September 20, 2017
Japan Network Information Center (JPNIC)

Shigeki Goto, President of JPNIC, Inducted into 2017 INTERNET HALL OF FAME

On September 19, 2017 (Japan Standard Time, UTC+9), Internet Society announced fourteen people as inductees of Internet Hall of Fame.

We proudly announce Dr. Shigeki Goto, professor of Waseda University and President of JPNIC, has been selected as one of the inductees as Global Connectors. The category of Global Connectors recognizes and celebrates individuals from around the world who have made significant contributions to the global growth and use of the Internet. Goto has been proactively playing a role as the hub since early days of the Internet, to consolidate and expand the global Internet infrastructure.

• Visionaries Who Helped Shape the Internet Take Their Place in the Internet Hall of Fame
  https://www.internetsociety.org/news/press-releases/2017/visionaries-helped-shape-internet-take-place-internet-hall-fame/
• Interview: 2017 Internet Hall of Fame Inductee Shigeki Goto
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmw9wNF3YvY

In the early days of the Internet in the Asia-Pacific region, Goto was deeply involved in establishment of key organizations in the region, such as APNG (Asia Pacific Networking Group), APNIC (Asia Pacific Network Information Centre), and APAN (Asia Pacific Advanced Network). In Japan, Dr. Jun Murai, a former JPNIC president, and other pioneers made efforts for interconnecting universities and has been involved in operation of JUNET. During this important period for development of the Internet in Japan, Goto who worked for Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation at that time, promoted connection and coordination between JUNET and business sectors.

Goto's role as a key coordinator as well as a leader with the spirit of commitment to achieve a goal was demonstrated to the fullest in enabling the use of non-ASCII letters in domain name. Until then, only ASCII letters could be used in domain names. Goto played an important role for establishment of Multilingual Domain Name (MDN), later Internationalized Domain Name (IDN), which reflects diversity of culture and languages in different countries and region. His efforts, under cooperation with many stakeholders, was not limited to technical standardization area. He established management structure as well as actively engaged in promotion through activities in MINC (Multilingual Internet Names Consortium) and Japanese Domain Names Association (JDNA),.

In the course of these activities, Goto had been engaged in JPNIC as a steering committee member since its establishment in 1993. He started serving as a member of Board of Trustees of JPNIC at the time of its incorporation in 1997, then selected as Vice President in 2002 and as President in 2005.

"The multiple achievements which have brought the Hall of Fame induction this time could not have been achieved by myself alone. It is the result of efforts by many friends who have put these achievements into actions Understanding and guidance from senior leaders were indispensable as well." mentioned Goto. Goto continues "Therefore, by nature, this induction should be honored as a group. I am extremely grateful to everyone who made this happen". He humbly states that his name has been put forward as the representative, as he happened to be the eldest among colleagues, and was considered to be in neutral position as an academia.

Goto was honored at the Internet Society's 2017 Induction Ceremony on September 18 in Los Angeles (Local Time). The ceremony was held in conjunction with the Internet Society’s 25th anniversary celebration. More details on the 2017 Internet Hall of Fame inductees, including their biographies and photos, can be found at www.internethalloffame.org.

The Internet Hall of Fame was launched by the Internet Society in 2012. Goto is the fifth inductee from Japan subsequently to Toru Takahashi (former JPNIC trustee) in 2012, the late Dr. Haruhisa Ishida (former JPNIC trustee) in 2013, Jun Murai and the late Dr. Masaki Hirabaru (1st JPNIC steering committee chair) in 2014.

Under the leadership of President Goto, JPNIC keeps contributing to the Internet both domestically and globally.

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About the Internet Hall of Fame

The Internet Hall of Fame (www.internethalloffame.org) is a recognition program and virtual museum that celebrates the living history of the Internet and the individuals whose extraordinary contributions have made the Internet, its worldwide availability and use, and its transformative nature, possible. The Internet Hall of Fame was launched by the Internet Society in 2012.

About the Internet Society

Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet into the future. Together with its growing global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society supports Internet-led innovation, promotes the use of best practice technologies and encourages the adoption of policies that enable universal access to a globally connected, trusted Internet. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).