinosaurs / new ecological reconstructions of dinosaurs / from excavation to exhibition of dinosaurs / news sources for dinosaur information, etc.
In "Current State of the Dinosaur Industry" within "Forbidden Super 'History' and 'Science'" (Bessatsu Rekishi Dokuhon), he sharply criticized Akio Asuka, which would make any dinosaur fan furious. It's exhilarating.
And from '94 to '95, he became a regular contributor to Kagaku Asahi.
"Kagaku Asahi July Issue: How to Enjoy Dinosaurs"
In addition to "Jurassic Park Fact-Checking," he hinted at the BCF theory while explaining the relationship between birds and dinosaurs in an article titled "Even More, Are Dinosaurs Descendants of Birds?" And then...
In "Kagaku Asahi October Issue," he fully introduced the BCF theory under the title "New Theory: Dinosaurs Are Descendants of Birds." Kaneko was a strong supporter of this theory. Furthermore...
In "Kagaku Asahi November Issue," he, along with Yukimitsu Tomita, criticized NHK in an article titled "Dinosaurs Chased by Flowers: Outcry!" which has now become legendary. The debate reignited and heated up in the January 1995 issue.

[1995]
"A Book That Makes Evolution Exciting" (Asahi One-Theme Magazine) - Kaneko wrote about half of it.
"Kagaku Asahi March Issue: Fascinating Wonders of 'Evolution'" - Wrote two sections: "Why did pterosaurs lose their winged fingers after the post-dinosaur era, and why did birds lose to mammals?" and "Why didn't pterosaurs lose their wing fingers?"
"The Mystery of Pterosaurs" (Futami Shobo) - A very informative book about pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, and mammal-like reptiles.

[1996]
"Latest Dinosaur Encyclopedia" (Asahi Shimbun Publications) - This one is also thoroughly comprehensive.
"Illustrated Guide: Mysteries and Wonders of Biological History" (Dobunshoin) - It truly feels like he had fun creating this with his three fellow illustrators.

[1997]
"New Dinosaur Legends (Revised and Augmented Edition)" (Hayakawa Bunko) - This is a paperback version of the 1993 book of the same name, but it's impressive that it was updated with the latest information.

[1998]
"Mammal-like Reptiles" (Asahi Sensho)
This book was very well-received by dinosaur fans, as it covered a field that had not been widely introduced until then.
"SF Magazine September Issue" - In the special feature "The Roar of Giant Monsters" coinciding with the release of Hollywood's Godzilla, he contributed an essay titled "Dinosaurs - The Key to Understanding the Mythical Existence of Monsters." Incidentally, Kaneko was a proponent of the Hollywood Godzilla.
"Dictionary of Primeval Creatures" (Action Comics) - He wrote the commentary for the manga about extinct mammals by Jiro Taniguchi.

[1999]
"Pangaea" - A doujinshi by the Triassic supremacists [Group Triassic One-Room]. Featured a dense special on placodonts and a pilgrimage to Ghost Ranch.
"Great Extinction" (Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha) - Chapter 2 is "Changes in Dinosaur Extinction Theories." Kaneko supported the superplume theory, not the asteroid impact theory.

[2000]
"New Wide Gakken Picture Book: Dinosaurs" - A children's picture book that is still being reprinted. Because it employed leading Japanese dinosaur scholars, including Mr. Kaneko, as authors, about half of the dinosaurs featured are unfamiliar, despite it being for children.
"Operation Dinosaur" (Haruki Bunko) - Aritsune Toyota's time-travel SF from 1979. Kaneko wrote the commentary for the 2000 Haruki Bunko edition.

[2001]
"Eiga Hiho" - An interview titled "Ryuichi Kaneko Discusses Dinosaur Evolutionary Theory in Film" was included in a dinosaur special feature coinciding with the release of Jurassic Park III.
"Chocola Zaurus Handbook" (Keibunsha) - Kaneko also wrote the commentary for the Chocola Zaurus figures themselves.
"Understanding Dinosaur Studies" (Aera Mook) - A book covering everything from dinosaur studies to modeling and culture, written by top Japanese dinosaur-related experts.

[2002]
"Latest Dinosaur Report" (Yosensha) - The final chapter, "The Dark Side of the Fossil Industry ~ Dinosaur Industry Absurd Catalog," is uniquely Kaneko.
"The Age of Dinosaurs" (Gakken's Great Encyclopedia) - Contributed to the commentary.
"Relax November Issue: Special Feature - Dinosaurs" - Kaneko contributed "Latest Dinosaur Information." Incidentally, I also had a dinosaur discussion with Sho Thorio.

[2003]
"Secrets of the Dinosaur World" (Gakken Manga New Secrets Series) - Supervised and wrote the commentary for this educational manga. He showed no mercy, even for children.

[2004]
"Cradle of the Stars (Vol. 2)" (Sogen SF Bunko) - J. P. Hogan's catastrophe SF. Written as an SF commentator, but there's a scene in the first volume where dinosaurs are discussed, and Kaneko comments on it in the afterword.

[2007]
"Unknown Japanese Dinosaur Culture" (Shodensha Shinsho) - The book I mentioned helping with. Being certified as "the best in Japan for collecting and researching dinosaur toys" in my introduction is a lifelong source of pride. It was also a controversial book for its portrayal of the proper way for a dinosaur otaku to be.
"Secrets of Dinosaur Fossils" (Gakken Manga New Secrets Series) - A sequel to "Secrets of the Dinosaur World." Does this mean Kaneko's style was also effective for children!?

[2010]
"Evolution Brought About by Mass Extinctions" (Science i Shinsho) - The culmination of Kaneko's extinction themes.
"Thoroughly Illustrated Guide to the World of Dinosaurs" (Shinsei Publishing)
For some reason, "Ryuichi Kaneko" is not credited on the cover (though he is listed as supervisor and author inside), but it is virtually his work. It ended up being his last dinosaur book.

And finally, though not about dinosaurs, there is "Another History of Human Rise and Fall" (Gijutsu Hyoronsha 2011), which covered extinct humans, and his posthumous work, "Creepy Crawlies: Extinct Arthropods" (Science i Shinsho 2012).

I enjoyed them greatly.

Of course, I believe he wrote many more works, but it is impossible to track down those published in magazines, in particular. And then there are his works in other scientific fields, and the countless video productions he was involved in, including "Tensai Terebi-kun"... We can only keenly feel the magnitude of what we have lost.
My deepest condolences.

Finally, I would like to list the titles of Mr. Kaneko's articles in "Kyoryugaku Saizensen" and "Dino Press," the legendary dinosaur specialty magazines he supported as one of the regulars.

Kyoryugaku Saizensen (Front Lines of Dinosaur Studies) (1992-1996)
1 "How Big Can Dinosaurs Get?"
"Were Dinosaurs Really Finished Off by a Meteorite?"
2 "Journeying Along the Dinosaur Highway in Colorado and Utah"
"How to Collect the Latest Dinosaur Literature"
3 "Extinct DNA" "Verification: The Raptor Clan"
5 "Dinosaur Research in China Today"
6 "A Visit to the Zigong Dinosaur Museum"
7 "A Visit to Hebei Province, China, and the Chengdu Museum"
8 "Dinosaur Trip to the UK"
"The UCLA Library: A Treasure Trove of Dinosaur Information"
9 "Dinosaur Trip to Belgium and Germany"
10 "Dinosaur Trip to Germany, Part 2"
11 "Dinosaur Trip to South Africa, Part 1"
12 "Dinosaur Trip to South Africa, Part 2"
"Dinosaur Cult Quiz"
13 "Dinosaur Trip to America"
"The Latest Scenario for Dinosaur Extinction"

Dino Press (2000-2002)
1 "Dinosaur Trip to Thailand"
2 "Are Birds Really Dinosaurs? (Part 2)"
3 "Dinosaur Trip to America"
4 "Dinosaur Trip to the UK"
5 "Dinosaur Trip to Switzerland and Italy"
6 "Dinosaur Trip to Italy"
7 "SVP Conference Report" "Dinosaur Trip to Italy"