Tsutae Shinoda received the B.E. and M.E. degrees from Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan, in 1971 and 1973, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, in 2000.

He began his career in plasma display research at Hiroshima University in 1970. In 1973, he joined Fujitsu Laboratories, Akashi, Japan, where he developed AC plasma display panel technologies, with a particular focus on color AC PDPs beginning in 1979. He invented and developed the three-electrode surface-discharge structure and the Address-Display-Separation, or ADS, gray-scale driving method for plasma televisions.

Using these foundational technologies, his team developed a 21-inch diagonal full-color plasma display panel in 1993, the world’s first practical color plasma television larger than 20 inches, followed by a 42-inch model in 1995. The technologies he developed became de facto standards for plasma televisions and helped open the era of large-area flat-panel displays.

In 2001, he became a Fujitsu Fellow and led Shinoda Fellow Laboratories at Fujitsu Laboratories, where he invented a new film-type color PDP for curved wall displays larger than 150 inches in diagonal size, aiming to create a more immersive and realistic display experience.

From 2003 to 2010, he served as Director of the Advanced Plasma Display Development Center, a national project supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. From 2003 to 2006, he was also a Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo, and from 2006 to 2007, a Visiting Professor at Hiroshima University.

From 1998 to 2006, he served as Convenor of IEC SC47C/WG4, contributing to the establishment of international standards for AC plasma display panels.

In 2005, he founded Shinoda Plasma, Inc., and in 2007 became its Chairman and President. In 2015, he became an adviser to Shikoh Tech, Inc.

In 2006, he and Fujitsu donated to the Society for Information Display to establish the Slottow–Owaki Prize, one of SID’s major awards.

Dr. Shinoda has received numerous honors, including the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Emperor of Japan in 2004, the Japan Prime Minister’s Award for Invention in 2002. In 2003, he received the Karl Ferdinand Braun Prize, one of SID’s highest individual honors. He also received IEEE Honorary Membership in 2007.

The 21-inch color plasma television commercialized by Fujitsu under his leadership in 1993 was approved as an IEEE Milestone in 2025. The IEEE Milestone citation states that “the success of this product stimulated further advances in large-screen flat panel displays, opening worldwide markets for large wall-mounted televisions.”

He has appeared in many television programs in Japan, including Project X and Dawn of Gaia. He holds more than 50 patents, including patents related to color PDPs, film-type wall PDPs, and ultraviolet surface light-source devices.

Dr. Shinoda is an IEEE Honorary Member and a Fellow of the Society for Information Display.

Color Plasma Television, 1993

In 1993, Fujitsu commercialized the first practical color plasma television, featuring a 21-inch display. Tsutae Shinoda led the development team, whose inventions included surface discharge with a reflective three-electrode structure, and Address-Display-Separation for full-color video. The success of this product stimulated further advances in large-screen flat panel displays, opening worldwide markets for large wall-mounted televisions. October 2025