JAPAN PRIZE NEWSNo. 7
JULY 1990

THE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FOUNDATION OF JAPAN (JSTF)

Shisei Kaikan, 1-3, Hibiya-Koen,Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 100
Tel. 03 (508) 7691

Scientists from U.S., U.K. and France Awarded 1990 (6th) Japan Prize
Recognized for Scientific Achievements in Technology ofIntegration and Earth ScienceIDr. Marvin Minsky

Dr. William Jason Morgan

The presentation ceremony of the 1990 (sixth) Japan Prize, themost prestigious and honored prize in the fields of science andtechnology, was held at the National Theater in Tokyo on April 17.
The Prize is presented annually by the Science and Technology
Foundation of Japan to scientists and researchers who havemade substantial contributions to the advancement of scienceand technology and to the peace and prosperity of mankind.
The categories this year were "Technology of Integration Design, Production and Control Technologies" and "Earth Science." A total of 663 nominations were made by top scientists andacademics around the world , 208 for the Technology of Integration category and 455 for
the Earth Science category.
Out of those nomination,
four scientists, two from theUnited States and one eachfrom the United Kingdomand France, were awarded
the 1990 Japan Prize.
Dr. Marvin Minsky, professor of Electrical Engineering at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology,
received the 1990 Japan
Prize in the category ofTechnology of Integration.
Dr. Minsky is creditedwith the establishment of
the academic field named

Dr. Dan Peter McKenzie

Dr. Xavier Le Pichon

Artificial Intelligence. He devised the fundamental theories of thefield and has earned the title of "the father of Al."The 1990 Japan Prize joint winners in the category of Earth
Science were Dr. William Jason Morgan, Knox Taylor Professorof Geography at Princeton University; Dr. Dan Peter McKenzie,
Professor of Earth Sciences at Cambridge University; andDr. Xavier Le Pichon , Director of the Department of Geology at
Ecole Normale Superieure.
They won the Prize for their formation and subsequent development of the theory of plate tectonics, which has had a revolutionary impact on the advance of earth science and related fields .

Their Majesties The Emperorand Empress attend
the Presentation Ceremony
Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress attended the presentation ceremony at the National Theater in Tokyo on April 17.
Some 1,000 prominent guests attended the ceremony, including
the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
the President of the House of Councilors, the Chief Justice of theSupreme Court, numerous ambassadors to Japan, eminent
scholars and researchers and representatives from other fields,
including politics, finance, industry and the media.
The ceremony began with a rendition of Minoru Miki's "Overture Japan," a work composed especially for the ceremony
and performed by the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra under
the direction of Naoto Otomo. Chairman of the Foundation
Dr. Kisaburo Yokota made the opening address and Dr. Takashi
Mukaibo, Chairman of the Selection Committee, introduced thewinners and their achievements. Chairman Yokota then presented the four winners with their Japan Prize certificates of merit,commemorative medals and, for each category, cash awards of50 million yen (the three joint winners in the Earth Science category sharing 50 million yen).
In his speech of acceptance of the Japan Prize, Dr. Minsky madea new resolution: "I will propose some new theories as suggestions
for beginning the next period of this great scientific adventure."
The three 1990 Japan Prize joint laureates expressed their appreciation in their acceptance speeches, as noted by Dr. McKenzie :"Scientific research is a truly international activity, and it gives me
special pleasure to be chosen by a country other than my own."

Address ofHis Majesty

the Emperor(Excerpts)
I am of the view that the achievements of these four doctors
who have been awarded the Prize this time, are extremely
significant to the world of today. Their achievements have
not only contributed greatly to progress in their respective
fields of study but deeply related to the lives of mankind.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep
respect to the efforts made by the four laureates and thepeople who supported them.
Today, remarkable advances are being made in scienceand technology. However, we must not forget this point:
how are these achievements to be utilized to promote happiness and welfare of all mankind. In this context, it is truly
significant to have the Japan Prize, established to honor
those who have contributed to promoting peace and prosperity of all humankind, and I hope that the Japan Prize willcontribute in its own way to the productive development ofscience and technology in the years to come.

Foundation Named April 15-21 as Japan Prize Week•

1--:~---J..J.L..LJoint Press Conference (April 16)
The four laureates attended a joint press conference for domestic
and foreign media at the Japan Press Center. The journalists present put many questions to the laureates, reflecting the media's
deep interest in the award categories of Technology of Integration and Earth Science.

Courtesy Call on the Governor of Tokyo (April 17)
The four laureates and their wives paid a courtesy visit to Tokyo
Governor Shunichi Suzuki. The Governor was especially interested in Earth Science and raised some serious questions with thethree doctors regarding earthquakes.

Elegant State Banquet held withTheir Majesties The Emperor and Empress
A banquet for the 1990 Japan Prize winners was held at theAkasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo on the evening of April 17, following the presentation ceremony. In addition to Their Majesties TheEmperor and Empress of Japan, 400 dignitaries attended thisgala celebration as guests.
The solemnity of previous banquets was augmented this year
by an atmosphere of spring-like brilliance, which was reflected inthe celebration's many festivities.
The dinner was followed by a congratulatory toast proposedby His Majesty The Emperor honoring the four laureates. Atoast was proposed in appreciation of the assistance extended
by the laureates' wives, by His Excellency Mr. Ryohachi Kusaba,
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who represented the threebranches of the Japanese government. Then the laureates' wives
were presented with bouquets by young Japanese ladies dressedin traditional kimonos.

Commemorative Lectures (April 18 and 19)
Commemorative lectures were held at both the lino Hall in Tokyoand the MID Theater in Osaka. Both sites were filled to capacity,with people standing in the aisles. The four doctors gave suchstirring lectures that the event in Tokyo ran long past the scheduled close .

Another toast was proposed by His Excellency Mr. Tomoji
Oshima, Minister of Science and Technology Agency, expressing
the wish for the Japan Prize's further development and contribution to world peace and prosperity.
The banquet continued with congratulatory messages given byMr. Shunichi Suzuki, the Governor of Tokyo, and His Excellency
Pierre Nelson Cofti, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cote d'Ivoire, representing the foreign
diplomats.
The end of the banquet was highlighted by a warm but livelyperformance by the Chiba University Mixed Chorus Group,
which featured songs of the colleges where the laureates spent
their days as young students.
Prior to closing the banquet, Ors. Minsky and Le Pichon gave
speeches of thanks and brought the elegant state banquet to its
close.

Taking a BreakThe four doctors and their wives visited the International Gardenand Greenery Exposition in Osaka, where they enjoyed theflowers and greenery while relaxing after the succession of offi cial events.

Remembering Dr. Katchalski-Katzir (Israel)- First Japan Prize Winner -Selection of Winners Begins
for 1991 (7th) Japan Prize
The categories of the 1991 (seventh) Japan Prize are Applied
Mathematics and Imaging Techniques in Medicine. Candidates
have been recommended through numerous letters of nomination received by the Foundation from around the world. The 1991
Selection Committee has been established and the process of
selecting next year's winners is under way. Results will be announced publicly in early 1991 and the presentation ceremony
will be held in April.

Applied Mathematics
Recently, with the progress in numerical methods by use of computers, applied mathematics has come to play an increasingly
important role in various fields of engineering and applied science, making remarkable contributions to research as well as
to the resolution of practical problems in industrial and otherapplications.
The prize for 1991 will be awarded for outstanding achievements in applied mathematics which are based on analytic andnumerical methods and whose applications have made significant contributions to the solution of practical problems in industry and other fields.
Mr. Shozo Kadota

Mr. Tsuguaki Kawamura

Dr. Ephraim Katchalski-Katzir, the first Japan Prize winner, was recognized in 1985
for his work in the field of Biotechnology. In addition to being an outstanding
scientist, he is also a political leader who served as the fourth President of Israel
from 1973 through 1978.
Mr. Tsuguaki Kawamura, Executive Director of the Foundation, interviewed Mr.
Shozo Kadota, who was the Japanese Ambassador to Israel when Dr. KatchalskiKatzir won the first Japan Prize. Mr. Kadota was the first person to contact him toinform him officially of his winning the Japan Prize. Mr. Kadota is currently theSuperintendent of the Geihinkan (Akasaka Palace), the Government's official state
guest house.
The following is a summary of Mr. Kadota's comments made during theinterview:
Mr. Kadota: I remember I contacted Dr. Katchalski-Katzir at his home as soon
as I could after receiving the official communication from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Tokyo. During our conversation I explained that the Japan Prize, as its
name implies, is fully supported by Japan's public and private sectors and that it isintended to become an equal to the Nobel Prize.
In response, a delighted Dr. Katchalski-Katzir remarked, "It is an honor and I am
pleased to accept."
Later, on another occasion, the Deputy Minister of Israel's Foreign Ministry
expressed to me his appreciation for the awarding of the Japan Prize to Dr.
Katchalski -Katzir and said that it was an honor for Israel.
Further, in the same way that I explained the Japan Prize to Dr. KatchalskiKatzir, I provided information to Israel's media.
Although Israel's population is no more than about 4 million, the nation is an
information-oriented society with a well-developed media. Given this, I believethat a large majority of the people in Israel know about Dr. Katchalski-Katzir's
winning the Japan Prize.

Imaging Techniques in Medicine
The recent remarkable advances in medicine are in large measure due to the development of imaging techniques for visualizing various activities and disorders within our body; forexample, magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, ultrasonic echo, endoscope etc.
The prize for 1991 will be awarded for innovative contributions
to the development and application of medical imaging techniques in the fields of clinical medicine, basic medicine andbiology.

General Science andTechnology Seminars HeldMonthly
The Foundation is holding a monthly General Science and Technology Seminar (in Japanese) for the general public free ofcharge. The aim is to promote a comprehensive spread anddevelopment of information and ideas regarding science andtechnology.
Lecturers at the seminars are distinguished scholars, scientists and engineers who are recognized as leaders in their fields.
The lectures are presented in easy-to-understand Japanese
language.
Future subjects include "Medical Drugs - Effects and Side
Effects," "Computer Graphics," "Reliability in Weather Forecasting," and ''.A.rtificial Organs."

Mr. Kadota: Israel's fourth President was Dr. Katchalski-Katzir and the nation'sfirst President, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, was also an outstanding scientist and aleader of the Zionists. There was a story that after the death of the first President,
Dr. Albert Einstein was asked to fill the post of Presidency. The Israeli people likescientists as presidents.
Mr. Kadota: My term as Japanese Ambassador to Israel was from 1983 to 1986.
When I assumed the post, relations and exchanges with Japan were not very wellfounded due to avariety of circumstances. I believe Dr. Katchalski-Katzir's receiving the Japan Prize helped to promote more friendly relations between the twocountries. I understand that Japan Prize winners are selected after an extremely
arduous selection process in which the nominees' achievements alone are examined, with strict disregard for nationality, race and religion.
Pure motives sometimes lead to unexpectedly good results, which seems tohave been the case in the improvement of diplomatic relations between Israel andJapan.

A view of "Shisei-Kaikan " in Tokyo, where JSTF has its offices