Professor Dr. Keisuke Taira (Japan, 1941-2021), a leading physical oceanographer in Japan, was the head of Japanese delegation to IOC governing body meetings from late 1990s to early 2000s.  He served as the Chair of the Sub-Commission for WESTPAC from 1996 to 2002, and made significant contributions to WESTPAC by launching NEAR-GOOS project, which was the first regional component of GOOS and has still been one of the most active ones to date.  He graduated from The University of Tokyo in 1965 and got his PhD in 1980.  He worked for the Ocean Research Institute of The University of Tokyo (ORI) since 1967 as an assistant professor (1967-1980), an associate professor (1980-1987), then a professor (1987-2002).  He took a series of leading positions in Japanese oceanographic community including the President of the Oceanographic Society of Japan, the Director of ORI, and many other governmental and academic organizations and committees.  He passed away on March 10, 2021, in his home town, Okinawa, Japan, with leaving us outstanding legacies in physical oceanography and international cooperation.