Background and Rationale:

Recent years have witnessed the explosive spread of computers and smartphones, rapid growth of the internet, and dramatic advances in semiconductor technologies all over the world. The development of electronic, informatics, and communications technologies has helped to improve information processing and communication efficiency, productivity, and quality of life to a striking extent. In addition, rapid advances in data analysis and simulation technologies in physics, chemistry, life sciences, and other fields of research have led to improved experimental accuracy and to new discoveries, which have contributed greatly to the overall advancement of science and technology. Such technologies are becoming increasingly important as they form more of society’s essential infrastructure. Future advances in AI, quantum computing, 5G communications, and quantum communications technologies are expected to lead to further evolution of industrial automation and advanced data processing, and to contribute immensely to the development of IoT-based smart cities.

However, our constantly changing information society will require cybersecurity to play an increasingly vital role in establishing a safe and secure environment, in building a society that is sustainable, and in promoting economic growth. The rapid development of AI has led to the emergence of issues related to energy consumption, more awareness of ethical issues, and more, and these too must be addressed.

Eligible Achievements:

The 2026 Japan Prize in the fields of Electronics, Information, and Communication will be awarded for any of a wide array of achievements that have enormous potential to lead to breakthrough advances in science and technology. Potential winners will have conducted research that could lead to the creation of new industries and innovation of manufacturing technologies, aid in the evolution of information society, ensure societal safety and security, or promote the development of fundamental technologies and systems that contribute to improving quality of life.

Background and Rationale:

From the moment the genome was deciphered, our understanding of life’s basic principles and the diversity of functions of living organisms, from bacteria to human beings, has improved markedly. Drawing on growing knowledge of how molecules work together and constitute life, scientists are finding answers to their queries regarding such mechanisms at the individual cell level as gene expression control/epigenetics and self-organization/organogenesis during development and differentiation. At the level of individual organisms, the manner in which the nervous system, the immune system, and metabolism are interrelated is coming to light. At the level of ecosystems, we are coming to understand better how molecules mediate the exchange of information among organisms. Research on model organisms and on organisms in the natural world is throwing light on mechanisms of processes ranging from ontogenesis/phylogenesis to aging, evolution, symbiosis, and adaptation to environmental changes. Our deepening understanding of life also owes much to more advanced technology in structural biology, biophysics, chemical biology, and synthetic biology as well as to improvements in imaging technology, single-cell analysis, and analysis of biological big-data. Through these advances at multiple, ever-higher levels, from molecules to cells, to tissues, to individuals, and to populations (ecosystems), it is becoming easier to understand life as a system. We count on further contributions to a sustainable society and humanity’s well-being that are consistently mindful of bioethics and that will establish on a firm basis both the global environment and human health by elucidating the mechanisms of biological phenomena.

Eligible Achievements:

The 2026 Japan Prize in the Life Sciences will reward achievements marking epochal advances in scientific technology that make significant contributions to society through discoveries of previously unknown biological phenomena and through work elucidating regulatory mechanisms, as well as through technical innovations that promise a deeper understanding of living organisms’ functioning in nature.

Background and Rationale:

Rapid developments in science and technology have made 21st century society increasingly dependent on the development of new materials and innovative manufacturing technologies. Advanced materials are driving technological innovation in energy, medicine, information and communication, environmental protection, nanotechnology, and a wide range of other fields. Examples of materials under active research include energy-related materials such as high-performance batteries; biomaterials that could help people live longer and healthier lives; optical and semiconductor materials that enable ultrafast information processing and transmission; new functional materials that harness quantum phenomena; and structural materials used to build the infrastructure that forms the backbone of society. The world is also seeing major technological innovations in manufacturing and production, from automated technologies using 3D printers and AI, to energy-saving/zero-emission manufacturing technologies and recycling technologies aimed at building a sustainable society. Materials informatics (MI) is another field that has seen remarkable progress in recent years, and MI research is expected to revolutionize conventional material design and manufacturing technologies. Such advances are extremely important as they will enrich our lives and help build a sustainable society.

Eligible Achievements:

The 2025 Japan Prize in the fields of Materials Science and Production will be awarded for the discovery or development of materials that lead to breakthrough advances in science and technology, or for dramatic advancements in manufacturing technology that result in new products, services, or industries.

Background and Rationale:

Throughout history, by raising crops and livestock and accumulating experience and know-how, humans have improved biological production techniques and made production methods ever more efficient. In more recent times, scientific and technical advances have vastly increased the productivity of those methods and contributed to rapid population growth. On the other hand, biological production’s growth has brought with it increasingly serious deterioration of our planet’s environment and loss of biodiversity.

To take full advantage of ecosystem services and ensure stable and sustainable biological production, innovations in science and technology that emphasize protection of the environment and ecosystems are indispensable. Notable areas of innovation include, for example, development of cultivation systems and plant varieties adapted to different regional climates and operating scales; optimization of farming processes and environmental monitoring through the use of sensing and information and communications technology (ICT); improvement in efficiency and precision of biological production through the utilization of robotics; improvement of food processing techniques and food functionality; reduction of food loss and waste; and diminution of greenhouse gas emissions in all aspects of production, processing, distribution, and consumption. Anticipated are the development of novel “bioproducts” derived from renewable biological material and the development of new production processes that make use of living organisms’ biological functions. Methods must also be found to ensure a more equitable distribution of products among regions and social classes, and to assess fairly the multifaceted values of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries with roots in local communities.

Eligible Achievements:

The 2025 Japan Prize in Biological Production, Ecology/Environment will reward achievements that have created, extended, or propagated major steps forward in scientific technology and, by advancing basic science related to ecology and environmental science and biological-production-related science and technology, have made or have the potential to make major contributions to sustainable development of human society in harmony with our ecosystem.