Inamori Foundation Announces 23rd Annual Kyoto Prize Laureates for Lifetime Achievements in Technology, Science, and the Arts.

Japanese Chemist, Caltech Geophysicist and German Choreographer to Receive $410,000 Prizes November 10, 2007 in Kyoto, Japan

KYOTO, Japan -- The Inamori Foundation (President: Dr. Kazuo Inamori) today announced the laureates who will receive its 23rd annual Kyoto Prize, an international award presented to those who have contributed significantly to mankind's betterment in the categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy.

This year's Kyoto Prize laureates will be chemist Dr. Hiroo Inokuchi, 80, a professor emeritus at both University of Tokyo and the Institute for Molecular Science (at Japan's National Institutes of Natural Sciences); geophysicist Dr. Hiroo Kanamori, 70, a professor emeritus at California Institute of Technology; and choreographer and artistic director Pina Bausch, 66, director of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch GmbH.

Each laureate will receive a diploma, a Kyoto Prize Medal of 20-karat gold, and a cash gift of 50 million yen (approximately US$410,000) during a week of ceremonies beginning November 9, 2007, in Kyoto, Japan. In addition, the laureates will convene in San Diego, Calif. March 12-14, 2008 to participate in the seventh annual Kyoto Laureate Symposium.

Considered among the world's leading awards for lifetime achievement, the Kyoto Prize recognizes lifelong contributions to the scientific, cultural and spiritual development of mankind.

"Today, we are rushing ahead with incredible scientific and technological achievements, while inquiry into our spiritual nature lags deplorably," said Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and president of the Inamori Foundation. "It is my hope that the Kyoto Prize will encourage balanced development of both our scientific progress and spiritual depth, and hence provide impetus toward the structuring of new philosophical paradigms."

Advanced Technology

The 2007 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology focuses on the field of Materials Science and Engineering. Dr. Hiroo Inokuchi will receive the award for his pioneering and fundamental contributions to organic molecular electronics.

Dr. Inokuchi has been elucidating the electronic structures of organic compounds since the late 1940s. He focused his attention on organic molecules with benzene rings1 and initiated pioneering research on electrical conductance between such molecules, demonstrating that they could serve as useful materials for electronic components. This basic research played an essential role in the development of organic electronics, and has found applications in a wide range of commercial products, including mobile phones and flat-screen TVs. Among these, the organic electroluminescent (EL) panel, characterized by high image definition on a thin, flat screen, has attracted considerable attention as a possible next-generation replacement for today's liquid-crystal display (LCD).

He also investigated the electrical resistance of pulverized carbon powders in a controlled environment at a time when organic materials were considered insulators that would not conduct electricity. Focusing on the fact that the structure of an organic molecule called violanthrone2 has similarities to the hexagonal basal plane of pure carbon, Dr. Inokuchi carried out various experiments, ultimately playing a lead role in the discovery of semiconductive properties in organic materials -- which he later named "organic semiconductors." He also played a major role in the discovery that bromine or iodine added to an organic material such as perylene3 causes a significant increase in the material's electrical conductivity.

In 1975, Dr. Inokuchi helped establish the Institute for Molecular Science -- a world-class center for research on the electrical properties of molecules -- and has made substantial contributions to the development of the field through his leadership. The development of organic semiconductors offers future promise in areas ranging from flexible, low-cost solar cells to electronic "skin" that could give robots a humanlike ability to "feel" temperature or pressure. Dr. Inokuchi's pioneering efforts and groundbreaking contributions have made possible these advances and the continued development of organic molecular electronics.

Basic Sciences

The 2007 Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences focuses on the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics. Dr. Hiroo Kanamori will receive the award for his significant contributions to understanding the physical processes of earthquakes and developing seismic hazard mitigation systems to protect human life.

In the 1960s, Dr. Kanamori began investigating major earthquakes using a method he created to compare surface waves excited by an earthquake with those calculated using the seismic source model. Starting with the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, he revealed the essential rupture mechanism of major earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Rim, and established almost single-handedly a field that some now call "great earthquake seismology."

In 1977, Dr. Kanamori introduced the "moment magnitude" scale to measure the magnitude of an earthquake in a standardized and quantitative manner -- a scale used by seismological institutions almost exclusively when reporting the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of December 2004. Dr. Kanamori also proposed the "asperity model," which provides a general explanation of the complicated rupture process. The validity of this model is currently being demonstrated by a global positioning system that detects aseismic slip events around asperities.

Dr. Kanamori has proposed a tsunami warning system that uses real-time analysis of long-period seismic waves, and has studied the earthquake-resistance of high-rise buildings, oil storage tanks, and other critical structures. Additionally, he advocates "real-time seismology" -- a method already begun in Southern California, and now being adopted in Japan and other countries -- that acquires and analyzes data immediately after a major earthquake to predict strong motions before the arrival of seismic waves. Dr. Kanamori's work has ushered in a new era in seismology, and his proposals for protecting human life by mitigating seismic hazards are just coming to fruition.

Arts and Philosophy

The 2007 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy focuses on the field of Theater, Cinema. Ms. Pina Bausch will receive the award for opening up a new dimension in the theatrical arts that transcends the conventional domains of dance and theater.

Ms. Bausch was heavily influenced by the lifestyle and humanity of Kurt Jooss, a developer of German expressionist dance, and Anthony Tudor, who was involved in creating psychological ballet in New York. Moving away from classical ballet steps, she established the genre of "Tanztheater" (dance theater) as an holistic theatrical art. When she started staging original works in Wuppertal, Germany she was roundly criticized by those who supported the traditional style of ballet. She began to attract international attention, however, with her performances at the World Theatre Festival in Nancy, France in 1977, and commenced tours of Europe and other regions thereafter.

At her debut performance in New York in 1984, when she staged "Fruhlingsopfer (The Rite of Spring)," "Cafe Mueller," "Blaubart," and "1980 -- Ein Stuck von Pina Bausch (1980 - A Piece by Pina Bausch)," she made a vivid impression on audiences and packed the theater night after night.

Ms. Bausch's works explore the question of human identity and the difficulty of mutual understanding. The recurring motifs of solitude and alienation, male-female entanglements, and conflicts between the individual and society are universal human concerns. She expresses them with gestures and words that sometimes appear brutal and even violent. She is also known for her dynamic and artistic use of natural elements such as soil, water, and flowers in her stage presentations. Her creativity is manifested through the process of choreographing a piece with her dancers. "I'm not interested in how people move, but in what moves them," she once famously stated.

Her creative process begins with a barrage of questions directed individually to her dancers, who respond with words, gestures, and improvised dance, producing a dialogue that discovers new modes of expression. Asserting that she always looks for something the audience can share, Ms. Bausch creates works that stimulate the viewers' memories and emotional responses, deeply touching their souls and often inspiring instant fans. Freely taking leave of the conceptual ideas and images surrounding dance, and using motifs from everyday life as springboards into human consciousness, Ms. Bausch continues to lead the dance scene in the 21st century.

About the Inamori Foundation

The Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera and KDDI Corporation. The Kyoto Prize was founded in 1985, in line with Dr. Inamori's belief that man has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of society, and that mankind's future can be assured only when there is a balance between our scientific progress and our spiritual depth. An emblematic feature of the Kyoto Prize is that it is presented not only to recognize outstanding achievements, but also in honor of the excellent personal characteristics that have shaped those achievements. The laureates are selected through a strict and impartial process considering candidates recommended from around the world. As of November 10, 2006, the Kyoto Prize has been awarded to 71 individuals and one group -- collectively representing 12 nations, and ranging from scientists, engineers and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians and film directors. The United States has produced the most recipients (32), followed by Japan (ten), the United Kingdom (nine), and France (seven).

Photos available upon request.

Notes:

1 Benzene ring: A regular hexagonal ring structure consisting of six carbon atoms, found in such aromatic compounds as benzene.

2 Violanthrone: An aromatic compound whose molecules consist of nine fused benzene rings

3 Perylene: An aromatic compound whose molecules consist of five fused benzene rings