Dr. Juichi Yamagiwa, Director-General of RIHN, is a researcher and expert in the study of primatology and human evolution. He received a Doctor of Science from Kyoto University. After holding positions at the Karisoke Research Center, Japan Monkey Center, and Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University, he has been a Professor of Graduate School of Science at Kyoto University, Dean of Graduate School and Faculty of Science, and 26th President of Kyoto University. He also served as President of the International Primatological Society. Domestically, he served as the president of the Science Council of Japan and he is now serving as a Senior Advisor of Osaka Kansai EXPO 2025 and others.

His passion for fieldwork research frequently made him travel to some countries in Africa, where he discovered an abundance of new findings related to gorillas, through his unique viewpoint of human evolution.