Japan Prize

The Japan Prize is awarded annually to scientists and engineers from around the world who have made significant contributions to the advancement of science and technology, thereby furthering the cause of peace and prosperity of mankind.

The Prize is awarded by the Japan Prize Foundation since 1985.

Each year two fields of scientific endeavor are honored. The Japan Prize laureates receive a certificate of merit and a prize medal. A cash prize of 50 million yen is also awarded for each prize field.

The Presentation Ceremony is held in the presence of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan in Tokyo every April. The events are also attended by the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President of House of Councilors, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, foreign ambassadors to Japan and about a thousand other distinguished guests, including eminent academics, researchers and representatives of political, business and press circles.

Laureates:

*2022:

• "Materials and Production": jointly to: Katalin Karikó (b. 1955). Hungary, USA. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. & Drew Weissman (b. 1959). USA. University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA - For pioneering research contributing to the development of mRNA vaccines.
• "Biological Production, Ecology/Environment": Christopher Field (b. 1953). USA. Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford U., Stanford CA.- For outstanding contributions to estimation of global biospheric productivity and climate change science using advanced formulas based on observation.

*2021:

• Resources, Energy, Environment and Social Infrastructure: Martin Andrew Green (b. 1948) Australia, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) - "For the Development of High-Efficiency Silicon Photovoltaic Devices.
• Medical Science and Medicinal Science: jointly to Bert Vogelstein (b. 1949) USA, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD. & Robert A. Weinberg (b. 1942) USA, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge MA. - "For their pioneering work in conceptualizing a model of multi-step carcinogenesis and its application and impact on improving cancer diagnosis and therapeutics".

*2020: Because of the COVID-19 virus outbreak, the 36th Award Ceremony took place in 2021.

• Electronics, Information, Communication: Robert G. Gallager (b. 1931) USA. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA.
• Life Science: Svante Pääbo (b. 1955) Sweden/Germany. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.

*2019:

• Materials and Production: Yoshio Okamoto (b. 1941). Japan. Harbin Engineering University, China.
• Biological Production, Ecology: Rattan Lal (b. 1944) USA, The Ohio State University

*2018:

• Resources, Energy, Environment and Social Infrastructure: Akira Yoshino (b. 1948) Japan, Meijo University.
• Medical Science and Medicinal Science: jointly to Max D. Cooper (b. 1933) USA, Emory University & Jacques Miller (b. 1931) Australia, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

*2017:

• Electronics, Information and Communication: Adi Shamir - עדי שמיר (b. 1952) Israel, Weizmann Institute of Science;
• Life Science: jointly to: Emmanuelle Charpentier (b. 1968) France, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology - Berlin & Jennifer A. Doudna (b. 1964) USA, UC Berkeley.

*2016:

• Materials and Production: Hideo Hosono (b. 1953) Japan, Tokyo Tech.;
• Biological Production and Biological Environment: Steven D. Tanksley (b. 1954) USA, Cornell U.

*2015:

• Resources, Energy and Social Infrastructure: Yutaka Takahasi (b. 1927) Japan, U. Tokyo;
• Medical Science and Medicinal Science: jointly to: Theodore Friedmann (b. 1935) USA, UC San Diego, & Alain Fischer (b. 1949) France, Collège de France.

*2014:

• Electronics, Information and Communication: Yasuharu Suematsu (b. 1932) Japan, Tokyo Tech. ;
• Life Science: C. David Allis (b. 1951) USA, Rockefeller U.

*2013:

• Materials and Production: jointly to: C. Grant Willson (b. 1939) USA, U. Texas Austin, & Jean M. J. FréchetJean M. J. Fréchet (b. 1944) USA, King Abdullah U. Saudi Arabia;
• Biological Production and Biological Environment: John Frederick Grassle (1939-2018) USA, U. NJ Rutgers.

*2012:

• Environment, Energy and Infrastructure: Masato Sagawa (b. 1943) Japan, Intermetallics Co., Ltd.;
• Healthcare and Medical Technology: jointly to: Janet D. Rowley (1925-2013) USA, U. Chicago, & Brian J. Druker (b. 1955) USA, Oregon Health & Science U., & Nicholas B. Lydon (b. 1957) USA, Blueprint Medicines.

*2011:

• Information and Communications: jointly to: Dennis M. Ritchie (1941-2011) USA, Bell Labs., & Ken L. Thompson (b. 1943) USA, Google Inc.;
• Bioscience and Medical Science: jointly to: Tadamitsu Kishimoto (b. 1939) Japan, Osaka U., & Toshio Hirano (b. 1947) Japan, Osaka U.

*2010:

• Industrial Production and Production Technology: Shun-ichi Iwasaki - 岩崎　俊一 (b. 1926) Japan, Tohoku U. ;
• Biological Production and Environment: Peter Vitousek (b. 1949) USA, Stanford U.

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*2009:

• Transformation towards a Sustainable Society in Harmony with Nature: Dennis L. Meadows (b. 1942) USA, U. New Hampshire;
• Technological Integration of Medical Science and Engineering: David E. Kuhl (b. 1929) USA, U. Michigan.

*2008:

• Information Communication Theory and Technology: jointly to: Vinton "Vint" G. Cerf (b. 1943) USA, Google Inc., & Robert "Bob" E. Kahn (b. 1938) USA, Corporation for National Research Initiatives.;
• Medical Genomics and Genetics: Victor A. McKusick (1921-2008) USA, Johns Hopkins U.

*2007:

• Innovative Devices Inspired by Basic Research: jointly to: Albert Fert (b. 1938) France. U. of Paris-South, & Peter Grünberg (b. 1939) Germany, The Research Center of Solid State Physics;
• Science and Technology of Harmonious Co-Existence: Peter Shaw Ashton (b. 1934) UK, Harvard U.

*2006:

• Global Change: Sir John Houghton (b. 1931) UK, Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction;
• The Development of Novel Therapeutic Concepts and Technologies: Akira Endo - 遠藤 章 (b. 1933) Japan, Biopharm Research Laboratories, Inc..

*2005:

• Information and Media Technology: Makoto Nagao - 長尾 真 (b. 1936) Japan, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.;
• Cell Biology: jointly to: Masatoshi Takeichi - 竹市　雅俊 (b. 1943) Japan, RIKEN Centre, & Erkki Ruoslahti (b. 1940) USA, UC San Diego.

*2004:

• Chemical Technology for the Environment: jointly to: Kenichi Honda - 本多健 (1925-2011) Japan, U. Tokyo. & Akira Fujishima - 藤嶋 昭 (b. 1942) Japan, Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology;
• Food Production Based on Ecosystem Concepts: Keith J. Sainsbury (b. 1951) New Zealand, CSIRO Australia.;
• Science and Technology for Conservation of Biodiversity: Sir John H. Lawton (b. 1943) UK, Natural Environment Research Council.

*2003:

• Science and Technology of Complexity: jointly to: Benoit B. Mandelbrot (1924-2010) USA, Yale U., & James A. Yorke (b. 1941) USA, U. Maryland;
• Visualizing Techniques in Medicine: Seiji Ogawa - 小川 誠二 (b. 1934) Japan, Hamano Life Science Research Foundation.

*2002:

• Computing and Computational Science and Engineering: Timothy John Berners-Lee (b. 1955) UK, M.I.T. USA.;
• Developmental Biology: jointly to: Anne McLaren (1927-2007) UK, Wellcome Trust / CRC Institute, & Andrzej K. Tarkowski (1933-2016) Poland, Warsaw U.

*2001:

• Science and Technology of Environment Conscious Materials: John B. Goodenough (b. 1922) USA, U. Texas;
• Marine Biology: Timothy R. Parsons (b. 1932) Canada, U. British Columbia

*2000:

• City Planning: Ian L. McHarg (1920-2001) USA, U. Pennsylvania;
• Host Defense: Kimishige Ishizaka - 石坂 公成 (b. 1925) Japan, La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology.

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*1999:

• Information Technologies: W. Wesley Peterson (1924-2009) USA, U. Hawaii;
• Molecular Recognition and Dynamics in Bioscience: jointly to: Jack L. Strominger (b. 1925) USA, Harvard U., & Don C. Wiley (1944-2001) USA, Harvard U.

*1998:

• Generation and Design of New Materials Creating Novel Functions: Leo Esaki (b. 1925) Japan, U. Tsukuba;
• Biotechnology in Agricultural Sciences: jointly to: Baron Jozef (Jef) S. Schell (1935-2003) Belgium, Max-Planck-Institute für Züechtungsforschung - Germany, & Marc C.E. Van Montagu (b. 1933) Belgium, U. Ghent.

*1997:

• Systems Engineering for an Artifactual Environment: jointly to: Joseph F. Engelberger (1925-2015) USA, "Father of Robotics"; HelpMate Robotics Inc. & Hiroyuki Yoshikawa (b. 1933) Japan, U. Tokyo;
• Biotechnology in Medicine: jointly to: Takashi Sugimura (b. 1926) Japan, Toho U., & Bruce N. Ames (b. 1928) USA, UC Berkeley.

*1996:

• Information, Computer and Communication Systems: Charles K. Kao - 高錕 (b. 1933) China-Hong Kong/UK, The Chinese University of Hong Kong;
• Neuroscience: Masao Ito - 伊藤 正男 (b. 1928) Japan, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research.

*1995:

• Materials Processing Technologies: Nick Holonyak, Jr. (b. 1928) USA, U. Illinois;
• Science and Technology for Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery which conserves the Environment: Edward F. Knipling (1909-2000) USA, Agricultural Research Service.

*1994:

• Aerospace Technologies: William Hayward Pickering (1910-2004) USA, Caltech;
• Psychology and Psychiatry: Arvid Carlsson (b. 1923) Sweden, Gothenburg U.

*1993:

• Safety Engineering and Disaster Mitigation: Frank Press (b. 1924) USA, President, NAS;
• Molecular and Cellular Technology in Medicine: Kary B. Mullis (b. 1944) USA, Atomic Tags, Inc.

*1992:

• Science and Technology of Material Interfaces: Gerhard Ertl (b. 1936) Germany, Fritz Haber Institute;
• Science and Technology for Biological Production: Ernest John Christopher Polge (1923-2006) UK, Animal Biotechnology Cambridge Ltd.

*1991:

• Applied Mathematics: Jacques-Louis Lions (1928-2001) France, Collège de France;
• Imaging Techniques in Medicine: John Julian Wild (1914-2009) USA, Physicomedical Institute, Minneapolis.

*1990:

• Technology of Integration- Design, Production and Control Technologies: Marvin Minsky (1927-2016) USA. MIT;
• Earth Science: jointly to: William Jason Morgan (b. 1935) USA, Princeton U., & Dan Peter McKenzie (b. 1942) UK, Cambridge U., & Xavier Le Pichon (b. 1937) France, Ecole Normale Supérieure.

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*1989:

• Environmental Science and Technology: Frank Sherwood Rowland (1927-2012) USA, UC Irvine;
• Medicinal Science: Elias James Corey (b. 1928) USA, Harvard U.

*1988:

• Energy Technology: Georges Vendryes (1920-2014) France, Commissariat à I'Energie Atomique;
• Preventative Medicine Jointly to: Donald A. Henderson (1928-2016) USA, Johns Hopkins U. & Isao Arita (b. 1926) Japan, Kumamoto National Hospital & Frank Fenner (1914-2010) Australia, The Australian National U. and jointly to: Luc Montagnier (b. 1932) France, Institut Pasteur & Robert C. Gallo (b. 1937) USA, NIH.

*1987:

• Electro-Optics: Theodore H. Maiman (1927-2007) USA, Hughes Research Labs;
• Improvement of Biological Functions: jointly to: Henry M. Beachell (1906-2006) USA, International Rice Research Institute & Gurdev S. Khush (b. 1935) India, International Rice Research Institute.

*1986:

• Materials Science and Technology: David Turnbull (1915-2007) USA, Harvard U.;
• Medical Technology: Willem J. Kolff (1911-2009) USA, University of Utah.

1985:

• Biotechnology: אפרים קציר - Ephraim Katzir (1916-2009) Israel, Weizmann Institute of Science;
• Information and Communications: John R. Pierce (1910-2002) USA, Stanford U.