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1948–2026
The International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine is saddened to announce the death of Tsuyoshi (Ken) Kitahara, who passed peacefully on June 1, 2026, surrounded by his family.
Ken was born in Tokyo and graduated from the University of Keio, Faculty of Law. Throughout his life, Ken lived in the United States, Europe, Singapore and Japan. He also travelled extensively as an international businessman. It was in search of psychiatric help for his son that Ken discovered orthomolecular medicine. When told that his son would never get well and would have to take drugs for the rest of his life, Ken decided this was not acceptable. An article on vitamin therapy for psychiatric disorders lead him to visit Dr. Abram Hoffer in Victoria in 2002. He received a level of support that was not available in Japan and committed his time and resources to ensuring that other people in his country had access to the knowledge that had benefited his son.
In 2003, along with Dr. Hiroyuki Abe and Dr. Osamu Mizukami, Ken established the Japanese Society for Orthomolecular Medicine (JSOM) to provide education and advocacy for the use of nutrients in medical practice. From that time, Ken became a regular attendee at the International Orthomolecular Medicine Today Conference in Canada, often accompanied by a large delegation of colleagues from Japan. He would bring the information learned at the conference back to Japan for dissemination to physicians and patients. Ken also engaged with nutraceutical manufacturers in North America, establishing supply chains to ensure access to a wide range of products and services. He was responsible for the Japanese translation of numerous English books and printed resources for orthomolecular medicine.
In 2011, Ken was inducted into the Orthomolecular Medicine Hall of Fame for his pioneering influence in Japan, introducing our work to thousands.
He will be remembered for his generosity, his strong commitment to serving others, and for his leading role in orthomolecular advocacy.
