Asian Party is a social gathering bringing together all thepeople, things, and information of Asia, under the concept ofCreate with Asia.
This year the three main events̶the Fukuoka Prize, theFocus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival, and the
Fukuoka Asian Party̶highlighted the festivities, with a totalof 20 events supported by private companies, organizations,and some 570,000 participants.

Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival

Fukuoka Asian Party

Academic Prize
Ramachandra GUHA(India)
Grand Prize
Thant Myint-U(Myanmar)Sep. 18 - Sep. 25, 2015

Fri, Oct. 9 - Sun. Oct. 11, 2015

Arts and Culture Prize
Minh Hanh(Vietnam)Related events

Sep. - Oct., 2015

FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015
Issued by Fukuoka City Secretariat of the Fukuoka Prize Committee
c/o International Aﬀairs Dept., Fukuoka City
8-1, Tenjin 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-8620 Japan
Tel: +81-92-711-4930 Fax: +81-92-735-4130
e-mail: acprize@gol.com http://fukuoka-prize.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FukuokaPrize

Create with Asia. Think about Asia.

ReportOrganized by: Fukuoka City/ Fukuoka City International Foundation
Supported by: Ministry of Foreign Aﬀairs of Japan/ Agency for Cultural Aﬀairs, Goverment of Japan.

Fukuoka Prize Laureates

Special Commemorative Prize

Grand Prize

Academic Prize*Numeral indicates which ceremony year the prize was awarded.

Arts and Culture Prize

Japan

1 KUROSAWA Akira (Film Director)
1 YANO Toru (Social Scientist, Scholar of Asian Studies)
2 NAKANE Chie (Social Anthropologist)
3 TAKEUCHI Minoru (Scholar of Chinese Studies)
4 KAWAKITA Jiro (Scholar of Ethnogeography)
5 ISHII Yoneo (Scholar of Southeast Asian Studies)
6 KARASHIMA Noboru (Historian)
7 ETO Shinkichi (Scholar of International Relations)
8 HIGUCHI Takayasu (Archaeologist)
9 UEDA Masaaki (Historian)
10 OBAYASHI Taryo (Ethnologist)
12 HAYAMI Yujiro (Economist)

Mongolia

4 NAMJILYN Norovbanzad (Vocalist)
17 Shagdaryn BIRA (Historian)

China

Nepal

1 BA Jin (Writer)
4 FEI Xiaotong (Sociologist, Anthropologist)
7 WANG Zhongshu (Archaeologist)

15 Ram Dayal RAKESH (Scholar of Folk Culture Studies)

13 ZHANG Yimou (Film Director)
14 XU Bing (Artist)
15 LI Yining (Economist)
17 MO Yan (Writer)
20 CAI Guo-Qiang (Contemporary Artist)

Pakistan

7 Nusrat Fateh Ali KHAN (Qawwali Singer)
17 Uxi MUFTI (Culture Expert)

India

2 Ravi SHANKAR (Sitar Player)
5 Padma SUBRAHMANYAM (Traditional Dancer)
8 Romila THAPAR (Historian)
15 Amjad Ali KHAN (Sarod Maestro)
18 Ashis NANDY (Social and Cultural Critic)
20 Partha CHATTERJEE (Scholar of Political Science, History)
23 Vandana SHIVA (Environmental Philosopher and Activist )24 Nalini MALANI (Artist )26 Ramachandra GUHA (Historian and Sociologist)

FukuokaHong Kong

19 Ann HUI (Film Director)
25 Danny YUNG (Cultural Worker)

Bhutan16 Tashi Norbu (Traditional Musician)Taiwan10 HOU Hsiao Hsien (Film Director)
18 JU Ming (Sculptor)

MyanmarThant Myint-U
Grand Prize 2015
laureate(Historian)11(Librarian)16
26 Thant Myint-U (Historian)

Republic of Korea
Laos

16 Douangdeuane BOUNYAVONG (Textile Researcher)
Vietnam

7 PHAN Huy Le (Historian)
26 Minh Hanh (Fashion Designer)

Sri Lanka

Ramachandra GUHA
Academic Prize2015
laureate

Outside of Asia

)

U.K.

1 Joseph NEEDHAM (Scholar of Chinese Science History)

Ireland

11 Benedict ANDERSON (Scholar of Politics)

Franceof Asian
Studies)of Cultural
Geography
20 Augustin BERQUE (Scholar(Scholar

Germany

22 Niels GUTSCHOW (Architectural Historian)Australia))

5 WANG Gungwu (Historian)
13 Anthony REID (Historian)
24 Tessa MORRIS-SUZUKI (Scholar of Asian Studies)

U.S.A.

2 Donald KEENE (Scholar of Japanese Literature & Culture(Anthropologist
3(VideoArtist)6 Nam June PAIK
9 Stanley J. TAMBIAH (Anthropologist)
21 James C. SCOTT (Political Scientist, Anthropologist)
25 Ezra F. VOGEL (Sociologist)

01 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

14 HOKAMA Shuzen (Scholar of Okinawan Studies)
17 HAMASHITA Takeshi (Historian)
20 MIKI Minoru (Composer)
21 MORI Kazuko (Scholar of Contemporary Chinese Studies)
24 NAKAMURA Tetsu (Medical Doctor)

13 Kingsley M. DE SILVA (Historian)
15 Roland SILVA (Conservator)
19 Savitri GOONESEKERE (Jurist)

Cambodia

8 CHHENG Phon (Dramatist, Artist)
22 ANG Choulean (Ethnologist, Scholar of Khmer Studies)

Bangladesh

CONTENTS

12 Muhammad YUNUS (Economist)
19 Farida Parveen (Singer)

Thailand1 Kukrit PRAMOJ (Writer, Statesman)
5 M. C. Subhadradis DISKUL (Archaeologist, Art Historian)
10 Nidhi EOSEEWONG (Historian)(Painter)
12
18 Srisakra VALLIBHOTAMA (Anthropologist, Archaeologist)
23 Charnvit KASETSIRI (Historian)
24 Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL (Filmmaker, Artist）

Indonesia(Historian, Social Scientist)
2
6 KOENT JARANINGRAT (Anthropologist)
9 R. M. Soedarsono (Dancer, Scholar of Dance)
11 Pramoedya Ananta TOER (Writer)
23 G.R.Ay. Koes Murtiyah Paku Buwono (Court Dancer)

25 Azyumardi AZRA (Historian)

Minh Hanh
Arts and Culture Prize2015 laureate

3 KIM Won-yong (Archaeologist)
6 HAHN Ki-un (Scholar of Education)
8 IM Kwon-taek (Film Director)
9 LEE Ki-Moon (Linguist)
16 IM Dong-kwon (Folklorist)
18 KIM Duk-soo (Traditional Performing Artist)
21 HWANG Byung-ki (Musician)
22 CHO Dong-il (Scholar of Literature)

Philippines

3 Leandro V. LOCSIN (Architect)
12 Marilou DIAZ-ABAYA (Film Director)
14 Reynaldo C. ILETO (Historian)
23 Kidlat Tahimik (Film Maker)

Fukuoka Prize Laureates

01・02

What is the Fukuoka Prize?

03・04

Laureates of the Fukuoka Prize 2015
Thant Myint-U

05

Ramachandra GUHA

06

Minh Hanh

07

Award Ceremony
Malaysia

4
11
13
19

Ungku A. AZIZ (Economist)
Hamzah Awang Amat (Shadow Play Master)Lat (Cartoonist)Shamsul A. B. (Social Anthropologist)

Singapore

10 TANG Da Wu (Visual Artist)
14 Dick LEE (Singer-Songwriter)
21 ONG Keng Sen (Theatre Director)

Exchange Activities

08〜12

Thant Myint-U

13

Ramachandra GUHA

14

Minh Hanh

15

Collaborative Projects with the Japan
16
Foundation Asia Center
Press Conference and Public
Relations Activities

17〜18

Laureates of the Fukuoka Prize

18〜22

FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 02

What is the Fukuoka Prize?
Background of the Fukuoka Prize
Asia is home to a diversity of ethnic groups, languages,
and cultures, which coexist with each other and dependon each other. These diverse cultures have served not
only as guardians of the priceless legacy of our long
history and tradition, but also as sources of inspiration.
However, in the current era of globalization, there isa danger that Asian cultures may lose their distinctive
features due to the encroaching standardization ofculture. It is therefore vital to preserve, develop, andpromote the harmonious coexistence of the diverse
Asian cultures.
As Japan's cultural gateway, Fukuoka City has since
antiquity played a significant role in promoting
exchanges with other regions of Asia. This history, anda determination to promote and understand the distinctive
cultures of Asia, and to further peace, inspired theinauguration of the Fukuoka Prize (formerly known as

1. Objective

the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize) in 1990 throughcollaboration between academia, businesses, and thecity authorities. Since then, there have been many prize
recipients from almost every region of Asia.
Since cultural exchange looks to the future, it is notenough merely to preserve cultures with long histories
and ancient traditions. New things emerge from the
midst of change: it is necessary to observe them, respectthem, learn from them, and build upon them. This is
the aspiration of Fukuoka City and its citizens, as we
strive to become a center for cultural exchange in Asia.
The Fukuoka Prize will continue to be a means ofshowing respect to those who have made outstanding
contributions to academia, arts, and culture in Asia. We
intend, together with the people of Fukuoka, to advertiseto the world through our city, the diversity and thedistinctiveness of Asian culture.

or groups/ organizations in preserving and creating the unique and diverse cultures ofTimeline of the Fukuoka Prize 2015
J u l . 2013
Feb. 2015
Mar. 2015
May. 2015
Jun. 2015
Jul.‒Aug. 2015
Sep. 2015

Fukuoka Prize Committee
Special Adviser AOYAGI Masanori Commissioner for Culture Affairs,Government of Japan
Director-General for Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of JapanSHIMMI Jun〃
Governor, Fukuoka Prefecture
OGAWA Hiroshi〃
Honorary Chair TAKASHIMA Soichiro Mayor, Fukuoka City
Chair, Fukuoka City International Foundation
ISOYAMA Seiji
Chair
President, Kyushu University
KUBO Chiharu
Vice Chair
Chairperson, Fukuoka City Council
OBATA Hisaya〃
SADAKARI Atsuhito Deputy Mayor, Fukuoka City〃TANIGAWA Hiromichi President, Social Welfare Council, Fukuoka City
Auditor
Chief Executive, Accounting Management, Fukuoka City
KIYOHARA Hideaki〃
ARAMAKI Tomoyuki Executive Vice President, Kyushu Electric Power Co. Inc.
MemberVice Chairperson, Fukuoka City Council
ISHIDA Masaaki〃
President, The Japanese Red Cross Kyushu
URATA Kikuko〃

to establish a framework within which Asians can learn from, and share with, each other.

〃
〃
〃
〃

1. Prize Categories
Grand Prize

Academic Prize

Prize money: 5,000,000 yen

To be presented to individual/group who
has made outstanding contributions to thepreservation and creation of Asian culture
and have exhibited the significance of Asian
culture to the world through the internationality, universality, popularity and/or
creativity of their work.
*The Grand Prize will be selected by the Fukuoka
Prize Jury from among all the candidates nominatedfor Academic Prize and Arts and Culture Prize.

Prize money: 3,000,000 yen

To be presented to individual/group thathas made outstanding achievements in thefield of Asian studies, contributing to theworld's understanding of Asia. It covers thefields of social sciences, such as history,archaeology, cultural anthropology, economics, and political science.

Arts and Culture Prize

Fukuoka City International Foundation

Fukuoka City, Fukuoka City International Foundation ※Sponsors

Executive Director & General Manager of Fukuoka,
Seibu Head Office,The Mainichi Newspapers, Co., Ltd.
KISHIMOTO Yoshio Director-General, Kyushu Bureau of Economy,
Trade and Industry

Fukuoka City

Chair

KUBO Chiharu

President, Kyushu University
Vice Chair, Fukuoka Prize Committee

Deputy Mayor, Fukuoka City
Vice Chair, Fukuoka Prize Committee

Member ISHIZAKA Kenji

Nominators(education and research institutions,arts and culture organizations,andnews media,both in japan and abroad)

Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)〃〃KUBOTA Isao
Chairman, The Nishi-Nippon City Bank, Ltd.
TAKESHIMA Kazuyuki Chairman and Representative Director, Nishi-Nippon〃〃

TAKEDA Kozo
TADA Akishige

〃
〃
〃
〃
〃
〃
〃
〃
〃
〃

Railroad Co., Ltd.
Director, Kyushu District Transport Bureau
Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Fukuoka
Culture Federation
TANAKA Shinsuke Chairman, The First Committee, Fukuoka City Council
TANAKA Yuji
Chairman and Representative Director, Saibu Gas Co., Ltd.
NAKAI Ippei
President, West Japan Head Office, The Yomiuri Shimbun
HIRAOKA Kei
Senior Managing Officer, Seibu Main Office (Fukuoka), Nikkei Inc.
FUJINAGA Kenichi Chairman and Representative Director, Kyudenko Corporation
MACHIDA Tomoko Board Director & Representative of Seibu Head Office, The Asahi
Shimbun Company

YAOSAKA Osamu Chairman, Fukuoka City Board of Education
YAMAGUCHI Masatoshi President, Fukuoka University
YAMAMOTO Iwao
President, Kyushu Sangyo University
Karen June SCHAFFNER President, Seinan Gakuin University

Professor, Center for Southeast AsianStudies, Kyoto University
Chair, Academic Prize Selection Committee

Member TSUKA Hiroko
Exective Vice President, The JapanFoundation

Member TSUCHIYA Naonori
Chairman and Representative Director,
SEIKO ELECTRIC Co., Ltd.

Arts and Culture Prize
Selection Committee

SHIMIZU Hiromu

Chair

TAKENAKA Chiharu

Vice
Chair

Professor, Center for Southeast AsianStudies, Kyoto University
Member, Fukuoka Prize Jury

Vice
Chair

Professor, Japan Institute of the Moving Image
Programming Director, Tokyo International Film
Festival
Vice Chair, Arts and Culture Prize Selection
Committee
MemberProfessor, College of Law and Politics,
Rikkyo University
Vice Chair, Academic Prize Selection
Committee

Arts and Culture Prize
Selection Committee

Chair

SADAKARI Atsuhito

Member TAKENAKA Chiharu

Fukuoka Prize Jury

Member SATO Yasunori
Vice President, NPO Fukuoka Recreation Association〃
SHIBATO Takashige President, The Bank of Fukuoka Ltd.
〃SHIROMOTO Masaru Director, Fukuoka Broadcasting Station, Japan

Academic Prize
Selection Committee

Fukuoka Prize Jury

Member SHIMIZU Hiromu

Fukuoka Prize Committee

Academic Prize
Selection Committee

International College of Nursing
Vice Governor, Fukuoka Prefecture
Chairman, Kyushu Railway Company
President, The Nishinippon Shimbun Co., Ltd.

As of December 2015

Fukuoka Prize 2015: Jury and Selection Committees

Vice
Chair

Administration

Selection〃

OMAGARI Akie
KARAIKE Koji
KAWASAKI Takao
KISHIMOTO Takuya

Prize money: 3,000,000 yen

To be presented to individual/group thathas made outstanding contributions in thecultivation and/or advancement of theunique and diverse arts and culture of Asia.
It covers the fields such as fine arts, literature,music, drama, dance, film, architecture,
traditional and ethnic culture.

3. Geographical Scope East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia
4. Organizing Bodies

Request approximately 7,700 nominators in 54 countries and regions to make recommendations
Selection process of the 251 nominees from 30 countries and regions at Academic Prize Selection
Committee (Feb. 10) and Arts and Culture Prize Selection Committee (Feb. 5)
Review by Fukuoka Prize Jury (Mar. 4)
Jury and Selection Joint Committees (May. 10)
Fukuoka Prize Committee approves 3 laureates (Jun. 19)
Press conference in Vietnam (Hanoi, Jul. 7), India (New Delhi, Jul. 24), and Myanmar (Yangon, Aug. 9)
Award Ceremony (Sep. 17), School Visit (Sep. 18‒19), Public Lecture (Sep. 19‒20), collaborative events withJapan Foundation Asia Center (Sep. 19)

Professor, College of Law and Politics,
Rikkyo University
Member, Fukuoka Prize JuryAMAKO Satoshi

Professor, Graduate School of Asia-Paciﬁc
Studies, Waseda University

Member KIMIYA Tadashi

Professor, Graduate School of Arts andSciences, University of Tokyo

Member KONO Toshiyuki

Professor, Graduate School of Law, Kyushu
University

FUJIHARA Keiyo

Professor, Graduate School of Design,
Kyushu University
Member, Fukuoka Prize Jury

ISHIZAKA Kenji

Professor, Japan Institute of the Moving Image
Programming Director, Tokyo International Film
Festival
Member, Fukuoka Prize Jury

Member USHIROSHOJI Masahiro

Professor, Graduate School of Humanities,
Kyushu University

Member UCHINO Tadashi

Professor, Graduate School of Arts andSciences, University of Tokyo

Member UDO Seiji

Professor Emeritus, Tokyo University ofForeign Studies

Member SHIMIZU Kazushi

Member KAWAMURA Minato

Member NITTA Eiji

Member KONISHI Masatoshi

Member WAKIMURA Kohei

Member TERAUCHI Naoko

Professor, Faculty of Economics, Kyushu
University

Professor Emeritus, Kagoshima University

Professor, Faculty of International
Communication, Hosei University

Professor Emeritus, Rikkyo University

Member FUJIHARA Keiyo※Fukuoka City International Foundation was established to commemorate the success of the Asian-Paciﬁc Exposition ‒ Fukuoka 89.

By promoting international exchange that recognizes the history, culture and other attributes of Fukuoka, the foundation aims tobuild a multicultural, diverse and inclusive society; thereby contributing to regional development and international peace.

Professor, Graduate School of Design,
Kyushu University
Chair, Arts and Culture Prize Selection
Committee

Professor, Graduate School of Economics,
Osaka City University

Professor, Graduate School ofIntercultural Studies, Kobe University
As of September 2015

Grand Prize 2015

Academic Prize 2015

Thant Myint-U

Ramachandra GUHA

Myanmar／Historian

India／Historian and Sociologist●BIOGRAPHY
1966
1987
1991
1992-1993
1994-1995
1995-1996
1996
1996-1999
2000-2002
2002-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2008-2010
201020112012-

2013
2014

Born in New York City, U.S.A
B.A. (Government and Economics), Harvard University
M.A. (International Relations and International Economics), Johns Hopkins School of
Advanced International Studies
Assistant to the Director of the Human Rights Component, United Nations Transitional
Authority in Cambodia, Phnom Penh
Chief Spokesman, Bosnia-Herzegovina Command, United Nations Protection Force, Sarajevo
Political Oﬃcer, Oﬃce of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations
Mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Sarajevo
Ph.D. (Modern History), University of Cambridge
Fellow, Trinity College Cambridge, University of Cambridge Faculty of History
Policy Advisor, Oﬃce for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aﬀairs, United Nations, New York
Chief of Policy Planning, Department of Political Aﬀairs, United Nations, New York (Deputy
Chief to 2003).
Senior Political Oﬃcer, Executive Oﬃce of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, New York.
Visiting Senior Fellow, the International Peace Academy
Senior advisor to the Conﬂict Prevention and Peace Forum on Asia related issues
Visiting Senior Fellow, Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore
Member of the Fund Board of the Myanmar Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT)
Senior Research Fellow, Myanmar Development Resource Institute
Chairman, Yangon Heritage Trust
Senior Advisor, Myanmar Peace Centre
Member, (Myanmar) National Economic and Social Advisory Council
Vice Chairman, World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on South-East Asia
Foreign Policy s 100 Leading Global Thinkers
Prospect s 50 World Thinkers
Honored Asia Paciﬁc Award Special Prize (sponsored by the Asian Aﬀairs Research Council
and Mainichi Newspapers) (Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia)●MAJOR PUBLICATIONS◆The Making of Modern Burma,Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.
◆The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma,New York: Farrar Strauss & Giroux; London:Faber & Faber, 2006.
◆Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia,New York: Farrar Strauss & Giroux; London: Faber & Faber, 2011

●AWARD CITATION
Dr. Thant Myint-U, an exceptionally outstanding historian, beautifullyrecords the history of his ancestral homeland, Myanmar (Burma), withanalytical clarity from a global perspective. Based on his own experiences inUnited Nations peace-building operations in Cambodia and the former
Yugoslavia, he is now engaged in eﬀorts, in cooperation with the national
government, to further peace in his own country.
Dr. Thant Myint-U was born in 1966 in New York City. After graduating from
Harvard University, he enrolled at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies, from which he received a Master s Degree inInternational Relations and International Economics. From 1992, he wasinvolved in peace-building activities in Cambodia and Bosnia-Herzegovinawith the United Nations. In 1996, he received his Ph.D. in Modern History
from the University of Cambridge.
In his ﬁrst masterpiece, The Making of Modern Burma (2000), he argues that
Burmese national identity and the framework of Burma as a modern
nation-state came into being from the late 19th century during British colonial rule. His brilliant analysis has provoked much discussion in this ﬁeld. In
his next work, The River of Lost Footsteps (2006), he describes the history of
Burma from multiple angles, tracing the footsteps of various Burmese people,
including those of his own family. His latest work, Where China Meets India:
Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia (2011), reviews the history of Myanmar asa country situated between two rising powers̶China and India̶from theviewpoints of people at the bottom of the social pyramid and those living inremote regions close to international borders. In this book, he uses his own
characteristic dynamism to narrate the history of Myanmar, moving freely
between the past, present, and future. The book has been translated into
Japanese and won the 26th Asia Paciﬁc Award Special Prize (sponsored by
the Asian Aﬀairs Research Council and Mainichi Newspapers) in 2014.
As a historian, Dr. Thant Myint-U has a unique perspective as well as his own
original writing style. Born as a grandson of the third UN Secretary-General,
U Thant, he ﬁrst set foot in his ancestral homeland when he was eight years
old to attend his grandfather s funeral. From then, he has frequently
returned during holidays with his parents. Through this he has been able to05 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015see society and listen to people with his own curious eyes and sensitive ears.
Evoking such simple but unforgettable ﬁrsthand learnings, he writes accessible history, echoing the unknown, unrecorded, but precious experiences ofordinary people.
In 2010, Dr. Thant Myint-U relocated his work base from the United States
to Yangon, Myanmar. In 2012, he established an NGO, the Yangon Heritage
Trust, to preserve priceless historic buildings in the city. He has served theCity of Yangon as an advisor for sustainable urban planning and has also
been appointed a member of the National Economic and Social Advisory
Council for President U Thein Sein and a senior advisor to the Myanmar
Peace Centre. In this capacity, Dr. Thant Myint-U was heavily involved in theprocess of the cease-ﬁre agreement between the national government andvarious ethnic groups in March 2015.
Given the above accomplishments, Dr. Thant Myint-U is not only a distinguished historian, highly appreciated in the academic community, but also agreat public intellectual of Asia and of the world. He has been able to connect
with a wide range of people, including top government oﬃcials, in order totackle the challenges of his society and of the international community. In a
global sense he has gained respect through his Vice Chairmanship of theWorld Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on South-East Asia, andthrough his public lectures such as the one he gave at the United Nations
University in Tokyo, promoting intensive dialogue with young people in 2014.
Myanmar is the focus of Asia today. What sort of future is in store for thepeople of Myanmar? How will they open up their society to the wave ofglobalization? How will they manage future development? After decades ofisolation there are obviously tremendous challenges for them and numerous
tasks to be overcome. At this crucial moment in history, however, Dr. Thant
Myint-U appears as a leading historian and intellectual, narrating the voicesof the people of Myanmar and connecting them with the wider international
community. With his unique and distinguished contribution to Asian andhuman society, Dr. Thant Myint-U is a truly worthy recipient of the Grand
Prize of the Fukuoka Prize.

●BIOGRAPHY
1958
1977
1979
1985
1985-1995
19951997-1998
2004
20042008
2011-20122014

Born in Dehradun, India
B.A. (Economics), University of Delhi
M.A. (Economics), University of Delhi
Ph.D. (Sociology), Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
Academic jobs in India, Europe, and North America
Full-time writer
Indo-American Community Chair Visiting Professor, University of California,
Berkeley
Sundaraja Visiting Professor in the Humanities, Indian Institute of Science
Co-founder and Managing Trustee of the New India Foundation
Arné Naess Chair in Global Justice and the Environment, University of OsloPhillipe Roman Chair in History and International Relations, London School of
Economics
Honorary Doctorate in the Humanities by Yale University●MAJOR PUBLICATIONS◆The Unquiet Woods,Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989.
◆This Fissured Land(co-author),New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1992.
◆India After Gandhi: The History of the World’s Largest Democracy,
UK: Macmillan; U.S.A: Ecco Press / Harper Collins; India: Picador, 2007.
◆Gandhi Before India,UK: Allen Lane; India: Penguin; US: Knopf, 2014.

●AWARD CITATION
Dr. Ramachandra Guha, a leading historian in India, isinternationally well known for having pioneered the newhorizon of environmental history, viewed from the varied
perspectives of the general public. His book, India After Gandhi:
The History of the World’s Largest Democracy, published in 2007,vividly describes the actual state of Indian democracy after
the country s independence. The book, which obtained alarge readership despite its considerable length, solidiﬁed
the author s position as a great historian.
Dr. Guha was born in 1958 in Dehradun, a city located at
the foot of the Himalayas. His father was a researcher at theForest Research Institute in the city. After graduating fromthe University of Delhi with a master s degree in economics,
he enrolled at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta,
from which he received his Ph.D. in sociology. His doctoral
thesis provided a basis for his work that brought him
recognition: The Unquiet Woods, which he published in 1989.
The book describes the public s anti-deforestation movementin the Himalayas, dating back to the British colonial rule inIndia. Incorporating both historical and sociological perspectives, the book attracted attention as a pioneering work in
Indian environmental history. Subsequently, with his excellent co-author, Prof. M. Gadgil, Dr. Guha published This
Fissured Land in 1992 and Ecology and Equity in 1995. Thesebooks invigorated research activities and academic discussions in the ﬁeld of environmental history and environmental
philosophy in India. In Environmentalism, published in 2000,
Dr. Guha describes diverse environmental protection movements around the world and the historical development ofenvironmental philosophy by incorporating viewpoints of thegeneral public in developing countries.
In addition to environmental history, Dr. Guha is a pioneerin the history of various other issues. In particular, his workon the history of cricket illustrates the process in which thesport originated in Britain, the former colonial power, andthen developed into the Indian national sport. In the book,

Dr. Guha vividly portrays people involved in the assimilationof the sport. Readers are likely to ﬁnd various themes
essential to modern Indian history interwoven in the stories
about cricket, themes such as the caste system and the riseof nationalism. In this way, the book is regarded as a masterpiece of Indian social history.
Dr. Guha proved his extraordinary capacity as a historianparticularly when he published India After Gandhi: The History of
the World’ s Largest Democracy. Currently, India attracts global
attention not only because of its rapid economic growth, butalso because of being the world s largest democratic power.
In this regard, Dr. Guha s work presents clues to resolving
a mystery: why has India been able to maintain social orderunder a democratic system despite the wide diversity in the
country in terms of languages, ethnicities, religions, castes,and other social systems. Based on studies of great many
documents and materials, Dr. Guha reviews the modern
history of India, a country with a continental scale, gaining
deep insight into diverse aspects such as politics, economics,
diplomacy, and culture. Moreover, his arguments featureexquisite balance between these aspects. In his coherent
sentences, he presents an extremely clear explanation aboutcomplex Indian history after gaining independence. This
tremendously helps international readers understandmodern Indian history, while at the same time it bestows
high praise on the author.
In today s world, which is becoming increasingly diversiﬁed and chaotic amid advancing globalization, Indian people s experiences in their modern history provide us with
important lessons, as well as a ray of hope for the world s
future. Having served as a storyteller of Indian history, Dr.
Guha is a truly worthy recipient of the Academic Prize of
the Fukuoka Prize.

FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 06

Arts and Culture Prize 2015

Fukuoka Prize 2015

Minh Hanh

AWARD CEREMONY

Vietnam／Fashion Designer●BIOGRAPHY
1961 Born in Pleiku, Vietnam
1983 B.A. (Graphic Design), Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University, Vietnam
1994 Director, Legamex Fashion Center, Vietnam
1997 Awarded the Special Award in Asia Collection, Makuhari, Japan
1998 Deputy Editor, Mot Vietnam Magazine
2000 Director, Vietnam Fashion Design InstituteFounder, Vietnam Collection GranPrix
Senior Advisor and Art Director for Art Programs in Hue Festival and Hue
Traditional Craft Festival
2001 Founder, Vietnam Fashion Week
2006 Conferred the Award of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Member of the Executive Board, Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association
Assigned by the Government as a designer for Vietnam APEC uniform, Vietnam
2014 Founding member, Italy-Vietnam Fashion Council●MAJOR FASHION SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS◆H mong ethnic minority show, BigQ, Berlin, Germany, 1999.
◆Ao dai Collection, the 30 years anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam,
Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan, 2003.
◆Vietnam Day, New York, U.S.A., 2005
◆Hue minority show, Lorient, France, 2011.
◆Ao dai Show, The Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose, U.S.A., 2012.
◆Minority fabric and embroidery, Museo di Roma, Rome,2014.

●AWARD CITATION
Ms. Minh Hanh, a leading fashion designer in Vietnam, produces contemporary fashion design based on her deep insightof the many ethnic cultures in Vietnam. Her works fuse ao dai
and time-honored embroideries and fabrics inherited among
Vietnamese ethnic minorities. At the same time, she organizes
various fashion shows and other cultural events inside andoutside Vietnam. Moreover, she is committed to developing
young designers, apparel markets, and the fashion industry,
thereby signiﬁcantly contributing to the creation of elegant
costumes unique to Asia.
Born in 1961 in Pleiku (central Vietnam), Ms. Minh Hanh
moved to Hue, Da Nang, and Saigon in the vortex of the Vietnam
War. Amid the intensifying warfare, she always found herself
surrounded by colorful costumes of various ethnic minorities.
As a child, she began making dresses for her dolls. When she
was only 11 years old, she sewed her school uniform of ao dai.
After graduating from Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University in
1983, she joined a newspaper company as an illustrator. She
exhibited her exceptional talent in fashion design when she wasengaged in the planning and editing of a fashion newspaper.
Following introduction of the Doi Moi Policy (economic andsocial reforms) in 1986, she became involved in the management of the Legamex Fashion Center, the ﬁrst fashion institutein Vietnam. This experience led her to develop her career in thearea of fashion design. In addition to creative activities, she
worked to establish the Vietnam Fashion Week and Vietnam
Collection GranPrix with the aim of fostering young designers
and developing the fashion market further in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, she has revived traditional Vietnamese craft
industries, such as silk weaving, by adopting their products into
her own works. In her designs, she adopts embroidery and fabrics that have been passed on for generations among ethnic

07 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

■Date and time: 18:20‒20:00, Thursday, Sep. 17■Venue: Fukuoka International Congress Center

Program

First
Part

Introduction of Laureates
Welcome Remarks
TAKASHIMA Soichiro, Mayor of Fukuoka City
Imperial Address
His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino
Juror s Statement
KUBO Chiharu, Chair of the Fukuoka Prize Jury
Presentation of Prize Medals and Certiﬁcates
TAKASHIMA Soichiro, Mayor of Fukuoka City
Congratulatory Message from Representative of Fukuoka Residents

Acceptance Speeches by the Laureates
Interview with the Laureates
Special Collaborative Performance of Indian Ink Artist and Visual Art
Second Rising Dragon - Towards Asian Unity
Part
Performed by Indian Ink Artist Yu-ki Nishimoto
Video Co-Produced by School of Design, Kyushu University
Mont Blanc Pictures Co., Ltd.
anno labo

minorities, while concurrently employing bold and modern
color palettes and design compositions. Rather than simply
inheriting traditional designs, Ms. Minh Hanh produces a wide
variety of her original works by fairly evaluating traditional
Vietnamese costumes and craftworks and relativizing them tothe overwhelming inﬂuence of Western fashion.
In recognition of her outstanding achievements, in 1997 she
was honored with the Special Award in Asia Collection,
Makuhari, Japan, which was the ﬁrst international competition
that she joined. In 2002, she produced a fashion show held at
the royal palace in Hue, which was Vietnam s ﬁrst World
Heritage site inscribed. Currently, she serves as Senior Advisorand Art Director for Art Programs at the Hue Festival and the
Hue Traditional Craft Festival. In 2003, she also organized the
Ao Dai Collection at Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto, Japan on the
30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations
between Japan and Vietnam. In 2006, she received the Awardof Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Government ofFrance. To introduce attractive features of Vietnamese fashion
and culture to the world, she continues to organize many fashion shows in various parts of the world, particularly in Asia,
North America, and Europe. In addition, representing Vietnamesedesigners, she designed cabin attendants uniforms for Vietnam
Airlines, and the costumes for national leaders at the meetingsof the Asia-Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation (APEC), held in Vietnam
in 2006.
While engaged in creative activities that proudly represent
traditional Vietnamese culture with contemporary sensitivities,
Ms. Minh Hanh has also been committed to fostering young
designers. Her contribution to the development of Asian fashion
culture is truly worthy of the honor of the Arts and Culture
Prize of the Fukuoka Prize.
FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 08

Fukuoka Prize 2015 Award Ceremony
The 26th Fukuoka Prize award ceremony
was held in honor of the laureates in thepresence of Their Imperial Highnesses Prince
and Princess Akishino, Fukuoka citizens,
foreign guests and representatives fromvarious ﬁelds. The ceremony began withvideo introductions of the laureates.
The three laureates received tremendous
applause as they walked through the audience seats up to the stage, demonstrating thewarmth of their reception. Mr. TAKASHIMA
Soichiro, Mayor of Fukuoka City, began by
explaining that over one hundred people hadalready been honored with the Fukuoka
Prize. He expressed his resolve to serve the
Asian region as a center for internationalchange through the Asian Party , including
the Fukuoka Prize and other events, under
the concept of Create with Asia.
His Imperial Highness Prince Akishino thencongratulated the laureates on their winningthe prize. His address was followed by thereport on the selection process by Prof.
KUBO Chiharu, Chair of the Fukuoka Prize
Jury and President of Kyushu University.
Mayor TAKASHIMA then presented award
certiﬁcates and medals to the laureates. A
university student oﬀered a congratulatory
message on behalf of the people of Fukuoka
City, after which children from Fukuoka
International School presented the laureateswith bouquets, accompanied by thunderous
applause.
The second part opened with speeches by
the laureates. In response to questions fromcity residents, they presented their thoughts
on Democratization in Myanmar, Diverse
India and Gandhi s Philosophy in theModern Era, and Tradition and Creativity.
The speeches were followed by a collaborative live performance of Indian Ink art by
Yu-ki NISHIMOTO and the Kyushu University School of Design. Brushed ink ﬂew fromthe paper to the screen, spreading to transport the audience into a dynamic and changing space, and serving as a moving conclusion to the ceremony.

Address by His Imperial Highness Prince Akishinoat the Fukuoka Prize 2015 Award Ceremony

Welcome address by Mayor TAKASHIMA

Report on the Selection Process by Prof. KUBO
Chiharu, Chair of the Fukuoka Prize Jury

The laureates ascended to the stage through audience seatingAwarding of the certiﬁcates and medals by Mayor TAKASHIMAGrand Prize presentation to Dr. Thant Myint-U

Congratulatory message from representative of Fukuoka residents

Bouquet presentation

Celebration Banquet

Special performance

Following the award ceremony the celebration banquet was held,
welcoming guests from various countries and interested parties.
Professor KUBO commenced the banquet by explaining that it had
been made possible by the long interchange between Fukuoka andother regions of Asia, and expressing his wish that it would lead toOpening speech by Professor
Kubo, Chair, Fukuoka Prize
Jury

Toast by Consul General
VU Quok Tyne

Speech by Elina Abai KYZY (actress,
Kyrgyz), a guest from the Focus on
Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival

new encounters and new friendships.
Next, VU Quok Tyne, Consul General of the Consulate General of
Vietnam in Fukuoka, presented a toast to congratulate the laureatesand start the banquet in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Collaboration by Indian Ink artist Mr. Yu-ki NISHIMOTO (right), Kyushu University School of
Design students, and local creators

09 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the distinguishedlaureates on this auspicious occasion of The Fukuoka Prize 2015
Award Ceremony.
I am pleased to learn that the total number of Fukuoka Prize
Laureates has exceeded 100 this year, and I am profoundly
impressed by the broad range of these laureates. I wish to express
my sincere respect for the tireless endeavors of all concerned over
the years in earning the prestige of this Prize.
The advancement of globalization in recent years has brought
an increasingly uniform way of thinking and lifestyle. On the other
hand, it has also led to a growing interest in the uniqueness anddiversity of indigenous cultures, and a deeper appreciation of theirimportance.
Under these circumstances, I believe that The Fukuoka Prizehonors those of distinguished achievements in an extremely meaningful cause that respects the distinctive and diverse cultures ofAsia and contributes to their preservation and continuation,
creates new culture, and promotes academic research on Asia.
This year s laureates, like their predecessors, have devoted
deep study to the cultures and societies of Asia, and represent
advances in the understanding of cultural diversity that have also
led to the creation of new culture. This Prize acknowledges, notjust within Asia but throughout the rest of the world, the signiﬁcance of their outstanding achievements, which will contribute todevelopments in the future, and will be shared with society as awhole as a valuable asset of mankind to be handed on to future
generations.
In closing my address, I would like to congratulate the distinguished laureates once again, and I hope that the Fukuoka Prize
will continue to enhance the understanding of Asia and its respective regions, and further promote peace and friendship throughout the international community.
FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 10

Acceptance Speeches●Grand Prize

Myanmar: Isolated for Too Long,
Now Faces New Challenges
Your Imperial Highnesses, Mr.
Mayor, honored guests, ladies
and gentlemen.
I am deeply honored to receive
this year s Grand Prize. This is
my ﬁrst time to visit Fukuoka.
I feel already that Fukuoka is agreen and livable city, dynamic
and modern. I am certain that
Yangon can learn much from thecity planning of Fukuoka.
When I look back on the history of Myanmar, it is clear tome that the nation thrived anddeveloped when it was interconnected to the world, because Myanmar was ever readyto learn new things, and to
adopt them. Myanmar is ﬁnallyescaping decades of isolation,

Thant Myint-U
modernizing rapidly, and changing in many ways. I feel that it isof crucial importance to protect
the traditions, arts, and architecture of Myanmar during this timeof dramatic change.
Where are the strengths ofMyanmar? It is important torealize that they are not in a uniﬁed tradition or culture, but inthe very diversity of our culture.
Many people live in many diﬀerent ways in Myanmar, making
the land rich in diverse ethnicities, cultures, and religions. Thisis a gift, and the people of
Myanmar must meet the challenges of today by overcoming
barriers of prejudice to realize
the full strength of diversity, anddevelop a comprehensive identity
for the 21st century. Only when
we achieve this will our long
period of isolation truly end, andwe will be able to fully utilize theadvantages of our geographic
location at the crossroads ofAsia.
It is an honor to be included in
the distinguished company oflaureates of the Fukuoka Prize.
Thank you.

Interview

Q: Is Myanmar seeking the same
type of democracy as practiced inEurope and America?
A: I don t think there are any
major diﬀerences. In democracy
the citizens elect their leaders,and Myanmar also hopes to electits leaders through free elections.
The people are poor, and they

11 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

Fukuoka Prize 2015 Award Ceremony●Academic Prize

Surpassing Narrow Views to
Become a Moderate Historian
It is a great honor today toreceive the Academic Prize.
Historians must surpass
prejudice and narrowness intheir thinking. In research, it
is crucial to read not only oﬃcial documents issued by thegovernment, but also newspapers, testimonies, social media
comments, and all sorts ofmedia information. Learningfrom the perspectives ofpeople in other ﬁelds of study
is also important. It is essential to see beyond the barriersof patriotism and ideology.
I am an historian of Indian
history, but am committed tolooking at history evenly.
When I study Indonesia, for

Ramachandra GUHA
example, I look at it from theirperspective. The fact thatIndonesian historians haveaccess to an enormous quantity of history books on theJava kingdoms, and the Dutchcolonial era, for example, hada deep impact on me.
The Fukuoka Prize surpasses national boundaries, andrecognizes people who havemade a contribution to all ofAsia. I must express mythanks to my family for having
made it possible for me to receive this prize, and to all
those who assisted me, myprofessors and colleagues atschool, and so many historians.
I also express my appreciation
to Professor SATO Hiroshi, whotranslated my book so ably. It
is the ﬁnest translation of mywork so far, and printed andbound beautifully in outstanding Japanese taste.
The Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu
religious text, warns us not toseek physical rewards for fulﬁlling our personal duty. I do
the work I do because I loveit, and I thank you all very
deeply for this prize.

●Arts and Culture Prize

Studying the Cultures of Many Lands,
Because Culture Will Save the WorldYour Imperial Highnesses,
distinguished guests, I am
deeply honored by being selected to receive the Arts
and Culture Prize, not only
for myself, but also because
I believe it was earned by thewhole of Vietnamese culture.
The Fukuoka Prize is a
respected award with a long
history. I must express myappreciation to all those whohave strengthened and continued the prize for so long,including Fukuoka City, theFukuoka Prize Committee,
and the people of Japan.

Q: How is Gandhi s philosophy carriedon in modern Indian society?
A: India has many languages andreligions, and Gandhi encompasses
them all. I think that India is doing agood job of respecting diversity.
Gandhi s achievements have aﬀected
not only India, but citizen rights movements around the world. Leaders like

Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, forexample, were inﬂuenced by his work.
India is blessed to have had him as a
citizen.
Q: How do you achieve unity in sucha diverse nation? Are there directionsof progress?
A: India is successfully respecting
diversity, as evidenced by the fact that
there are 17 languages on our currency. The European Union is facing
similar issues, with many languages
and religions, and I think they canlearn much from India, which successfully met the challenge 50 years ago.

Through your eﬀorts overthese 26 years, you have supported the fundamental development of Asian culture.
I would also like to thank thepeople living in tiny villages
hidden deep in the mountains
using wood looms, weaving. I
believe that this prize is an
important validation of theirculture. I am conﬁdent that
this contribution will open thehearts of people everywhereto new culture, and promoteexchange between the peopleof Vietnam, and the people of
Fukuoka, and Japan.
If the world were ﬂat, I thinkculture would deﬁne a single
ethnic g roup. And if eachnation understood the cultures of other nations, andbrought together all of thepeople of all of the nations
through culture, I think humanity would ﬁnd happiness.
I would like to conclude myspeech with my belief that culture will save the world.
Thank you.

Interview

Interview
look to democracy to improvetheir economic situation.
Q: What role will Myanmar play inthe future of Asia?
A: Myanmar is a weak, poor
nation, and unless we open ourdoors we will lose greatly. Myanmar
has made great strides toward thefuture. If you look at a map you
will see that we are situated at a
crossroads for Asia, and we could
provide an important interface formany nations. I think the next ﬁve
or ten years will be the turning
point.

Minh Hanh

Q: What are the characteristics andmeanings of your unique clothing?
A: The women who weave thiscloth are from ethnic minorities,
living near the border between
Vietnam and Laos. Their inspiration
comes from their hearts, and fromthe trees and ﬂowers of their daily
lives. Their lives are simple, with lifeand death, as shown in the patterns
they create.

Q: What do you think about tradition?
A: Tradition is new. It is tradition forthe old to be replaced by the new.
Tradition forms the basis of an era,and is accepted by the people, but
if youth cannot love the past,changes the history of the people,
and refuses to accept tradition, thenthey can no longer see their future,
either. They forget their roots, andforget themselves. I hope to bringtradition and modernity together inone. Fashion is culture, and without
your own culture there is no future.
Unless we can value tradition andculture, there is no future.

FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 12

Grand Prize

Thant Myint-U●Myanmar／History〈Part 1

Public Lecture

Where is Myanmar advancing forward in the 21st century?
:Dialogue on the country's past, present, and future■Date: Saturday, September. 19, 2015 (13:00‒15:00)■Venue: Main Hall, ELGALA HALL
■Participants: 250

Keynote Speech〉〈Speech by AKASHI Yasushi〉

Cooperation by Japan and the Rest ofInternational Society is Essential in
Advancing Democracy in Myanmar
Myanmar is in a period ofdramatic change, and there isenormous hope for these four
years. The change in government has made possible a new
constitution, and the politicalenvironment enjoys new freedoms. Economic reform is also
advancing, and things are progressing peacefully. Following a
prolonged black hole of isolation, the rapid changes in recent
years are a miracle.
November 28, 1885 was animportant day in the history of
Myanmar. It was the day thatthe thousand-year old dynasty was toppled by the British, and until
about 1940, Burma was governed as a part of India. Myanmar is afertile land, and over the years hundreds of thousands, millions, ofimmigrants from China, India and elsewhere came. Most of the
Burmese were reduced to the lowest rungs of society, and they held
considerable enmity against the immigrants and foreign corporations
above them.
After independence, the military gained strength, and military rule
took eﬀect in 1962 to suppress domestic reaction to external inﬂuences. The nation grew poor under dictatorship and international isolation.
From about 1988, however, movements began to gain strength to end
military rule.
We transitioned to a civilian government in 2011, and are now working to return to the community of nations. Myanmar is today open to
the world, and undergoing dramatic change. With many minorities, oneof our pressing issues is how to nurture a sense of national identity.
Democracy, peace, and economic development are all interconnected. To make possible a peaceful, stable advancement toward democracy, we must continue to advance peace talks with 20 diﬀerent armed
groups, while investing into infrastructure such as electricity and rail, as
well as health and education. Our proximity to both India and Chinaraises the potential for rapid development.
International cooperation is as important as international competition.
There is a long history of interaction between Myanmar and Japan, andthe government is also interested in personnel exchange. I am conﬁdent
that relations between our nations will grow stronger in the future. I
hope that you will all visit my country as tourists, and meet the
non-government organizations, universities, and common people of
Myanmar.

SchoolVisit■Date: Friday, Sep. 18 (14:00‒15:00)■Venue: Fukuoka Girls High School

Dr. Thant Myint-U introduced his
work at the United Nations, and his
eﬀorts today, together with reminiscences about his youth, to about 120
students in the International Culture
Course. He talked of the fascinationand signiﬁcance of working within international society, stressing that The
fact that you are Japanese, and are
women, are both to your advantage

13 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

when working in the international
scene. One student asked what they
could do to help preserve peace, andhe replied
Yo u t h c a nmake an enormous contribution incybersecurity.

As the ﬁrst Japanese employee of the United Nations, I worked
under the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. U Thant,
who was the grandfather of laureate Dr. Thant Myint-U. In the 1990s,
when I was in charge of crucial peacekeeping activities, one promising
staﬀ working under me was Dr. Thant Myint-U. He brilliantly described
the complex history of his nation in his lecture just now, expressing
conﬁdence that if international society would provide aid andassistance, democracy would assuredly succeed in Myanmar. I hopethat Japan will support their eﬀorts, and take appropriate action to
fulﬁll its own role and responsibility toward that end.

〈Part 2

Dialogue〉●Speaker

AKASHI Yasushi

Chairman,International House of Japan●Coordinator

TAKENAKA Chiharu

Professor, College of Law and Politics,
Rikkyo University

Participation in International Society: Issues and Potentials
The dialogue between Dr. Thant Myint-U and his former superior at
the United Nations, Dr. AKASHI Yasushi, was moderated by Professor TAKENAKA Chiharu.
Dr. Thant Myint-U explained some of the changes in Yangon, pointing out an explosion in smartphone users from 500,000 to 1.2 million
people recently. As the people of Myanmar, especially the young generations, become global consumers, it is crucial to consider what
elements of Myanmar we need to preserve, he commented. The
discussion touched on the eﬀects of Buddhism, and Dr. AKASHI opinedthat Buddhism is one way of deepening mutual understanding andfriendship between Japan, and Myanmar and the other nations ofSoutheast Asia. Dr. Thant Myint-U continued that his nationneeded improvements in government employees, in the land ownership and use system, and in national energy strategy," and expressed
his hopes for elections, the ﬁrst after transfer to civil rule.
In response to a query from the audience as to what Japan can do tohelp Myanmar, Dr. AKASHI replied that The entry of Japanese corporations into Myanmar will be to the beneﬁt of both parties. Japan canalso make contributions in education and social welfare. It is importantto provide aid with sincerity, to support long-term development.

SchoolVisit■Date: Friday, Sep. 18 (17:00‒18:00)■Venue: Kyushu University

Dr. Thant Myint-U introduced thestate of Myanmar today, withreferences to its long history, andstressed key points such as issues
in transferring to civil rule andimplementing democracy, and theeﬀects of its powerful neighbor,
China. When asked why he decided
to get involved in the preservation ofhistoric buildings, he replied thatmany old buildings in Bangkok were
torn down for redevelopment when
he lived there, and he didn t want
to lose thebeautifularchitecture
and cityscapeof Yangon.

Academic Prize

Public Lecture

Ramachandra GUHA Gandhi, India and the World●India／History and Sociology■Date: Saturday, September. 19, 2015 (16:30‒18:30)■Venue: Main Hall, ELGALA HALL
■Participants: 200〈Part 1 Keynote Speech〉

Part 2

Panel Discussion

Independence Movements, Social Reform,
Religious Reconciliation, and Prophecy: Four Jobs Driving Change
I began my career as anenvironmental historian, andin my research into environmental initiatives I becamevery interested in Gandhi.
During the Chipko Movementin the Himalayas in the
1970s and 80s, villagers
fought logg ing by hugging
trees in a non-violent protest
strongly inﬂuenced by Gandhi steachings.
Gandhi was unique
because he combined fourtasks: the independence movement, social reform, belief in
religious diversity, and belief in prophecy and the future. He
led initiatives in all four ﬁelds.
The large-scale civic movement to gain independence fromBritain was not a violent conﬂict, unlike other colonies, but
primarily non-violent. The salt march of 1930 is especially
famous.
As a social reformer he called for the elimination of discrimination against the untouchable caste, and women;
insisted that people of all castes should be allowed to use thesame temples; and allowed women to join his eﬀort to gain
independence without violence.
Gandhi was born a Hindi, but he had many Christianfriends, and worked for a world where people of all
religions̶Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, etc.̶could respect
each other s religion and live in peace together. He createdashrams, singing the songs of various religions, reading theirbooks, and dedicated his life toward that goal.
He also prophesied the future. In a speech given in 1920
he warned that India would deplete its energy and resources
if it industrialized in the manner of the West, and in the
1930s strongly supported organic agriculture.
His thoughts were criticized at the time, and he was
attacked for them. Today many wise men respect Gandhi, butthere are also many who despise and belittle him. I don t
think there has been anyone who stirred up as much debate
as Gandhi, or will be again.
I believe that he was a superlative Indian thinker and moral
prophet, perhaps thewisest philosopher
since Buddha. There
are many people evenin India today who
despise him, but I am
conﬁdent that thepeople of the world will
come to recognize hisachievements.

●Coordinator

WAKIMURA Kohei

Professor, Graduate School of
Economics, Osaka City University●Panelist

TANABE Akio

Professor, Graduate School of Asian and
African Area Studies, Kyoto University

Gandhi s Thoughts and Movement Are ofGreat Signiﬁcance to Modern Japan
Professor TANABE commented on the keynote speech, thanking
Dr. GUHA for his clear and succinct explanation of the global
historical importance of Gandhi s philosophy, and its broad
appeal. He continued, Gandhi challenged the framework of
oppression in all of his activity and sought alternatives. It is crucial
for Japan today to accept diversity, to sympathize with and understand its positions, and fully realize its hidden potential.
Questions from the audience were accepted in the second half,
and Professor WAKIMURA asked who strongly aﬀected Gandhi
during his experience in South Africa. Dr. GUHA replied that
Gandhi learned much from daily life there, such as throughbecoming friends with Jewish and Christian women. Dr. GUHA
also touched on the relationship between modern India andGandhi, explaining that It is important to realize that Gandhi was
not right about everything. His convictions concerning non-violence, religious diversity, and environmental preservation remain
invaluable, but we must do better than he did in areas like genderequality.

SchoolVisit■Date: Saturday, Sep. 19, (10:10‒12:15)■Venue: Ohori Junior High School

Dr. GUHA recalled his own junior

the students listened quietly hehigh school experiences as herepeated Gandhi s belief that

discussed the diversity and history

hatred only breeds more hatred. He

of India, incorporating so manyadvised the audience to experienceethnic groups, religions, andnature, and read more books.

languages. He described how, after
about 200 years of colonial ruleand armed rebellion, Gandhi
achieved independence and peace
through non-violent resistance. As
FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 14

Arts and Culture Prize

Minh Hanh●Vietnam／Fashion Design

Public Lecture

Creativity in Asia discovered through fashion: Attractive features of Vietnamese fashion and culture
formed and expressed by Minh Hanh

Collaborative Projects
with the Japan Foundation Asia Center■Date: Sunday, September. 20, 2015 (14:00‒16:30)■Venue: Event Hall B2F, ACROS Fukuoka ■Participants: 400〈Part 1 Keynote Speech and Design Introduction〉〈Part 2

Panel Discussion〉●Panelist●Panelist

Special Program: Minh Hanh's Fashion Show

New Fashion Dimensions From
Fabrics of Ethnic Minorities andJapanese Tradition
The population of Vietnam is about 80
million people, and about 14% of that total
consists of 53 ethnic minorities.
The people of these ethnic minorities
are simple and straightforward. Their
feelings change with what they see andfeel in their daily lives, and as a result thecolors, materials, and patterns of theirfabrics change, too. What they makeduring the day will be diﬀerent from what
they make at night. As a designer, this is awonderful characteristic and one to betreasured, but it is very diﬃcult for us tochange our designs to match our moods as they do. When I work with the
Hmong, eat with them, sleep in their homes, I can empathize with them. As adesigner, I gain powerful inspiration from that empathy.
My apprentices often ask me what we can do to preserve and protect theirtraditional work. I reply that this is a never-ending battle. It is diﬃcult for young
designers to appreciate the value of tradition, because it is very diﬃcult tosuccessfully incorporate traditional elements into modern fashion. If they cancome to appreciate traditional values, however, they treasure them forever. We
are determined to continue ﬁghting this battle.
I was born in the old city of Pleiku. The region is home to many ethnic minorities, and I often spent time with them. I loved them. After I graduated an arts
university I began to pursue a career in fashion, and nobody would accept theuse of traditional ethnic elements in fashion designs. They asked me why I
would use materials nobody wanted to wear, and make designs that weren tcivilized. I never gave up, though, and when I worked with traditional elements
always felt the inspiration ﬂow. It brought back what I had felt as a child. Later,that style of weaving was recognized as authentic Vietnamese culture, and began
to be used in tourist souvenirs,
giving the minorities a source ofincome, and pride in their heritage.
My goal is to create culturethat intersects and mingles multiple eras and regions. The
modern era needs authentic
value born from tradition, and I
work to pass that conviction on
to the next generation.

NITTA Eiji

Professor Emeritus,
Kagoshima University

KAWACHI Hiroko
Professor Emeritus,
Koran Women's
Junior College●Coordinator

FUJIHARA Keiyo

Professor, Graduate
School of Design,
Kyushu University

How to Preserve Tradition for Future
Generations?
Professor KAWACHI, who has worked tirelessly to preserve anddevelop traditional Japanese fabrics such as Kurume kasuri pongeeand Hakata-ori weaving, was delighted by the stunning combination ofpongee and tulle fabrics in Minh Hanh s dress. Professor NITTA commented that the hand looms used by ethnic minorities have been excavated from 2500-year old graves. All felt the impact of Minh Hanh swork, combining tradition and modernity in complex ways.
A member of the audience asked what they can do to help preserve
tradition for the future, and Ms. Minh Hanh replied Youth can alsofeel the attraction of tradition, but it is important to show them thedirection to grow in. Losing one s past is to lose your future.

SchoolVisit■Date: Friday, Sep. 18 (13:20‒14:50)■Venue: Koran College of Fashion Design

Ms. Minh Hanh came onstage withmodels wearing designs by herself, andher apprentices. She asked the models
to walk through the student seating,and invited the students to notice thefabrics, embroidery, and weaving. As
she introduced ethnic minorities, sheadvised students to Treasure yourroots and your identity. Japan has
Hakata-ori and Kurume kasuri, and you

should utilize this cultural heritage inyour own creations.
When asked what you need to be adesigner, she replied it was Thinking
about designs every minute of the day.
It can be lonely thinking by yourself,
but if you really like design you ll
willingly make the sacriﬁce. You have tolove design from the bottom of yourheart.

◆Date: Saturday, Sep. 19, 2015 (17:00‒18:00)◆Venue: Kego Shrine
A fashion show for Minh Hanh s designs was held, the ﬁrst fashion show everto be held at Kego Shrine, where the monument to broken sewing needles
stands. The event was held to promote cultural exchange between Japan and
Vietnam, with the support of the Koran College of Fashion Design. The school s
students ﬁrst showed their own designs, followed by clothing designed by rising
young Vietnamese designer Viet, and then about 40 designs by Minh Hanh herself. The audience of about 300 people were astonished and delighted by thegorgeous fashion
combining modern
sensitivities withtraditional Vietnamese áo dài, embroidery by ethnic minorities, weaving, washi
paper, and kimono.
Ms. Minh Hanh and the designers

The show at Kego Shrine

Special dialogue with Thant Myint-U on Cultural Heritages◆Date: Saturday, Sep. 19, 2015 (19:00‒20:30) ◆Venue: Noh Theater, Sumiyoshi Shrine◆Participants: Thant Myint-U,
NISHIMURA Yukio (Professor, University of Tokyo; President, Japan ICOMOS)◆Moderator: KONO Toshiyuki (Professor, Kyushu University; Vice President, ICOMOS)
Dr. Thant Myint-U, who is active in the preservation of historic buildings,
joined Professor NISHIMURA, who has been working to preserve the Baganruins in Myanmar, discussed how to determine what to preserve in Yangon,
based on the results in other cities where redevelopment has already progressed. There is potential as a global tour destination, as a historical city,and even as a
World Cultural
Heritage site. Theyemphasized theimportance of tying
preservation to city
development.
Dr. Thant Myint-U

Professor NISHIMURAThe Tenjin Apichatpong Project (TAP) is a mid- to long-term exchange project with Thai ﬁlm
director Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL (2013 Arts and Culture Prize laureate) and ﬁlm professionals in Fukuoka.

2016

Director: Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL

Date Saturday, Jan. 30 from 13:00
Venue Movie Hall Cine-La, Fukuoka City Public Library

Also includes a talk show by ﬁlm professionals from Fukuoka

15 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

The Noh Theater at Sumiyoshi Shrine

T enjin × A pichatpong × P rojectJan. Screening of Tropical Malady

Design incorporating Japanese washi paper

Dialogue scene

Special Project with Past Laureates

A TaOi woman demonstrates the hand loom

Design incorporating ethnic TaOi elements

The Fashion show

Design incorporating kasuri pongee

Design incorporating kimono fabricAnimation
creatorAnimation
creatorMIZUE Mirai

YUKI Yoko

Film Director

TACHIBANA
Takafumi

Apr.

2016

A workshop with Mr. Apichatpong in Fukuoka,
producing a short ﬁlm on the theme ofTenjin together with local ﬁlm professionals

Mr. Apichatpong andﬁlm professionals from
Fukuoka create a ﬁlm together

×Film entries acceptedfrom professional andamateur producers in Fukuoka

Collaborative project tocreate an image collage
FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 16

Press Conference andPublic Relations Activities
Press
Conference

The press conference was held on
September 17, in advance of the award
ceremony. At the beginning, Mayor
TAKASHIMA spoke in English on theunique features of Fukuoka City, which
has developed as a link between Japanand the rest of Asia, and its lush natural
beauty, ﬁne food, and rich culture. He
powerfully promoted Creative Fukuoka
in front of representatives of foreign
media, then introduced the three laureates. This was followed by the laureate
speeches, and then a Q&A session. This
year students from Fukuoka Girls HighSchool also participated, asking questions such as If you could go back intime, what advice would you give yourself
as a high school student? Reportersfrom Hakatakko Press, composed offoreign students in Fukuoka, questioned
laureates from their respective nations.
The laureates advised students to actively get involved in what interested them,and to establish a ﬁrm personal identity.

Overseas Press Conferences
After the announcement of the laureates in June, press conferences were held in countries and region where the laureates are from,with representatives from local government agencies and the Japanese Embassy,past laureates and local media in attendance. At
these occasions, the signiﬁcance of the Fukuoka Prize, the laureates achievements and the city s proﬁle were introduced andreceived extensive local media coverage.

Presentation by Mayor TAKASHIMA on the fascination of Fukuoka City

Press conference

Questions by foreign media

Grand Prize/Thant Myint-U

Academic Prize/Ramachandra GUHA

Arts and Culture Prize/Minh Hanh

◆Location: Yangon (Myanmar)◆Date: Sunday, August 9◆Venue: Park Royal Hotel in Yangon◆Participants: 140[Distinguished guests]●Mr. Soe Thane（Union Minister of President Oﬃce）●Mr. Hla Myint（Mayor of Yangon City）●Mr. Ichiro Maruyama（Minister-Counselor of the
Embassy of Japan to Myanmar）◆Location: New Dehli (India)◆Date: Friday, July 24◆Venue: Habitat World Center◆Participants: 80[Distinguished guests]●Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi（Former Governor of West Bengal）●Mr. Takeshi Yagi
（Japanese Ambassador to India）●Prof. Ashis Nandi（Recipient of the Fukuoka Prize 2007）◆Location: Hanoi (Vietnam)◆Date: Tuesday, July 7◆Venue: Hanoi Daewoo Hotel◆Participants: 100[Distinguished guests]●Mr. Huynh Vinh Ai（Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism）●Mr. Jun Yanagi（Envoy of the Japanese Embassy）●Prof. PHAN Huy Le（Recipient of the Fukuoka Prize 1996)

Laureates responding

Press Conference◆Date: Thursday, Sep. 17 12:00‒13:20◆Venue: Fukuoka International
Congress Center

Questions by students from Fukuoka Girls High School

Hakattako Press foreign student team

Other PR Activities

Laureates of the Fukuoka Prize

Press tour for foreign media
A press tour for foreign media was held for the ﬁrst time this year, in collaboration with
the Japan Foundation Asia Center. Reporters from Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, thePhilippines and other Asian nations were invited to Fukuoka, as well as from nations
such as the UAE, to ensure widespread coverage on Fukuoka and the Fukuoka Prize.
Participating media
・Tribunnews (Indonesia)
・Prothom Alo (Bangladesh)
・WAM (UAE news agency) (UAE)・PINOY GAZETTE (Philippines)
・The Myanmar Times (Myanmar)

FUKUOKA PRIZE Roll of Honor 1990 - 2014

・The Irrawaddy Burma New (Myanmar)
・Vietnam Television Vietnam)
・Dan Tri Newspaper (Vietnam)
・Freelance reporter (United States)

1stReporters participated in the press tour

◆Date: Thursday, Sep. 17 and Friday Sep. 18◆Itinerary: Award ceremony, School visits,Focus on Asia Fukuoka International Film Festival
opening ceremony,Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, etc.

Formation of a reporting team by foreign students
The Hakatakko Pres was formed, consisting of foreign students from the laureatesnations: Myanmar, India, and Vietnam. They reported on the award ceremony andother events via SNS and other media, both domestically and internationally.

Media Reports【Media coverage】
Domestic: 137 Overseas: 145

1990

Special Commemorative Prize

Total: 282(as of Dec. 2015)

Special Commemorative PrizeBA JinKUROSAWA Akira

Joseph NEEDHAM（China/ Writer）●（Japan/ Film Director）●

World famous contemporary
Chinese novelist, whose
many works including The
Family and Cold Nights ,express his profound love of
mankindCreator of Rashomon
whose many masterpieces
captivated the world, winning an international reputation for Japanese cinema（U. K./ Scholar of Chinese
Science History）●

Special Commemorative Prize
HAKATAKKO PRESS

Special Commemorative Prize

Special Commemorative Prize

Kukrit PRAMOJYANO Toru（Thailand/ Writer, Statesman）●（Japan/ Social Scientist,
Scholar of Asian Studies）●

Prominent literally/ politician
from Thailand who once
served as Prime Minister,
and wrote many great novels
including Four Dynasties

International authority on
history of Chinese science,
who entirely changed intellectual perceptions of
non-European civilization

Pioneer of Southeast Asian
regional studies in Japan,
who made a notable contribution to international academic exchange●Deceased

17 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 18

2ndGrand Prize

Tauﬁk ABDULLAH

NAKANE Chie

Donald KEENE

CHHENG Phon

Romila THAPARHIGUCHI Takayasu

IM Kwon-taek（Indonesia/ Historian, Social Scientist）(Japan/ Social Anthropologist)(U.S.A./ Scholar of Japanese Literature & Culture)（Cambodia/ Dramatist, Artist）（India/ Historian）（Japan/ Archaeologist）●（Republic of Korea/ Film Director）

Virtuoso sitar
performer,
whose sensitiveand expressive
style inﬂuenced
even the Beatles

Grand Prize

Innovative historian and sociologist who has
specialized inIslamic studies
and Southeast
Asian regional
history

Social anthropologist,whose extensive research indiﬀerent areas in
Asia led her toformulate groundbreaking theories
on social structures

Arts and Culture Prize

Pioneer in the
study of Japanese
literature and aninternationallyrecognized authority in the ﬁeld, as
well as author ofnumerous books

Grand Prize

1997

Ravi SHANKAR（India/ Sitar Player）●

1991

Academic Prize

3rd

9th

Academic Prize

Dramatist whoestablished aframework forpreserving traditional culture in
Cambodia after thedevastating civil
war

Academic Prize

Historian whose
empirical approachhas establishedpost-independence Indian
historical studies
within broader
human history

Arts and Culture Prize

Archaeologist
whose emphasis
on ﬁeldwork has
transformed studiesof the Silk Road,
China and thehistory of Sino-Japanese relations

Cinematographer
who has brilliantly
presented thehardships Korea
has endured its
modern history

Academic Prize

Arts and Culture Prize

KIM Won-yong

Cliﬀord GEERTZ

TAKEUCHI Minoru

Leandro V. LOCSINLEE Ki-Moon

Stanley J. TAMBIAH

UEDA Masaaki

R. M. Soedarsono(Republic of Korea/ Archaeologist) ●(U.S.A./ Anthropologist) ●(Japan/ Scholar of Chinese Studies）●(Philippines/ Architect）●（Republic of Korea/ Linguist）（U.S.A./ Anthropologist）●（Japan/ Historian）（Indonesia/ Dancer, Scholar of Dance）

Archaeologist, whoestablished acoherent framework for Koreanarchaeology andart history within
the East Asian
context

Grand Prize

Anthropologist,
whose research inIndonesia established a wholly
original anthropological methodology for cross-cultural understanding

Academic Prize

Leading Japanesescholar of Chinesestudies, who established vision ofmodern China
encompassing social
science, literature,ideology and history

Academic Prize

Architect who
successfully established a modern
architectural style inharmony with theSoutheast Asian
climate and traditional Filipino architecture

Arts and Culture Prize

Grand Prize

1998

1992

Academic Prize

4th

10th

Academic Prize

International
authority of Korean
linguistics, who
has introduced a
new comperative
approach to Japanese and other
Altaic languages

Grand Prize

Academic Prize

Historian who has
worked onstate-formation inancient Japan,
examining this froman Eastern Asian
perspective

Anthropologist who
has developed an
original interpretation on the basis of
his studies of Thailand and Sri Lanka

Academic Prize

Arts and Culture Prize

Academic Prize

Leading Indonesiandancer who has
worked extensively
as an academic in
the arts, history
and literature, andalso as creator ofdance/dramas

Arts and Culture Prize

Ungku A. AZIZKAWAKITA Jiro

NAMJILYN Norovbanzad

HOU Hsiao Hsien

OBAYASHI Taryo

Nidhi EOSEEWONG

TANG Da Wu（Malaysia/ Economist）（Japan/ Scholar of Ethnogeography）●（Mongolia/ Vocalist）●（Taiwan/ Film Director）（Japan/ Ethnologist）●（Thailand/ Historian）（Singapore/ Visual Artist）

Sociologist andanthropologist who
analyzed various
aspects of Chinesesociety from traditional Chinese
cultural perspectives

Grand Prize

Economist who
has achieved
outstanding resultsin both the studyof economi c s andi t s practical application

Academic Prize

M.C. Subhadradis DISKUL WANG Gungwu

6th（Australia/ Historian）

Authority on Thaiart, archaeology
and history, who
made an outstanding contribution to
the revival of traditional Southeast
Asian culture

Grand Prize

Leading historianin Asian studies,most famous forhis exceptional
work on Chinese
identity

Academic Prize

ISHII Yoneo（Japan/ Scholar of Southeast Asian Studies）●

Leading scholar inSoutheast Asianstudies, especially
Thailand, who hasmade major contributions in the ﬁeldsof history, religion
and sociology

KOENTJARANINGRATHAHN Ki-un

KARASHIMA Noboru（Indonesia/ Anthropologist）●（Republic of Korea/ Scholar of Education）● （Japan/ Historian）●

7th

Anthropologist who
has made a signiﬁcant contribution
to the establishment and development of anthropology in Indonesia

Grand Prize

Scholar in thehistory and philosophy of education,
who established atheoretical basis foreducational studies

Academic Prize

Archaeologist
instrumental indeveloping archaeological studies in
China, especiallyconcerning thehistory of Sino-Japanese relations

Academic PrizeETO Shinkichi（Japan/ Scholar of International Relations）●

Historian who hascreated an innovative and non-ideological research
approach for thesocial history ofrural Vietnam

Scholar in the historyof Chinese politics
and diplomacy, andin international
relations, who also
served as a foreign
policy advisor

Padma SUBRAHMANYAM

Grand Prize（Indonesia/ Writer）●

Leading performer
and choreographerof Bharata Natyam
Indian classicaldance. Also activein education,
including founding
a dance school

Arts and Culture Prize

12th

Novelist who has
consistently tackled questions ofnationality andhumanity throughout his work, which
include This Earthof Mankind

Grand Prize

Historian and writer
noted for his freshand innova t ive
views, who has
rewritten much of
conventional Thai
history

Eminent ethnologist who has usedcomparison withother Asian countries as the basis
for understandingof Japanese culture
formation

Academic Prize

Pramoedya Ananta TOER

（India/ Traditional Dancer）

Than Tun（Myanmar/ Historian）●

Academic Prize

Arts and Culture Prize

Benedict ANDERSON

Hamzah Awang Amat

（Ireland/ Scholar of Politics）●（Malaysia/ Shadow Play Master）●

Irish political scientist who
has promoted comparative historical studies on
the global level, andestablished a new
approach to nationalism
through the concept ofimagined communities

Historian who
presented an
entirely new interpretation of thehistory of Myanmar(Burma) throughan empirical historical methodology

Academic Prize

Modern artist
whose originality of
expression has
become a driving
force in the development of creativity in Southeast
Asian modern arts

Arts and Culture Prize

Dalang (master) of
wayan kulit (shadow play), the leading modern representative of
traditional Malaysian art

Arts and Culture Prize

Nam June PAIK

Muhammad YUNUS

HAYAMI Yujiro

Thawan DUCHANEEMarilou DIAZ-ABAYA（U.S.A./ Video Artist）●（Bangladesh/ Economist）（Japan/ Economist）●（Thailand/ Painter）●（Philippines/ Film Director）●

Leading video
artist, who has
pioneered a newartistic genre
which famously
fuses technology
and artArts and Culture Prize

Nusrat Fateh Ali KHAN
（Pakistan/ Qawwali Singer）●

DistinguishedQuwwali (Islamic
mystic songs)
vocalist in Pakistan
whose singing
remains unsurpassed●Deceased

19 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

11th

13th

Bangladeshi economist who founded
the Grameen Bank
to tackle poverty
eradication by
micro-credit, andwon the Nobel
Peace Prize in 2006

Grand Prize

Thai painter who shocked
the world with his uniquely expressive work,
showing the madness,
decadence, violence,eros and death that lie
beneath the surface ofmodern humanity

Economist whoestablished Hayami
Development
Economics , which
incorporates community perspectives
with those of themarket and the state

Academic Prize

Academic Prize

Leading ﬁlm director in the Philippines, who hasconveyed the Asianspirit through her
work showing thejoys and sorrows ofordinary people

Arts and Culture Prize

ZHANG Yimou

Kingsley M. DE SILVA

Anthony REID

Lat

（China/ Film Director）（Sri Lanka/ Historian）（Australia/ Historian)（Malaysia/ Cartoonist）

2002

PHAN Huy Le（Vietnam/ Historian)

1996

WANG Zhongshu（China/ Archaeologist）●

Internationally recognized authority in Asian
historical studies andan expert in inscribedmaterials, specializingin the history andepigraphy of medieval
South India

Arts and Culture PrizeWorld-renowned ﬁlm
director of masterpieces such as A
City of Sadness,
combining objective
realism with a loveof Taiwan s culture
and people

2001

Academic Prize

1995

Academic Prize

Celebrated Mongolian vocalist, who
won fame for her
eloquent expressiveness in singing
Mongolian traditional folk songs,
Urtyn duu

2000

1994

（Thailand/ Archaeologist, Art Historian）●

Leading ethnogeographer, whose
innovative KJ
Method is basedon his analysis ofpeople and ecology in Nepal andthe Himalayas

1999

FEI Xiaotong（China/ Sociologist, Anthropologist）●

1993
5th

8th

Academic Prize

Film director who
has consistently
presented thehardship ofmodern Chinese
life from viewpointof farmers andordinary people

Historian who hasmade an outstanding contribution tohistorical studies ofcolonial Sri Lanka
through a rigorously empiricalapproach

Eminent historian
who has added a
new dimension to
Southeast Asian
historiography byexamining the daily
lives of the region s
inhabitants

Cartoonist who has
exposed contradictions in Malaysiansociety by his
penetrating satiresof everyday life

●Deceased
FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 20

14thGrand Prize

XU Bing（Japan/ Scholar of Okinawan Studies）●（Philippines/ Historian）（China/ Artist）

15th

Creator of Okinawan
studies, who has
remained at theforefront of research
into the languages, literature andculture of Okinawa

Grand Prize

Academic Prize

Academic Prize

Ram Dayal RAKESH（Nepal/ Scholar of Folk Culture Studies）

Maestro of sarod(classical Indian
Stringed music
instrument) who has
disseminated Asianmusic with his credo,
Music transcends
everything

Grand Prize

Academic Prize

Pioneer in Koreanfolklore studies andauthority on East
Asian folklore, who
has fostered SinoJapanese-Korean
academic exchanges

Grand Prize

Academic Prize

MO Yan18th

Leading Chinese
novelist, who has
captured the realityof cities and villages
in China by his own
distinctive blend ofrealism and fantasy,
and won the Nobel
Literature Prize in2012

Grand Prize（Laos/ Textile Researcher）

Textile researcher
whose studies of
traditional Lao
textiles and awareness-raising activities have helped topreserve traditional
cultureAcademic Prize

Asian pop artist
who created an
original style ofmusic by exploringhis own identity asa native ofmulti-cultural
Singapore

Arts and Culture Prize

Sembukuttiarachilage
Roland SILVA（Sri Lanka/ Conservator）

Conservation expert
for Sri Lankan
historical monuments and sites,
who has served as
President of
ICOMOS

Arts and Culture Prize

Tashi Norbu（Bhutan/ Traditional Musician）

Pioneer in the performance of traditional
Bhutanese music,
and the ﬁrst private
citizen to become
deeply involved in
the preservation andtransmission of
traditional culture

Arts and Culture Prize

Shagdaryn BIRA

HAMASHITA Takeshi Uxi MUFTI（Mongolia/ Historian）（Japan/ Historian）

Arts and Culture PrizeIntellectual andactivist whose
penetrating social/
cultural criticism isbased on his
unique integrationof clinical psychology and sociology

Anthropologist/archaeologist who presented
a new perspective ofThai history throughexhaustive ﬁeld
research and aninterdisciplinary
approach

Academic Prize

Arts and Culture Prize

KIM Duk-soo（Taiwan/ Sculptor）（Republic of Korea/ Traditional Performing Artist）

Master sculptor
who combines theability to express
the profundity of
the Eastern spirituality withcreative energy

Academic Prize

Traditional
performing artist
who created
Samulnori ,combining masteryof traditional musicwith cutting-edge
experimentation

Arts and Culture Prize

Savitri GOONESEKERE Shamsul Amri Baharuddin Farida Parveen（Sri Lanka/ Jurist）

One of the mostoutstanding ﬁlm
directors in Hong
Kong, active in a wide
variety of genres. A
standard-bearer for
female ﬁlm directors in
Asia

Jurist who has madesigniﬁcant contributions to research inhuman rights andgender issues in SouthAsia, and has devoted
herself to reforming
higher education

One of the leadingsocial anthropologists in Southeast
Asia, who has
been constantly at
the forefront of
ethnic/Malay studies in the region（Bangladesh/ Singer）

Academic PrizeJames C. SCOTT（USA/ Political Scientist, Anthropologist）

A prestigious singer
who has contributed
to raising the artistic
status of traditional
Bangladeshi religious
music, Baul song,and to promoting itinternationally

Political scientist andJapan s leading specialist in contemporary
Chinese Studies who
has greatly contributed
to establishing themethodological framework to provide acommon foundation for
Asian Studies

Academic Prize

Theatre director who
has been a pioneer ofthe international
frontier of art andcreated a lively fusion,
inspired by a contemporary sensibility,
between the Asianand Western traditions

Arts and Culture Prize

ANG Choulean

CHO Dong-il

Niels GUTSCHOW（Cambodia/ Ethnologist, Scholar in Khmer Studies）（Republic of Korea/ Scholar of Literature）（Germany/ Architectural Historian）

23rd

Eminent ethnologist andscholar in Khmer Studies who
made a signiﬁcant contribution
to the reconstruction of Cambodian culture and to thepreservation and restoration ofits monuments

Grand Prize

Indian environmental
philosopher who has
exposed the contradictions
in modern development
and globalization andenlightened many people
by presenting a new andoriginal idea about loving
nature and protecting the
dignity of life

Grand Prize

Arts and Culture Prize

Charnvit KASETSIRI（Thailand/ Historian） One of the leading

historians in Thailand
and Southeast Asia
who has demonstrated
outstanding achievement in the study of
Ayutthaya and striven
to apply his academic
work to the educational
sphere and to broaden
public awarenessAcademic Prize

25th

Grand Prize

Kidlat Tahimik

A leading Asian
independent ﬁlmmaker
whose work presents
the Philippines' proud
consciousness as
developing nation andits resistance to culturalimperialism, with aunique sense of humor

Arts and Culture Prize

A researcher of AsianStudies who has been
exploring new possibilities for regional cooperation and civic
society, and made agreat contribution tomutual understanding
between Asian people

A sociologist who researchedpost-war Asian politics, economy, and society, and was apioneer in research into Asian
NIEs. An authority in East
Asian research, and respected
for his balanced and profoundcomments on international
relations

G.R.Ay. Koes Murtiyah
Paku Buwono As heiress to a tradition of（Indonesia/ Court Dancer）

Arts and Culture Prize（Thailand/ Filmmaker, A groundbreaking
Artist）
ﬁlmmaker who has beencreating sensation in theﬁlm world by his innovative ﬁlming method ofinterweaving personal
memories, episodes
from former lives andcomments on thecurrent issues into local
folktales and legends

Arts and Culture Prize

Azyumardi AZRA

Danny YUNG

（Indonesia / Historian）（Hong Kong / Cultural Worker）

A historian who worked toward
the development of a harmonious,
multi-cultural society based on a
deep understanding of Islamic
religion and culture. Recognized
as a public intellectual who hasmade signiﬁcant contributions tocross-cultural understanding ininternational society

court dance, she has had athorough education inJavanese culture sincechildhood and has
introduced the 300 year-old
traditional court dance
acround the world while
supporting the preservation
and advancement of central
Javanese traditional culture

Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL

An artist who has been
acclaimed for herlarge-scale spatial art,
combining images andpaintings, focusing oncontemporary and universal themes as religious
conﬂict, war, oppressionof women and environmental destruction

Academic Prize

Ezra F. VOGEL

Arts and Culture Prize（Philippines/ Filmmaker, Installation/
Performance Artist, Culture Observer）

NAKAMURA A medical doctor who Tessa MORRIS-SUZUKI Nalini MALANI
has been taking the lead
Tetsu
（India/ Artist）（Australia/ Scholar of Asian Studies）（Japan/ Medical Doctor） in medical services andsocial welfare for the sick,the poor and thedisadvantaged inPakistan and Afghanistan
for 30 years, and practicing international cooperation for cross-cultural
understanding andmutual respect

Architectural historian who hasraised the academic pursuits ofurban and architectural conservation and restoration to thehigher-level philosophical activity with his deep insight into
historical architecture andurbanism in South Asia

Leading scholar of Korean
literature whose outstandingachievement is not only in thearea of Korean literature but
also in comparative literatureand civilization in East Asia

Academic Prize（India/ Environmental Philosopher
and Activist）

24th

ONG Keng Sen（Japan/ Scholar of Contemporary Chinese Studies） （Singapore/ Theatre Director）

Political scientist andanthropologist who
has successfully
demonstrated the
dynamic relationshipbetween the dominantstate and those who
resist this domination
in Southeast Asia

Grand Prize

Contemporary artist
striving for fresh
possibilities in artistic
expression with his
original methodology and the uniqueexpression rooted in
Chinese tradition

Arts and Culture Prize

MORI Kazuko

HWANG Byung-ki

22nd（China/ Contemporary Artist）

Academic Prize（Republic of Korea/ Musician）

Performer andcomposer of Kayagum, a Korean
traditional musicalinstrument, who has
passed the tradition to
future generations anddeveloped a progressive, modern form

Arts and Culture Prize

CAI Guo-Qiang

Renowned composer who has made asigniﬁcant contribution to globalizing
Japanese music,
and to international
creative musicalinterchange

Leading Asian
academic who
illuminated thePolitics of themasses, raising
key issues relevant
to Asia and developing countries（U.S.A. / Sociologist）●Deceased

21 FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015

Grand Prize

2014

2008

Ann HUI（Hong Kong/ Film Director）（Malaysia/ Social Anthropologist）（India/Scholar of Political Science, History） （Japan/ Composer）●

Eminent cultural geographer establishing theunique academic
concept, Écoumène,
and his empiricalapproach towards
Japanese culture has
contributed greatly tounderstanding Japan

Vandana SHIVA

Authority on thepreservation ofindigenous culture
and founder of Lok
Virsa , who has
explored Pakistaniculture throughscientiﬁc studies

Arts and Culture Prize

MIKI Minoru（France/Scholar of Cultural Geography）

2013

Srisakra VALLIBHOTAMA JU Ming
（Thailand/ Anthropologist, Archaeologist）

2007

Ashis NANDY（India/ Social and Cultural Critic）

21st（Pakistan/ Culture Expert）

Historian who has
focused on Asian
networks of transport, migration andﬁnancial remittances, pioneering a
regional historicalvisionLeading historian ofMongolian studies
whose outstanding
studies of Mongol
history, culture,religions andlanguages are globally recognized

Academic Prize

Grand Prize（Singapore/ Singer-songwriter）

Academic Prize

Partha CHATTERJEE

2012

2006

（China/ Writer）

Eminent librarian andconservationist ofancient documents,
who has archived
great results inpreserving and utilizing palm-leaf manuscripts

Arts and Culture Prize

Douangdeuane
BOUNYAVONGGrand Prize

Augustin BERQUE

2011

Thaw Kaung（Myanmar/ Librarian）

2005

IM Dong-kwon（Republic of Korea/ Folklorist）●

17th

Foremost scholarof Nepalese folk
culture studies,
who has also been
involved in activities to ameliorate
women s status in
Nepal

Economist who
was one of the ﬁrst
to claim the needfor economic
reform in China
and who explained
the path to achieving this goal

20th

2010

LI Yining（China/ Economist）

2004

Amjad Ali KHAN
（India/ Sarod Maestro）

16th

19th

Artist whose creative
experiments infusing East andWest through innovative fake Chinesecharacters and the
new English calligraphy have raised
the status of Asian
contemporary arts

Leading historian
who has specialized
in the Philippine
revolution, the ﬁrst
anti-colonial andpro-independence
struggle in Southeast Asia

Arts and Culture Prize

Dick LEE

2009

Arts and Culture Prize

Reynaldo C. ILETO

2003

Academic Prize

HOKAMA Shuzen

A stage director, dramatist,and performance artist, who
is also active in the areas ofinternational exchange,
cultural policy, and art education, contributing to interconnecting East Asia andthe rest of the world, andtradition to modernity●Deceased
FUKUOKA PRIZE 2015 22