JAPAN
PRIZE
November 1985

Vol.1 No.1

News

The First Japan Prize Awarding Ceremony was held at the National Theater, Tokyo.

I Introductory Message

Awards for outstanding work in the field of science and technology have been
established as new international prizes. These have been named as the "Japan
Prize." And to have this annual award become more widely known as an international award, this news letter will be published and distributed twice a year.
The First Japan Prize Awarding Ceremony was held in Tokyo on April 20, 1985,
with the gracious attendance of H.I.H. Crown Prince Akihito, who commented
as follows:'1t is my hope and high expectations that this prize will contribute to theprogress of science and technology as well as to the prosperity and welfare of
mankind and, furthermore, to lasting world peace."
The fruit of science and technology is a product of the 20th Century. The Nobel
Prize, founded in 1901, is awarded for outstanding works in the fields of physics,
chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature, peace and, later, economics, but it
does not include science and technology. The Japan Prize may also serve to complement the Nobel Prize in the field of science and technology.
In response to the high expectations of our country, our cherished hope is todevelop the Japan Prize into a truly international honor, with peace for mankind
as our underlying goal. Towards these ends, we seek your benevolent cooperation
and wholehearted understanding.

JAPAN PRIZE

Progress through Originality and Cooperation
T.I.H. Crown Prince andCrown Princess Attend
April 20th propitiously turned out to be a fine, clear
day, and on this day, at 4:30 p.m., the First Japan
Prize Awarding Ceremony was initiated at the
National Theater, fronting the Imperial Palace Moat,with the presence of T.I.H. Crown Prince Akihito
and Crown Princess Michiko.
Also honoring the ceremony were Prime MinisterL,'.: }: •1
Yasuhiro Nakasone, Executive Director S. Ramel of the
H.I.H.
Crown
PrinceAkihitoled
the toast at theNobel Foundation's Board of Trustees, Professor
Banquet held at the New Otani Hotel, Tokyo
T. Ganelius of the Royal Swedish
Academy of Sciences, members of the
diplomatic corps and approximately
1,500 eminent scholars from throughout
the world and Japan, to offer theirrespects to the recipients of the prizes.
The Crown Prince said in summation,"It is meaningful and significant that wepay tribute to those who have contributed to the world of science andtechnology," which he had precededwith "Japan owes her prosperity toforeign scholars and researchers."
A congratulatory address by Prime
Minister Nakasone was followed by theawarding of the Prizes by President
Konosuke Matsushita of The Scienceand Technology Foundation of Japan,
to the first two laureates of the Japan
Prize, Dr. John R. Pierce of the U.S. and
Dr. Ephraim Katchalski-Katzir of Israel.
In response, Dr. Pierce said, "My
research is aimed to bring about peace
among mankind and I am extremely
happy that it has been recognized as
The Japan Pnze Banquet was held at the New Otani Hotel (Tsuru Room),such. The awarding of this prize is aTokyo
proof that there are no national boundaries to the development and the advancement ofscience and technology."
Dr. Katchalski-Katzir, in his remarks, said, "Japanesescientists have obtained excellent results in the fields-of fermentation engineering. I am certain that biotechnology has a very promising future."
The First Japan Prize Awarding Ceremony ended
with renditions of Mozart and Honegger by the Tokyo
Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Yoichiro
Omachi.
Another climax of the ceremony was the Banquet
held one hour later at the Hotel New Otani.
Attending this function were numerous dignitaries.
Seated at the table were T.I.H. Crown Prince Akihito
Dr. & Mrs. ]. R. Pierce (left) and Dr. & Mrs. E.
and Crown Princess Michiko, Dr. Pierce and Dr.
Katchalski-Katzir enjoyed the pleasant courtesy call
Katchalski (the recipients of the Japan Prize), Chief
on Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone.
Justice of the Supreme Court Jiro Terada, Minister
Later, in a private room, informal talks were heldof State for Science and Technology Reiichi Takeuchi,
by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess with Ors.
Tokyo Governor Shin-ichi Suzuki, and a number of
Pierce and Katchalski, and others in a very sociable
other distinguished personages, including representaatmosphere, which caused time to be forgotten so thattives of the foreign diplomatic corps and of the Nobel
the function ended far past the original schedule.
Foundation.
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JAPAN PRIZEI Profiles of Laureates of the Japan Prize I
Dr. John R. Pierce, guest honorary
professor of Stanford University;born 1910. Dr. Pierce is a representative scientist in the UnitedStates, who has contributed muchto the field of information oncommunication technology, including the theoretical and realistic useof communication satellites, pulse
code modulation and wide-banddigital transmission via multivalue codes, developmentof LAN (local area network) and others . He has also
contributed greatly to the development of Japan's
information and communication technology.

Dr. Ephraim Katchalski-Katzir,
professor of Tel Aviv University
and Weizmann Institute of Science;born 1916. Dr. Katchalski invented
the bioreactor and bioanalyzer for
enzyme immobilization and cell
immobilization, a basic technology
for biotechnology. He is the first
Israeli to be appointed a member ofthe American Science Academy. He
was appointed the fourth president of the State ofIsrael (1973-78).

national cooperation in making advancements in thisfield of study. He left a deep and lasting impression on
the audience by ending his lecture with the words"but what is of more value than science and technology
are impartiality, justice and love."Drs. Pierce and Katchalski enjoyed their visit to
Tsukuba Expo '85.

Lecture Meetings in Tokyo and
Kyoto
Lecture meetings by Dr. Pierce and Dr. Katchalski,
the two laureates of the Japan Prize, were held in bothTokyo and Kyoto to commemorate the event. Theirtalks were received with enthusiastic applauses byscholars, researchers of major companies and others
who attended the lectures .
In his lecture, Dr. Pierce said, "Promising researchers
should be given all possible support to carry out
researches in complete freedom."
Dr. Katchalski spoke on the present and future
prospects of enzyme fixation technology and enzyme
reaction device and emphasized the need for inter-

A Commemorative Lecture Meeting was held in
Kyoto.
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Drs. Pierce and Katchalski paid
the Science Council of Japan.

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Major Events During"The First Japan Prize Week"
The "Japan Prize Week" was held to commemorate
the awarding of the prizes to Dr. J. Pierce and Dr.
E. Katchalski-Katzir and to spread further interest andinformation on science and technology. The schedule
for the two laureates was:April 19 (Fri.) : A call on the Prime Minister of Japan.
A visit to the Japan Academy and Science
Council of Japan.
Press Conference.
April 20 (Sat.): Honored participation in the Japan
Prize Awarding Ceremony and the Banquet
that followed.
April 21 (Sun.): Commemorative Lecture Meeting(Asahi Hall, Tokyo).
April 22 (Mon.) : Audience with the Emperor.
Attended reception by foreign diplomatic
corps in Tokyo (Israeli Embassy).
April 23 (Tues.): Commemorative Lecture Meeting(International Hall, Kyoto).
April 25 (Thurs .): Attended reception by foreign
diplomatic corps in Tokyo (U.S. Embassy).
April 26 (Fri.): Visited Science Expo'85.

JAPAN PRIZE

JAPAN PRIZE-Aiming for Internationalization
like the Nobel PrizeWith Global Science & Technology
As the Goal
The common desire of all the peoples of the world isthat mankind should attain lasting peace and prosperity
irregardless of the era in which they live. The role thatscience and technology plays in this respect is immeasurable. And to attain this goal, the inventivenessand cooperation of the people are of paramountimportance.
The "Japan Prize" is awarded to persons who,
through their outstanding work in the field of scienceand technology, have contributed to the prosperity andpeace of mankind. The prize was established by The
Science and Technology Foundation of Japan with theendorsement of the Cabinet, an unprecedented recognition for this type of prize.
The prize covers all fields of endeavor related toscience and technology, but the field is limited each year
to two or three areas, to be announced annually beforehand. In principle, the prize is awarded to individuals
but research groups are also considered as possible recipients. The recipients of the first Japan Prize were eachawarded a certificate of merit, a commemorative medal
and a supplementary cash prize of ¥ SO million. The
prize awarding ceremony is held in April every yearin Tokyo.

ISelection of Laureates
The three fields of endeavor selected for the first Japan
Prize were Information & Communication, Medical
Engineering and Biotechnology. Letters requesting
recommendation of candidates for the prize weresent to qualified persons (see "Note") in March lastyear. The number of the letters sent reached 5,826.
By the deadline date of June 30, last year, 432 answers
were received. Each nominee was carefully evaluatedby the First Japan Prize Examination Committee,
chaired by Masao Yoshiki, president of the Science
University of Tokyo, which was established within The
Science and Technology Foundation of Japan. Two
preeminent laureates were selected from among thenominees: Dr. J. Pierce of the U.S. in the field of information and communication, and Dr. E. KatchalskiKatzir of Israel in the field of biotechnology. The
recommendations of the Examination Committee were
submitted to the board of directors of the Foundation in

The First Japan Prize Examination Committee convened in Tokyo.

The Commemorative Medal designed by Yusaku
Kamekura

February, this year, and the selection of two nominees
were confirmed.
Note: The following persons throughout the world are
deemed qualified to make recommendations of potential candidates for the Japan Prize:•Regular and associate members of national academicorganizations.
• Representatives of academic institutions or those withsimilar credentials.
•Presidents, deans, professors and assistant professorsof renowned universities.
•Heads of renowned scientific and technologicalbodies or scientific research institutes, or those withsimilar credentials.
•Recipients of authoritative awards.
•Other intellectuals as designated by the Foundation.

Dr. & Mrs. Katchalski (left) and Dr. & Mrs. Pierce(right) at the Awarding Ceremony held at the
National Theater.

"'
The names of the two laureatesare announced at thepress conference.
4

JAPAN PRIZE'. "~.'i&j ..

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Recommendation and Examination
Procedures for the Second Japan
Prize

with your name, age, occupation and address.
Those who are eligible to recommend the candidates
will be registered with the Foundation and recommendation forms will be sent regularly.

By the end of March 1985, more than 7,300 candidate recommendation forms were sent to accreditedscientists and technologists in Japan and overseas fornominations of candidates for the Second Japan Prize(1986), which will be awarded in April 1986.
The following two scientific and technology fields
were deemed as eligible for the second Japan Prize:

Announcements
Japan Prize Commemorative Publication
to Be Issued
In commemoration of the First Japan Prize Award ing Ceremony, a publication including the achievements of the prize laureates is now in the planningstage.

1. Materials Technology

This includes the complete scope of materials scienceand engineering of metallic or other organic or
inorganic materials for structural or_nonstructural
applications.
2. Medical Technology
This includes the development of precision medical
instruments for diagnosis and therapy using highly
advanced technology, the study of biological phenomena in medical science based on technologicalprinciples, and the application of gene technology
for the establishment of biological methods ofdiagnosis and treatment in the medical field.
Candidates for the Japan Prize are limited to living
persons. There are no restrictions as to nationality,
profession or sex, but self-recommendation is not
acceptable. As a rule, recent advanced achievements
in science and technology fall within the scope of thePrize but other achievements will be considered as
eligible if the importance of these achievements has
been recently reevaluated.
In consideration of. mail delivery differences bycountries, all letters of recommendation postmarked
up to and including June 30 were accepted as valid forthe second Japan Prize. This deadline will also be
applied to subsequent annual recommendations.
Candidate recommendation forms were sent to 72
countries and recommendations were received from28 countries.
Number of letters of recommendation received byfield of endeavor. Figures in parentheses are thenumber of nominees, some of whom received several
recommendations.
Materials Technology 194 (133)
209 (143)
Medical Technology
403 (276)
Total
The Second Japan Prize Examination Committee
was formed in July of this year with Masao Yoshiki
being reelected as chairman. The selection of the twolaureates of the Prize is expected to be finalized by theend of January 1986.
Although the acceptance of the second Japan Prizecandidate recommendations has already been closed,
those who wish to obtain the recommendation form
for the third Japan Prize and thereafter, are kindly
requested to write to the Foundation, providing them5

Autobiographies of Dr. Pierce and
Dr. Katchalski-KatzirWith the aim of making the Japan Prize moremeaningful and significant, autobiographies of
Dr. J. Pierce and Dr. E. Katchalski-Katzir, thelaureates of the first Japan Prize, will be published.
This proposal was initially suggested by Tsuguaki
Kawamura, managing director of The Science andTechnology Foundation of Japan, during theoccasion of the farewell reception, given in honorof the two laureates, by the Foundation.
The suggestion was approved by Dr. Pierce and
Dr. Katchalski and others attending the commemorative function. All copies for the book are to bedelivered to the Foundation, where the material
will be translated into Japanese. It is scheduled tobe completed in about March 1986. The book will
be of B-5 format (257mm X 364mm) and will number
about 200 pages.
Official Record of First Japan Prize
Official records of all functions pertaining to thefirst Japan Prize, from its establishment to theJapan Prize Week, are being compiled in both
Japanese and English . The record will cover such
events as the Japan Prize Awarding Ceremony,the commemorative lecture meetings by the twolaureates, and other pertinent activities, with anumber of photographs.
The record book will be issued free of charge.
Those desiring the book are requested to write to
the Foundation, enclosing postal charges (domestic¥700 and overseas sea-mail ¥770).
VTR for ''The Japan Prize 1985" Produced
A twenty-minute video tape which records every
event of 'The First Japan Prize Week" has been
completed. It covers the outline on the establishment of the Prize, the selection of laureates, theirvisits to Japan, the First Awarding Ceremony and
Banquet, their commemorative lectures and visit
to Tsukuba Expo '85.
Two types of tapes (three copies in VHS; two, inBeta) are available for short-term loans free ofcharge to qualified individuals or organizations. If
you desire to borrow a copy, please contact theFoundation.

JAPAN PRIZEa la carte
Nobel Prize and Japan-Science for Peace

Careful Nurturing of Japan's International
Prize

By Stig Ramel
Executive Director of Nobel Foundation

Editorial from February 17, 1985 issue
Mainichi Shimbun

The establishment of the Nobel Prize coincides intime with the beginning of modern Japan. At the time
when the inventions by Alfred Nobel were playing adecisive role in the development of the modern
industrial society, Japan was just greeting the Meiji
Restoration which played a decisive role in theinternationalization of Japan.
But as Nobel himself clearly realized, his great
inventions bore the seeds of self-destruction-thatscience and technology could be used as tools of war if
so desired . Seeing the clouds of war gathering in thehorizon in his final years of life, he ardently hopedthat his inventions would be employed for peace. It
was this cherished hope that gave birth to the Nobel
Peace Prize.
No country has experienced as Japan has the horrorsof a scientific war. Perhaps, that is also why Nobel'sidea of science for the benefit of mankind has met withsuch enthusiastic responses in Japan.
Nobel wanted his prizes in the sciences to go tothose who had made the most brilliant discoveries.
It is notable that this will to achieve excellence isprofoundly characteristic of Japan. If there is one
thing that characterizes the culture of this ancient
nation, it is that very striving to achieve the exquisite,
the refined, the best; the striving for excellence. It is
this indefatigable will that is the driving force in theJapan of today - and that has enabled this country,
to an ever increasing degree, to make decisive contributions to the development and advancement of theworld community.
We welcome the establishment of the Japan Prize.
We regard The Science and Technology Foundation ofJapan, not only as one of the great prize-awarding
foundations of the world, but also as friends andallies in the task of furthering and stimulating theadvancement of science and technology for the benefitof mankind.
I am pleased and proud to be here today to represent
the Nobel Foundation on this historic occasion of thefirst awarding of the Japan Prize. Our heartfelt congratulations to the first recipients, Dr. Pierce and
Dr. Katchalski.

The recipients of the first Japan Prize, an award
which is hoped to become eventually as meaningful as
the Nobel Prize, were announced on February 15th.
The Japan Prize is presented to persons who have beenrecognized for having presented original and progressive work in the advancement of science and technology, resulting in substantial contributions towards
peace and prosperity of mankind. The cash prize of¥50 million for the recipients is slightly more thanthe Nobel Prize's ¥48 million.
The Science and Technology Foundation of Japan,
sponsor of the award, established the Japan Prize
with funds donated by Konosuke Matsushita andMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. The award is
the outcome of the desire on the part of Japan to serve
the international society, even so slightly, and is withthe support and cooperation of the Japanese Government with Cabinet endorsement.
To praise and reward outstanding research achievements serves as a driving force in the advancementof science and technology. In this respect, the Nobel
Prize has played a vital role. There have been and willcontinue to be many persons who become geniuses
through their devotion to study with the Nobel Prizeas the ultimate goal. The admiration and respect paid
to the laureate also serve as a strong stimulant.
But in the field of natural science, the Nobel Prize islimited to only the three areas of physics, chemicals
and medicine, while there are many areas of study
related to engineering which are outside the scope of
the Nobel Prize. It would be very significant andmeaningful indeed should the new prize supplement
and make complete the Nobel Prize.
Japan has come to be ranked among the high technology countries of the world, manufacturing
technology in particular, an area in which she has
become highly successful. This has given rise among
European and American nations an image of a "nation
which attaches more importance to pragmatic researchrather than on basic research" and a "nation which
lays stress on the research of profitability. "Having gained such a flourishing economy, there isa need for Japan to efface her image of "technologicalegoism." In order to do so, she must foster the roleof becoming more involved in nonprofitable international activities. The establishment of the Japan
Prize can be evaluated as being one such activity.
According to the Nobel Foundation Executive
Director Stig Ramel, the four primary factors making
the Nobel Prize an authoritative one are: 1. thelargeness of its cash prize, 2. its international characteristics, 3. the awarding nation is a neutral and small
country, and 4. the large number of and the fairnessof the examination committee.
The Japan Prize satisfies the first two conditions.
The most important factor probably is the fourthfactor. Of course it is most desirable that the recipients
be of top level in his or her field of endeavor. Fortunately, the two recipients of the first Japan Prize are
top-class researchers.
·(Summary of the speech at the 1st Awarding Ceremony,
April, 1985)

Executive Director S. Ramel of the Nobel Foundationdelivered a congratulatory address at the Awarding
Ceremony.

6

JAPAN PRIZEa la carte
John R. Pierce, guest honorary professor at Stanford
University of the U.S. who won the Japan Prize in thefield of "Information and Communication," wasrecognized for his outstanding work in the theroy anddesign of microwave and satellite communications,and others. In the "Biotechnology" field, Ephraim
Katchalski-Katzir, professor at Tel Aviv University,
Israel, was awarded the Japan Prize for the development of the bioreactor and bioanalyzer which are
indispensable in the study of biotechnology.
As the second and third Japan Prizes are awarded
year by year, the Japan Prize will gain further authority
and distinction. For this, it is necessary that thegreatest care is exercised at the examination stage of
nominees, and that the opinions and advice of overseas
experts are sought and, at times, even those of theNobel Foundation. The fact that only a handful offoreign correspondents were present at the announcement of the Japan Prize winners shows the lack ofpublicity activities on the part of the Science andTechnology Foundation of Japan. This will probably
remain as a subject for further study.
We hope that the seed sown in the field of scienceand technology by Japan will grow tall, sturdy andstraight.

Busy with "Japan Prize" Work Hoping forWorld Peace
By Kisaburo Yokota, item from May 14, 1985 issue
Yomiuri Shimbun
There is a Japanese expression "Bochu kan ari,"
which means that even the busiest man can enjoy
intervals of leisure. In contrast to this perhaps one
can also say "Kanchu bo ari?" which can be translated
as a man of leisure may be deluged with work. Thisphrase has not been used before, yet, I think it is permissible to apply such a phrase in the case a man
retired from active life who is suddenly called upon toundertake a task which requires weeks and weeks oftoil and hardship, as well as much worry and anxiety.
For nearly the past twenty years, I have beenleading a life of restful retirement, free of worldly
cares. When I retired as Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court at the age of seventy, I thought that from now
on I could lead a life of ease and I was determined torefuse all work requiring responsibility. (portion omitted)
But that was not to be. From the end of last year
through this spring, I was tremendously busy. In
particular, I was extremely busy for about ten daysaround April 20 and was completely exhausted.
This was because of the Japan Prize. A supplementary prize of ¥50 million was to be awarded toeach of two persons selected for the Prize, bestowed
on those who have accomplished outstanding work in
the field of science and technology. This amount was
about the same as that for the Nobel prize.
This award is based on the monetary donation
made by Mr. Konosuke Matsushita. It was becauseof this that The Science and Technology Foundationof Japan was established and I was named its chairman.
As a man who had been leading an easy life for the
past ten years and more, I was reluctant to accept theposition, but due to strong persuasion and the belief
that the Japan Prize would eventually contribute to7

Dr. K. Yokota (center),with the laureates at
the Official Residence of
the Prime Minister.
world peace, I agreed.
The advancement of science and technology contributes to the prosperity and welfare of mankind.
Should the prosperity and welfare of mankind advance,
it is only natural that world stability and peace canbe attained.
As a young man, I studied international law, andworld peace had been my lifelong dream. And in the
belief that the Prize would help bring peace, I accepted
the post.
Another reason why I accepted the post of chairmanof the Foundation was that the award was named"Japan Prize" and not "Matsushita Prize." This kindof prize is often named after the donor such as "Mr.
so and so Prize." Mr. Matsushita deliberately avoided
this. As a result, Japan Prize became an award founded
purely for the advancement of science and technology
and one that would contribute to world peace.
The mission of The Science and Technology Foundation of Japan and my hope are that the Japan Prizein time would become equal to the authority andprestige of the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize, ofcourse, has a history close to one century while theJapan Prize is still in its infancy. But if the achievementsin the field of science and technology of the world
are properly grasped and the nominees are selected in
all fairness, hopefully the Japan Prize eventually will
be called the Nobel Prize of the East and will be recognized by the world as such.
Thus, it was because of the Japan Prize, particularly
the job of selecting the winners and planning theawarding ceremony, that I had been busy since theend of last year.
Having led a life of ease for so long, the work wasso hard that I became utterly exhausted. But thanks
to the warm backing and cooperation given to me bypeople in and out of the government, the Japan Prizeawarding ceremony and the week of events that
followed were accomplished with great success.
What gave the prize awarding ceremony and thebanquet that followed more delight and meaning was
the presence of Crown Prince Akihito and Crown
Princess Michiko and the short address made by the
Crown Prince. This added high honor and solemnity
to the Japan Prize. Another was the presence of therepresentatives of the Nobel Foundation at the events.
Nobel Foundation Executive Director Stig Rameland Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences SecretaryGeneral Tord Ganelius came all the way from faraway
Sweden to attend the event, bringing warm words ofcongratulation. In a way, this means that the Nobel
Prize and Japan Prize have tied the knot of deepfriendship and cooperation.
About Kisaburo Yokota
Chairman of the Science and Technology Foundation ofJapan, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University, former Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court .

JAPAN PRIZE

Objectives & Activities of The Science & Technology Foundation of Japan

Contributing to the International Advancementof Science and Technology
The Science and Technology Foundation of Japanwas formally established on May 5, 1983 with theprimary objectives of promoting public awareness andenlightenment with regard to the contributions being
made by science and technology to advance thecommon goal of all people in the world-prosperity
and peace for mankind . It was founded with theunstinted support of the Prime Minister (Prime
Minister's Office, The Science and Technology
Agency), and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs andEducation .
The Foundation's main activities are:1. Survey the achievements of scientists and engineers,both domestic and foreign, who have made outstanding contributions to the progress of scienceand technology.
2. Hold symposiums of lectures inviting distinguishedJapanese and foreign scientists.
3. Publish pamphlets and collections of monographs.
4. Present an international award called the "Japan
Prize" to those who have made remarkable achievements in the fields of science and technology.
5. Maintain close contacts with related Japanese andforeign scientific and technological organs andorganizations.

I Fostering of the Japan Prize Desired I
The forerunner of the Foundation was the Japan
Prize Preparations Committee formed on November 1,
1982 with the approval of the Prime Minister of Japan.
Consequently, the primary task of the Foundation
was to foster the Japan Prize as an outstanding international prize which merits the interest and the supportof people throughout the world.
In relation to the establishment of the Japan Prize,
the Japanese Government gave the following Cabinet
Endorsement on October 28, 1983:"It is the view of the Japanese Government thatthe 'Japan Prize,' to be bestowed by The Science andTechnology Foundation of Japan, will serve to deepen
understanding of the role played by science andtechnology in furthering world peace and prosperity,
thereby making a vital contribution to the positive
development of mankind. Based on this judgment,
concerned government agencies will offer whatevercooperation necessary in all phases of this prize."
Konosuke Matsushita, executive adviser of
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., is president of

Shisei Kaikan, where the Main Office of the Foundation is located.
The Science and Technology Foundation of Japan
which he has worked so hard to establish. The
Foundation is run by the Board of Directors, chaired
by Kisaburo Yokota, former Chief Justice of theSupreme Court, with the assistance of other membersof the Board, who are representative figures in theirrespected fields of endeavor. The Foundation is also
supported by the Advisory Council, Japan Prize
Examination Committee and others.
The First Japan Prize Awarding Ceremony was heldin April this year at the National Theater with T.I.H.
Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko,and other foreign and Japanese dignitaries attending.
It is the hope of the Foundation to foster the Japan
Prize into becoming a significant and truly international award, a prize in which Japan can take pride in.

Editor's Notes:
We are forwarding you the initial issue of our "Japan
Prize News." Our desire has been, ever since the formation of the Foundation, to publish a newsletter inorder to foster and maintain close communications
with our numerous correspondents. We are pleased
that this desire has been realized within the same
year that the First Japan Prize Awarding Ceremony
was held.
Thanks to the heartwarming cooperation of all
persons concerned, the Japan Prize has taken its
first steps most auspiciously. Hereafter, we hope tomove steadily and actively towards wider understanding of our objectives. Your frank opinions andhelpful comments about our newsletter will be warmly
appreciated.

The Science and Technology Foundation of Japan (JSTF)
Shisei-Kaikan. 1-3, Hibiya-Koen Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100 Japan Tel. 03-508-7691