Yoshinori Murai, a professor at Waseda University's Organization for Asian Studies, died of pancreatic cancer Saturday at his home in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, sources said. He was 69.
Known for engaging in research that was critical of Japan's policies on official development assistance, Murai, a former professor at Sophia University in Tokyo, also focused on traditional commerce in Indonesia and surrounding areas, and was involved in the activities of nongovernmental organizations.
His publications included "Ebi to Nihonjin" ("Shrimp and Japanese").
