Eizo Kimura, 92, says his fascination with Henry the Navigator, a Portuguese prince who became a key figure during the Age of Exploration, helped him navigate his own life.

Recalling his time as a sophomore at Keio University in 1941, when the Pacific War broke out, Kimura said "My university was enveloped in a somber mood, but what supported me in my younger days were the words 'The Navigator.' "

In 1971, Kimura published a biography about Prince Henry (1394-1460), who sponsored voyages to the coast of West Africa and pioneered maritime trade routes, laying the foundation for the bigger voyages of exploration undertaken by Christopher Columbus.