Japan Prize Laureates

Laureates of the Japan Prize

Year Field Photo Name (b.-d.) Achievements
[Nationality]Affiliation (Titles at the time)
2019 Materials and Production Photo

Prof. Yoshio Okamoto (1941-)

Leading contributions to precision synthesis of helical polymers and development of practical chiral materials for separating chiral drugs
[Japan] University Professor of Nagoya University
Chair Professor of Harbin Engineering University, China
Lecture (Youtube)
Biological Production, Ecology Photo

Prof. Rattan Lal (1944-)

Sustainable soil management for global food security and mitigation of climate change
[USA] Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science
Director, Carbon Management and Sequestration Center The Ohio State University
Lecture (Youtube)
2018 Resources, Energy, Environment and Social Infrastructure Photo

Dr. Akira Yoshino (1948-)

Development of lithium ion batteries
[Japan] Honorary Fellow, Asahi Kasei Corporation
Professor, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meijo University
Lecture (Youtube)
Medical Science, Medicinal Science Photo

Dr. Max D. Cooper (1933-)

Discovery of B and T lymphocyte lineages and its impact on understanding disease pathology and therapeutic development
[USA] Professor, Emory University School of Medicine
Lecture (Youtube)
Photo

Dr. Jacques Miller (1931-)

[Australia] Professor Emeritus, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Lecture (Youtube)
2017 Electronics, Information and Communication Photo

Dr. Adi Shamir (1952-)

Contribution to information security through pioneering research on cryptography
[Israel] Professor, Weizmann Institute of Science
Lecture (Youtube)
Life Science Photo

Prof. Emmanuelle Charpentier (1968-)

Elucidation of the genome editing mechanism by the CRISPR-Cas
[France] Director, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology (Berlin)
Lecture (Youtube)
Photo

Dr. Jennifer A. Doudna (1964-)

[USA] Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Lecture (Youtube)
2016 Materials and Production Photo

Dr. Hideo Hosono (1953-)

Creation of unconventional inorganic materials with novel electronic functions based on nano-structure engineering
[Japan] Professor, Materials and Structures Laboratory,
Founding director, Materials Research Center for Element Strategy,
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Lecture (Youtube)
Biological Production and Biological Environment Photo

Dr. Steven D. Tanksley (1954-)

Contribution to modern crop breeding through research on development of molecular genetic analysis
[USA] Professor Emeritus, Cornell University
Lecture (Youtube)
2015 Resources, Energy and Social Infrastructure Photo

Dr. Yutaka Takahasi (1927-2021)

Contribution to development of innovative concept on river basin management and reduction of water-related disasters
[Japan] Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo
Lecture (Youtube)
Medical Science and Medicinal Science Photo

Dr. Theodore Friedmann (1935-)

Proposal of the concept of gene therapy and its clinical applications
[USA] Professor of Pediatrics University of California San Diego, School of Medicine
Lecture (Youtube)
Photo

Prof. Alain Fischer (1949-)

[France] Professor at Collège de France
Director of Institut Imagine, Hôpital Necker-Enfants malades
Lecture (Youtube)
2014 Electronics, Information and Communication Photo

Dr. Yasuharu Suematsu (1932-)

Pioneering research on semiconductor lasers for high-capacity long-distance optical fiber communication
[Japan] Honorary Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Lecture (Youtube)
Life Science Photo

Dr. C. David Allis (1951-2023)

Discovery of histone modifications as fundamental regulators of gene expression
[USA] Joy and Jack Fishman Professor, The Rockefeller University
Lecture (Youtube)
2013 Materials and Production Photo

Prof. C. Grant Willson (1939-)

Development of chemically amplified resist polymer materials for innovative semiconductor manufacturing process
[USA] Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Rashid Engineering Regent Chair The University of Texas at Austin
Lecture (Youtube)
Photo

Prof. Jean M. J. Fréchet (1944-)

[USA] Vice-President for Research King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
Lecture (Youtube)
Biological Production and Biological Environment Photo

Dr. John Frederick Grassle (1939-2018)

Contribution to marine environmental conservation through research on ecology and biodiversity of deep-sea organisms
[USA] Professor Emeritus, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Lecture (Youtube)
2012
Lectures
Environment, Energy and Infrastructure Photo

Dr. Masato Sagawa (1943-)

Developing the world's highest performing Nd-Fe-B type permanent magnet and contributing to energy conservation
[Japan] President, Intermetallics Co., Ltd.
Healthcare and Medical Technology Photo

Dr. Janet D. Rowley (1925-2013)

Development of a new therapeutic drug targeting cancer-specific molecules
[USA] Blum-Riese Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology and Human Genetics, The University of Chicago
Photo

Dr. Brian J. Druker (1955-)

[USA] Professor and Director of OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University
Photo

Dr. Nicholas B. Lydon (1957-)

[USA] Founder and Director Blueprint Medicines
2011 Information and Communications Photo

Dr. Dennis M. Ritchie (1941-2011)

Development of the operating system, UNIX
[USA] Distinguished Member of Technical Staff Emeritus, Bell Labs
Photo

Dr. Ken L. Thompson (1943-)

[USA] Distinguished Engineer, Google Inc.
Bioscience and Medical Science Photo

Dr. Tadamitsu Kishimoto (1939-)

Discovery of interleukin-6 and its application in treating diseases
[Japan] Emeritus Professor, Osaka University
Photo

Dr. Toshio Hirano (1947-)

[Japan] Professor, Osaka University
2010
Lectures
Industrial Production and Production Technology Photo

Prof. Shun-ichi Iwasaki (1926-)

Contributions to high-density magnetic recording technology by the development of a perpendicular magnetic recording method
[Japan] Director, Tohoku Institute of Technology Professor Emeritus, Tohoku University
Biological Production and Environment Photo

Prof. Peter Vitousek (1949-)

Contributions to solving global environmental issues based on the analysis of nitrogen and other substances' cycles
[USA] Professor of Biology, Stanford University
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