Japanese professor honored for his work

Pioneer in plant immunity leads university to international acclaim, Li Yingxue and Liu Kun report in Wuhan.

From the moment Kenichi Tsuda first delved into the intricate tales of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he was captivated. The narratives of loyalty, strategy and ambition sparked a lifelong passion for that part of Chinese history, compelling him to explore countless comics and novels.

Yet, little did he know that a real-life encounter would mirror one of the most famous stories from that era — Liu Bei's legendary three visits to Zhuge Liang.

It was Sept 27, 2018, in Wuhan, Hubei province, when Tsuda, having just delivered a presentation at an academic conference, found himself approached by a figure of significant stature.