Abstract
Takahiro Hagiwara, Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo, was born in 1908, and passed away in 1999. His name is inseparably tied with earthquake prediction, especially as the founder of the earthquake prediction program of Japan, and as a distinguished leader of earthquake prediction research in the world. This short article describes the career of Prof. Hagiwara focusing on his contribution to earthquake prediction research. I also sketch his activities in the development of instruments, and the multi-disciplinary observation of the Matsushiro earthquake swarm to show the starting point of his scientific strategy: good observation.