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No. 16MAY 1996

Dr. Kao and Dr. Ito Awarded 1996 Japan Prizes
Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress Attended the Presentation Ceremony

Dr. Charles K. Kao

The presentation ceremony for the 1996 (12th) Japan Prize
took place on April 26 at the National Theatre in Tokyo. This
year's two laureates were Dr. Charles K. Kao (62), ViceChancellor and President, The Chinese University of HongKong, in the category of "Information, Computer andCommunication Systems;" and Dr. Masao Ito (67), DirectorGeneral, Frontier Research Program, The Institute of Physicaland Chemical Research (RIKEN), and President, Science
Council of Japan in the category of "Neuroscience".
Japan Prize is presented annually by The Science andTechnology Foundation of Japan (JSTF) to scientists andresearchers who have made substantial contributions to theadvancement of science and technology as well as to the peaceand prosperity of humankind.

Dr. Masao ItoJAPAN PRIZE

Presentation CeremonyTheir Majesties The Emperor and Empress attended the presentation
ceremony as did some 900 prominent guests, including representatives
from the Three branches and competent Ministers; numerous
ambassadors to Japan; eminent scholars and researchers; representatives
from policy, finance, and industry sectors of government; and the media.
The ceremony began with a rendition of Overture Japan performed bythe Toho Gakuen Orchestra. Prof. Jiro Kondo, Foundation Chairman
and Chairman of the Japan Prize Selection Committee delivered theopening address and introduced the two winners and spoke about theirachievements. After the chairmen from the two selection panels outlined
the reasons for their choices, Foundation President Dr. Masami Ito
presented each winner with a certificate of merit, a commemorative
medal, and a cash award of 50 million yen.

In his acceptance speech, Dr. Kao said, "Optical fiber communications is one of the key infrastructures for progress in our informationage. Communication improves understanding between people.
Communication promotes peace and prosperity. Having participated in
the conceptual research, and in the development and production stages
throughout my career, I deem myself most fortunate to have been at thebeginning of it all." And Dr. Ito, in his acceptance speech, said, "I havedevoted myself to brain research believing that since what is present in
the brain is neuronal circuit network, the shortest way to obtain access tothe enormous riddle of the brain is to elucidate the functional principlesof the neuronal circuit network. It seemed to me that the cerebellum was
the most suitable part of the brain as a target for my research.".

Address byHis Majestry
the Emperor
Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to extend
my sincere congratulations to Dr. Charles Kuen Kao and Dr.
Masao Ito on being presented the 1996 Japan Prize today. Dr. Kao
was awarded the prize for the category of "Information, Computerand Communication Systems" while Dr. Ito was selected for the
category of "Neuroscience."
Dr. Kao conducted research on optical fibers and made a major
contribution to the exploitation of optical fiber communications
which are currently finding wide application. Dr. Ito researched
the cerebellar neural mechanisms which control movement, andhis findings had a major impact on neuroscience research related
to learning and memory mechanisms in the brain.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere
respect to these two distinguished scholars for their outstandingachievements.
1n recent years great strides have been made in science andtechnology, and humanity receives immeasurable benefits fromthese advances. We give deep thought to the fact that today'sadvancements in science and technology are the product of theoutstanding intelligence and tireless efforts of many scientists.
Also, we consider it crucial that the development of new scienceand technology be monitored to ensure that it promotes the happiness of all humanity. In this sense, the Japan Prize is very significant in that it commends scientists whose accomplishments
made a major contribution to the advancement of science andtechnology as well as to peace and the prosperity of humanity.
In closing, I would like to express my sincere hope that theresearches of these two distinguished scholars will futther develop
and contribute more and more to the welfare of humanity.
Thank you .

-The laureates, honored by Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress

Banquet_;..

Following the presentation ceremony, a banquet was held at HotelOkura in Tokyo on the evening of April 26, in the presence of Their

His MaJesty The Emperor
proposing a toast

was made by H.E. Juro Saito, President of the House of Councillors.

Majesties The Emperor and Empress with approximately 250

A third toast was proposed by H.E. Seiroku Kajiyama, the Chief

distinguished guests in attendance.

Cabinet Secretary, who asked the guests to join him in toasting theAn opening address bythe Foundation President,Dr.

A view of the Banquet

MasamiIto,

wasJapan Prize's contribution to world peace and prosperity.
The banquet continued with a congratulatory message from H.E.
Fawzi Shobokshi of Saudi Arabia, the representative of the diplomatic

followed by dinner, aftercorps in Japan.

Thereafter, H.E. Walter F. Mondale, the U.S.

which his Majesty The

Ambassador to Japan, followed with his own congratulatory speech.

Emperor honored the two

The end of the banquet was highlighted by a performance fromwinners with a congratula-

Chiba University and Utsunomiya University. To close the banquet,

tory toast.

Dr. Kao and Dr. Ito delivered speeches of thanks.

A second toast

JAPAN PRIZE

Memorable Album of the Laureates

Dr. Kao (left) and his younger
brother. Dr. Kao was born inShanghai, China, where helived for his first 14 years.

Family photo when Dr. Ito(right) was a first-grader.
His father died when hewas three.
Later he went to study inLondon where he met andmarried his wife in 1959.

Studied in Austral ia for three years
under Dr. Eccles, Nobel prize winnerin physiology and medicine in 1963.
His eldest son, Minami, was born in Australia.

"Whenever I was in the library,
I was always wearing a - ~·grimace," says Dr. Itolooking back on his
research days.

He stil l has his classroom skills.

In anticipation of more
free time, he revived hispottery talents.

Retired from Tokyo University in March 1989. During
his last lecture, he waspresented with a memento(cerebellum-shaped coral)by his students.

Showing codfish he caught in Sweden in 1993.

Now those ideas and hopes will bepassed on to the next generation.

He was elected chairman of the Science Councilof Japan in 1994. Chatted with the then prime minister
Murayama at prime minister's official residence.

JAPAN PRIZE
Selection of Laureates Beginsfor the 1997 (13th) Japan PrizeJapan Prize Week

The categories for the 1997 (13th) Japan Prize are "SystemsEngineering for an Artifactual Environment" and "Biotechnology inMedicine." Candidates have been recommended through numerous
letters of nomination received by the Foundation from around theworld. The 1997 (13th) Japan Prize Selection Committee will beestabli shed in the Foundati on and the results will be announced inDecember. The presentation ceremony will take place in April 1997 .

Systems Engineering for an Artifactual Environment
The world is composed of -- and human actions take placein --an environme nt of artifacts in modern society. Systems
enginee rin g plays an importan t role in the creation andmanagement of artifacts for the sustainable development ofan artifactual environment , with a view to enh ancing thewelfare of mankind .
'Systems Eng ineering for an Artifactual Environment' covers
a wide vari ety of technolog ies and knowledge systems fo r thecreation of an artifactual environment such as des ign
engineering , p roduct eng inee rin g, measurin g and control
eng ineering , robotics , knowledge engineerin g, computational
sciences, safety and reliability eng ineering , standardization ,quality control engineerin g and so on .
The 1997 Japan Prize wil l be awarded for achievement in
the above tech nologie s and knowle dg e systems , orcontribu tion to prog ress of re lated basic disc ip lines andtechnologies.

Biotechnology in Medicine

Council of Japan

Friendly talk with Japanese sc ientists(April 27)

Rap id progress in biotechnology has led to advances in
med ical sciences , res ultin g in th e deve lopment of new
methods of preserving and improvi ng human health. The
prosperity of the human race in the 21st century and beyond
will depend on our ability to wisely apply the fruits of med ical
research to the understanding of human diseases .
The 1997 Japan Pri ze will be awarded to the scientist wh ohas made a significant contribution to med icine through a
discovery in the field of biotechnology including molecularbiolog ical technology and organ transplantation that not on ly
promotes an understandin g of human diseases , but also
marked ly improves our ability to prevent, diag nose and treat
those diseases.

Monthly General Science andTechnology Seminars
The Foundation is holding a monthly General Science and Technology Seminar for the general public free of charge. The aim is todisseminate and develop info rmation and ideas regarding scienceand technology.
Lecturers at the seminars include well-known scholars, scientists,

Holiday in Kyoto (April 28)

and engineers who speak in easy-to-understand Japanese.