2-6-20, Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0028, Japan
Tel +81-(0)3-3274-5125 Fax +81-(0)3-3274-5103 http://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/PRESS RELEASE

September 29, 2016

Dr. Akira Isogai, Professor of the Graduate School of Agricultural andLife Sciences at The University of Tokyo, andDr. Hiroyuki Yano, Professor of the Research Institute for Sustainable
Humanosphere at Kyoto University, Receive the Honda Prize 2016 forContributions to the Development of a High-efficiency Production Methodof Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF), Its Application to Products, and theEnhancement of Its Potential for Further Utilization

Honda Foundation, a public-interest incorporated foundation created by Soichiro Honda,
the founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and his younger brother Benjiro Honda and currently
headed by Hiroto Ishida, is pleased to announce that the Honda Prize 2016*1 will be awarded
to Dr. Akira Isogai, professor of the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at The
University of Tokyo, and Dr. Hiroyuki Yano, professor of the Division of Creative Researchand Development of Humanosphere, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere at
Kyoto University, who have made tremendous contributions to the development ofhigh-efficiency production methods of Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF), its application to products,
and the enhancement of its potential for further utilization.
Dr. Isogai and Dr. Yano are the 37th laureates of the Honda Prize. The award ceremony will
be held at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on November 17, 2016. In addition to the prize medal
and certificate, the laureates will be awarded 10 million yen in total.
CNF is a general term for a bundle of cellulose microfibril that is a basic structure
substance of plant cell wall. This nanofiber is one-fifth the weight of steel and five times ormore its strength while it has one-fiftieth of linear thermal expansion coefficient of glass. It isa plant-derived, environment-friendly and sustainable resource, which accounts for 50% ormore of plant resources, such as wood, and can be found abundantly on earth. Toward early
realization of a low-carbon society, it is attracting attention for its utilization as a substitutefor petroleum-based plastics, a reinforcing fiber for structural materials and a modifier.

-1-Dr. Isogai has developed “TEMPO*2-mediated oxidation” as a chemical approach in CNF
production and significantly improved the efficiency of CNF production that conventionallyrequired energy-intensive mechanical disintegration. This development paved the way for
intensive research for CNF production and its application to industry.
Likewise, Dr. Yano has developed the “Pulp Direct-Kneading Method (Kyoto Process)” thatrealizes nanoscale fibrillation of pulp fiber and uniform dispersion into resin in the productionof composite materials reinforced by CNF. Conventionally, CNF had to be first produced andmixed with composite materials, such as resin, in order to produce resin composites. However,the Kyoto Process has removed such procedures and enabled a simple process, which resulted
in substantial reduction in time and cost. In addition, he has made tremendous contributions inexpanding a range of CNF application by playing a leading role in industry-government-academia
activities.
Until recently, CNF has scarcely been adopted to industrial use due to the high cost of
nanofiber-scale disintegration and its characteristics that are difficult to control and handle.
However, its application as a functional and structural material is now expanding by adopting
the method developed and discovered by Dr. Isogai and Dr. Yano.
Established in 1980, the Honda Prize is awarded annually to an individual or group torecognize accomplishments in the field of ecotechnology*3, which works to advance humanachievement while concurrently preserving the natural and human environment, thus
contributing to the creation of a truly humane civilization.
Utilizing CNF is the first step to transform the conventional way of manufacturing that isbased on the fossil resource-dependent industry to creation of sustainable social
infrastructure on which renewable materials are used to produce not only commodity goods
but also high-performance parts and components and applied to industrial products such asautomobiles and home appliances, as well as to building materials, packaging materials, etc.
As a consequence, this is considered as contributing to the Honda Foundation’s
goal—“Creating a truly humane civilization.” Therefore, the reformation of the CNF
production method and contributions to the expansion of its utilization area made by Dr.
Isogai and Dr. Yano are considered appropriate for the Honda Prize recognition.
*1 Honda Prize: Japan’s first international science and technology award inaugurated in
1980.
*2 TEMPO: General term for an organic compound “2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl,radical”-2-*3 Ecotechnology: Coined from “ecology”—the house of civilization—and “technology.” It has
been put forward since 1979 as the guiding philosophy for a better symbiosis between
technology-driven civilization and nature.
For more information, contact the Honda Foundation via:
phone at +81-3-3274-5125 or fax at +81-3-3274-5103
Honda Yaesu Building, 2-6-20 Yaesu, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0028, Japan
http://www.hondafoundation.jp/en/You may also contact Honda Motor’s Corporate Communications Division via phone at+81-3-5412-1512.

-3-Dr. Akira Isogai
Professor, Department of Biomaterials Science, Graduate School ofAgricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
BornOctober 19, 1954
Academic Qualification
1980: Bachelor from Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
1982: Master Degree from Graduate School, Division of Agricultural
Science, The University of Tokyo
1985: Ph.D from Graduate School, Division of Agricultural Science,
The University of Tokyo
1985-1986: Post-doctoral fellow, The Institute of Paper Chemistry, Appleton, WI, USA
1986-1994: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
1989-1990: Visiting Scientist, Forest Products Laboratory, United States Department of Agriculture,Madison, WI, USA
1994-1996: Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo
1996-2003: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
2003-present: Professor, The University of Tokyo
Membership
The Cellulose Society of Japan: President (2013- )Japan TAPPI (Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry): Board, Chairman of Wood Science
Committee (2003- )High Performance Paper Society of Japan: Vice President (2015- )Fellow of International Academy of Wood Science (2006- )The Nanofiber Society: Board (2009- )American Chemical Society, TAPPI, Society Polymer Science Japan, etc. : Member
Research Achievement and Publications
Review articles, books & book chapters: 167
Patents & patent applications: 132
AwardsMarcus Wallenberg Award from Sweden (2015)
Anselme Payen Award from American Chemical Society, USA (2015)
Japan Prize of Agricultural Science and Yomiuri Agricultural Science (2016)
TAPPI (USA) Fellow (2016) and other 13 awards-4-

Dr. Hiroyuki Yano
Professor, Division of Creative Research and Development of Humanosphere,
Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University
BornFebruary 6, 1959
Academic Qualification
1982: Bachelor of Agriculture (Wood Science and Technology), Kyoto
University
1984: Master of Agriculture (Wood Science and Technology), Kyoto
University1986: Assistant Professor, Dept. of Forestry, Kyoto Prefectural University
1989: Doctor of Agriculture, Kyoto University
1992: Lecturer, Dept. of Forestry, Kyoto Prefectural University
1997-1998: Visiting Scientist, Forest Products Laboratories, CSIRO, Australia
1998: Associate Professor, Wood Research Institute, Kyoto University
2002: Visiting Associate Professor, Institute of Wood Technology, Akita Prefectural University
2004-present: Professor, Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University
Membership
Nanocellulose Forum: President (2014-2016)
Fellow of International Academy of Wood Science (2008- )Japan Wood Research Society: Board (2014- )Society of Polymer Science Japan, Society of Materials Science Japan, Cellulose Society of Japan, Japan
Society of Polymer Processing, Society of Rubber Science and Technology Japan, etc.: Member
Research Achievement and Publications
Review articles, books & book chapters: 101(A. N. Nakagaito, H. Yano: The effect of morphological changes
from pulp fiber towards nano-scale fibrillated cellulose on the mechanical properties of high-strength plantfiber based composites, Applied Physics A,78,547-552(2004)., H．Yano, J．Sugiyama, A. N. Nakagaito, M．
Nogi, T．Matsuura, M. Hikita, K. Handa: Optically Transparent Composites Reinforced with Networks ofBacterial Nanofibers, Advanced Materials, 17(2), 153-155(2005), A. N. Nakagaito, M. Nogi, H. Yano:
Displays from transparent films of natural nanofibers MRS Bulletin, 35(3) (2010) 214-218, and others）
Patents & patent applications: 82
AwardsYoung Scientist Award, Japan Wood Research Society (1989)
Hayashi Jisuke Award, The Cellulose Society of Japan (2005)
Japan Wood Research Society Award, Japan Wood Research Society (2009)-5-