The is Japan's highest private award for lifetime achievement in the arts and sciences. It is given not only to those that are top representatives of their own respective fields, but to "those who have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural, and spiritual betterment of mankind". The Kyoto Prize was created in collaboration with the
Nobel Foundation
The Nobel Foundation ( sv, Nobelstiftelsen) is a private institution founded on 29 June 1900 to manage the finances and administration of the Nobel Prizes. The foundation is based on the last will of Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite.
I ...
and is regarded by many as Japan's version of the
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
,
representing one of the most prestigious awards available in fields that are not traditionally honored with a Nobel.
The prizes are endowed with 100 million yen (roughly 800,000 USD) per category and have been awarded annually since 1985 by the
Inamori Foundation
The Inamori Foundation is a private foundation known for its annual announcement of the Kyoto Prize, founded by Kazuo Inamori in 1984. It reflects "the lifelong beliefs of its founder that people have no higher calling than to strive for the greate ...
, founded by
Kazuo Inamori. The laureates are announced each June; the prize presentation ceremony and related events are held in
Kyoto, Japan, each November.
Categories and fields
The Kyoto Prize consists of three different categories, each with 4 subfields. The subfields rotate every year to create a diverse group of Laureates. The categories and fields are:
:
Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology
::With Fields: Electronics, Biotechnology and Medical Technology, Materials Science and Engineering, and Information Science.
:
Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences
::With Fields: Mathematical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Earth and Planetary Sciences (Astronomy and Astrophysics), and Life Sciences (With the fifth subfield of Cognitive Sciences with one Laureate,
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky i ...
in 1988).
:
Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy
The Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy is awarded once a year by the Inamori Foundation for lifetime achievements in the arts and philosophy. The Prize is one of three Kyoto Prize categories; the others are the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technolog ...
::With Fields: Music, Arts, Theater (Cinema), and Thought and Ethics
Laureates
With the 2015 Kyoto laureates, the three-category prizes have honored 99 individuals and one foundation (the Nobel Foundation). Individual laureates range from scientists, engineers, and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians, and film directors. The United States has produced the most recipients (44), followed by Japan (19), the United Kingdom (12), and France (8).
See also
*
List of general science and technology awards
*
Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology
*
Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences
*
Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy
The Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy is awarded once a year by the Inamori Foundation for lifetime achievements in the arts and philosophy. The Prize is one of three Kyoto Prize categories; the others are the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technolog ...
*
List of Kyoto Prize winners
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.kyotoprize.org/en/
Inamori FoundationKyoto Prize at Oxford
Kyoto Prize Symposium
Academic awards
International awards
Awards established in 1985
1985 establishments in Japan