Laureates of the Japan Prize

Dr. Press was the first to propose that the dispersion of long period eathquake surface wave motion could be used as a tool for studying the structure of the earth's crust and upper mantle. Analyzing surfaces waves, Dr. Press verified that the occurrence of an earthquake is fault motion itself. It was the beginning of modern seismology and the forerunner for studies on earthquake mechanisms.

Dr. Press was the leader in the promotion of scientific reseach and development in the area of disaster mitigation. As demonstrated by his efforts for International Geophysical Year (IGY) and Worldwide Standardized Seismograph Network (WWSSN), he recognized the importance of international cooperation in disaster sciences. He conceived and has been a leader in promoting the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), a UN program in which the international community, under the auspices of the UN, will pay special attention during the last decade of the century to fostering international disaster (such as earthquakes, floods, droughts, volcanos, landslides, windstorms and wildfires) reduction.