Kiyoshi Mutō

Kiyoshi Mutō studied at University of Tokyo. The recorded working language is English. Employment is recorded with University of Tokyo and Chiba Institute of Technology. Distinctions recorded are Order of Culture, Person of Cultural Merit and Imperial Prize of Japan Academy.

Mutō was born in Toride, Ibaraki, Japan. He entered the Department of Architecture at Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) in 1922 and graduated in 1925. He was immediately appointed Lecturer, and obtained a Dr of Engineering degree in 1931. In 1935, he was appointed Professor of Structural Engineering, a post which he held for almost 30 years, developing and teaching the principles of earthquake-resistant design. Among his best known contributions was the development of a simple but accurate method for routine structural analysis of a moment resisting frame under lateral loading. Known as the "D Method", it replaced tedious, time-consuming calculations with numerical tables, and was widely used for many years throughout the world. It was adopted into the Calculation Standard of the Architectural Institute of Japan in 1933.

After retiring from the University of Tokyo in 1963, Mutō became executive vice president of Kajima Corporation, a major construction company. He also founded his own company, the Mutō Institute of Structural Mechanics, in 1965. At Kajima, he led the team that designed Japan's first high-rise building, the 36-story Kasumigaseki Building. Among his innovations for this building was first energy dissipation system used in Japan, a slit wall system consisting of precast reinforced concrete strips that stabilized the building under strong winds and small earthquakes and absorbed the energy of strong earthquakes.

• Illustration — Kasumigaseki Building (Tokyo) Mutō was the structural engineer for many of Tokyo's tallest and best-known buildings, including the following. • Kasumigaseki Building (1967) • World Trade Center (1970) • Keio Plaza Hotel (1971) • Shinjuku Mitsui Building (1974) • Sunshine 60 (1978) • Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka (1982) • Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (1991)

Kiyoshi Mutō is recorded with the occupation structural engineer. Recorded with the occupation architect. Recorded as having received Order of Culture, Person of Cultural Merit and Imperial Prize of Japan Academy.