PRESS RELEASETo all media representatives

No.9502013 The Japan Foundation Awards Awardee
Every year since 1973, the Japan Foundation has presented the Japan Foundation Awards to individuals andorganizations that have made significant contributions to promoting international mutual understanding andfriendship between Japan and other countries through academic, artistic and other cultural pursuits. This year
marks the 41st year of the awards and three awardees have been selected for 2013.

The presentation ceremony will be held at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, October 15, 2013, at Hotel
Okura Tokyo.
◆ Akira Iriye (Professor Emeritus, Harvard University) [Japan]
Born in 1934, Akira Iriye moved to the US in 1953 on scholarship from the Grew
Bancroft Foundation after graduating from Seikei Senior High School. Iriye graduatedfrom Haverford College in 1957 and received a Ph.D. in History from Harvard
University Graduate School in 1961. He majored in American Diplomatic History. As aUS-based Japanese, Iriye has made significant contributions to his field over a long
period of time. Iriye's approach is characterized by an emphasis on idealogical andcultural impact and he has proposed international history research that incorporates amultinational perspective that goes beyond research on the diplomatic history of one
country and two-way interaction. Iriye is recognized as "one of the people who changed
the way we view the diplomatic history of America." Iriye became the first Japanesecitizen to serve as President of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations
and as President of the American Historical Association. Iriye is being presented thisaward in recognition of his influence overseas as a Japanese citizen and consequently
becoming a pioneer of Japan-US exchange.

◆ SANKAI JUKU [Japan](C) Masafumi Sakamoto(C) Hitomi SatoSankai Juku is a butoh dance company established in 1975 by its Artistic Director, Ushio Amagatsu.
Currently, the dance company consists of nine male dancers. Sankai Juku commenced its international
tours in 1980 and has performed in more than 700 cities in 44 countries throughout Asia, Europe, SouthAmerica and North America. Sankai Juku is predominately based in France and continues to release newwork every two years. While conventional western dance is characterized by the beauty of dynamic
movement, butoh dancers dance fluidly, embracing gravity and aspire to reach the essence of human spirit.
Sophisticated and detailed movement developed from body language has created a unique mode ofexpression. Sankai Juku is being presented this award in recognition of support and praise given to themfrom various cultural spheres throughout the world. The Artistic Director of Sankai Juku oversees spatial
and costume design in addition to producing and choreographing their performances. In 2002 Sankai
Juku's performance "HIBIKI – Resonance from Far Away” won the Laurence Olivier Award in thecategory of Best New Dance Production.
Yotsuya 4-4-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004
www.jpf.go.jp

◆ Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan) [Thailand]Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan) is a public-interest corporation established in 1973 by Thainationals who had studied and received training in Japan following the deterioration of sentiment toward Japandue to trade disputes between the two countries. The objectives of the organization are to facilitate technologicaltransfer from Japan to Thailand and personnel development with the ultimate goal of realizing the economic
development of Thailand. The association runs various programs including technical training, calibration ofindustrial measurement and experimentation devices and online business management programs. Additionally, theassociation also manages the largest private Japanese-language school in Thailand, which teaches more than 8,000
students each year. Since its opening 40 years ago, the school has seen more than 200,000 students complete its
Japanese-language course. Additionally, the association creates and publishes Japanese-language learning material,
dictionaries, and Japanese culture related books, runs training programs and seminars for Japanese-language
teachers and hosts Japanese speech contests and Japanese festivals, making significant contributions to thepromotion of Japanese-language in Thailand. In 2007, the association opened the Thai-Nichi Institute ofTechnology (TNI), a private technical university at which in 2011 the first 225 of their students graduated. The
association is also the largest institution in Thailand offering Thai language education to Japanese citizens residingin the country. The Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan) is being presented this award inrecognition of its significant contribution to interaction between the two countries and the development ofpersonnel.

We will announce the details of interviews for the award ceremony and commemorative lectures byaward recipients soon.
<The Japan Foundation Awards>
The Japan Foundation was established in 1972 and 2013 marks its 41st year. Each year since 1973, one year after its establishment,
the Japan Foundation has presented Japan Foundation Awards to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding
contributions over a long period and are expected to continue to do so for the enhancement of international understanding and thepromotion of international friendship through academic, artistic and other cultural pursuits. The awardees of the Japan Foundation
Awards last year are: Department of Japanese Language and Civilization, National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations(INALCO) [France], Haruki Murakami (Writer/Translator) [Japan] and Irene Hirano Inouye, President, U.S.-Japan Council [U.S.A.]<The Japan Foundation> (URL：http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/index.html:)
The Japan Foundation is Japan’s only institution dedicated to carrying out comprehensive international cultural exchange programs
throughout the world. In addition to its Tokyo headquarters, the Japan Foundation has twenty-two offices in twenty-one countries, aswell as two Japanese-language institutes in Japan and a Kyoto Office. With the objective of deepening mutual understanding between
the people of Japan and other countries / regions, our various activities and information services create opportunities forpeople-to-people interactions.

General Inquiries: Yokota, Miyata, The Japan Foundation Information Center
TEL: 03-5369-6075 FAX：03-5369-6044 e-mail：kikinsho@jpf.go.jp
Press Inquiries:
Yokota, Tanase, Takano, Japan Public Relations Institute, in charge of public relations for
the Japan Foundation Awards
TEL:03-5368-0911 FAX: 03-5269-2390 e-mail：japanfoundation@japan-pri.jp
Yotsuya 4-4-1, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0004
www.jpf.go.jp