Katsuhiko Oku [SEP] educated at
Katsuhiko Oku
Katsuhiko Oku (奥 克彦 "Oku Katsuhiko", January 3, 1958 - November 29, 2003) was a Japanese diplomat who played rugby for Oxford and Waseda University. In Britain he was known as "Katsu".
Character and Life.
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.
Since 2004 an Oku Memorial Trophy has been contested annually in Richmond, London by the Kew Occasionals club (founded by Katsu Oku's good friend Reg Clark), London Japanese RFC and some Japanese teams. (See RFU's official newspaper "Touchline