The early life and professional career of Dr. Satoru Takeuchi, a noted Japanese librarian, educator, and author, are explored here within the context of Japanese library education since World War II. Professor Takeuchi, now retired from the University of Library and Information Science (ULIS) in Tsukuba, Japan, has been an influential educator, administrator, and author in Japan for well over 40 years. He has written and translated books on children's literature, storytelling, library architecture, ethics, and comparative study of libraries and librarianship. His recent analyses of the work of S. R. Ranganathan have been very influential among library education faculty and students throughout the world. This article provides a brief look at a different cultural situation for LIS education, one that is both similar to but still different from the North American centric view. It shows how one individual was greatly influenced by the North American model but made his own adaptations based on Japanese traditions and culture.