The Japan Foundation Award 50th Anniversary Messages from Previous Awardees
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Japan Foundation Awards, which were launched in 1973, the year after the establishment of the Japan Foundation.
During this period, the Japan Foundation has been promoting international cultural exchange and enhancing understanding of international cultural exchange through the recognition of individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions and are expected to contribute further to the promotion of international mutual understanding and friendship through their academic, artistic, and other cultural pursuits, in the fields of the Arts and Cultural Exchange, Japanese-Language Education Overseas, and Japanese Studies and Global Partnerships.
In celebrating this milestone year of the 50th anniversary, we have received valuable messages from a great number of past awardees who have made outstanding achievements and played a significant role in international cultural exchange in their respective fields.
These messages, written from the rich perspectives of each awardee's footprints, tell us about the award's historical background, dating back to the 1970s, the initiatives and efforts of international cultural exchange during these 50 years, the latest activities, and expectations for the future, which we believe will be very useful and encouraging for those who are involved or aspire to be involved in international cultural exchange in this day and age.
We hope that by posting these messages received from awardees around the world on the official website of the Japan Foundation in both Japanese and English for everyone to read, and to disseminate them widely to the people of the world today, this occasion can become a valuable opportunity to foster and to convey once again the meaning of international cultural exchange and its attraction to a wide range of people in Japan and abroad.
Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the awardees who have cooperated with us and contributed on this project with their valuable messages.
October 2023
The Japan Foundation
* The messages from awardees are to be added sequentially.
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Kenneth B. PYLEHenry M. Jackson Professor of History and International Studies, University of Washington
[U.S.A.]Awarded 2008Read messege -
Wang YongDeputy Director, Institute of Asian Civilizations, Zhejiang University / Director, Japanese Culture Research Institute, Zhejiang University
[China]Awarded 2015Read messege -
Japanese Philology Department, Institute of Asian and African Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University
[Russia]Awarded 2014Read messege -
Ahmet Mete TuncokuProfessor Emeritus, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University
[Turkey]Awarded 1999Read messege -
Josef KreinerProfessor Emeritus, University of Bonn, Germany and Visiting Researcher, Hosei University Research Center for International Japanese Studies / Japanese Ethnology
[Austria]Awarded 1987, 2003Read messege -
The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies
[in Yokohama]Awarded 1982Read messege -
Ayşe Selçuk ESENBELEmeritus Professor, Bogazici (Bosphorus) University / President, Japanese Studies Association
[Turkey]Awarded 2007Read messege -
The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Haifa Museums
[Israel]Awarded 2000Read messege -
Association of Indonesian Alumni From Japan (PERSADA)
[Indonesia]Awarded 2019Read messege -
ULIS / FTU / HANU
[Vietnam]Awarded 2021Read messege -
Marco MÜLLERArtistic Director of the Film Art Research Centre at Shanghai University and Distinguished Professor of Film Curating and Programming at Shanghai Film Academy
[Italy]Awarded 2008Read messege -
Spanish-Japanese Cultural Center of the University of Salamanca
[Spain]Awarded 2018Read messege -
Japanese Studies Department, National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations (INALCO)
[France]Awarded 2012Read messege -
Japan Society
[U.S.A.]Awarded 1973Read messege -
Robert LEPAGEActor / Playwright / Theatre and Movie Director
[Canada]Awarded 2022Read messege -
Angela HONDRUHonorary Professor of Hyperion University / Translator
[Romania]Awarded 2008Read messege -
Turkish Japanese Foundation
[Turkey]Awarded 2003Read messege -
Bina Antarbudaya - The Indonesian Foundation for Intercultural Learning
[Indonesia]Awarded 1990Read messege -
Frederik L. SchodtWriter / Translator / Interpreter
[U.S.A.]Awarded 2017Read messege -
Tambuco Percussion Ensemble
[Mexico]Awarded 2011Read messege -
American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ)
[U.S.A]Awarded 2009Read messege -
Peter KornickiEmeritus Professor of Japanese Studies, University of Cambridge
[U.K.]Awarded 1992Read messege -
Japanese American National Museum
[U.S.A]Awarded 1999Read messege -
Technology Promotion Association (Thailand-Japan)
[Thailand]Awarded 2013Read messege -
Australia-Japan Research Centre, The Australian National University
[Australia]Awarded 1979Read messege -
Ewa Pałasz-RutkowskaProfessor, Chair of Japanese Studies, University of Warsaw
[Poland]Awarded 2019Read messege -
The Old Japan Students' Association, Thailand (OJSAT)
[Thailand]Awarded 2002Read messege -
Peter DrysdaleEmeritus Professor, Australian National University
[Australia]Awarded 2014Read messege -
Tatiana Lvovna Sokolova-DelusinaTranslator
[Russia]Awarded 1993Read messege -
The Japanese Cultural Society, Singapore
[Singapore]Awarded 1974Read messege -
Lokesh ChandraDirector, International Academy of Indian Culture / Buddhist studies
[India]Awarded 1987Read messege -
Association for Japanese Language Education
[Japan]Awarded 1980Read messege -
Gerald L. CurtisBurgess Professor Emeritus, Columbia University and Chairman of the Board, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation
[U.S.A.]Awarded 2002Read messege -
Philippine Educational Theater Association
[Philippines]Awarded 2005Read messege -
Sibiu International Theatre Festival
[Romania]Awarded 2015Read messege -
Kai NieminenTranslator of Japanese Literature, Japanologist, Writer
[Finland]Awarded 1997Read messege -
MidoriViolinist / Founder and President of the Non-Profit Organization MUSIC SHARING
[Japan]Awarded 1996Read messege -
Centro Brasileiro de Língua Japonesa (CBLJ)
[Brazil]Awarded 2016Read messege -
TAWADA YokoPoet and Writer
[Japan]Awarded 2018Read messege -
Etsuko PriceDirector, The Shin’enKan Foundation
[U.S.A.]Awarded 2006Read messege -
Phaisith PhipatanakulMember of the Council of State
[Thailand]Awarded 1994Read messege -
Kim YongdeokProfessor Emeritus, Department of History, Seoul National University
[R.O.K.]Awarded 2006Read messege -
Augustin BerqueRetired Professor, School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences
[France]Awarded 2011Read messege -
China Japanese Education Association
[China]Awarded 2005Read messege -
Department of Japanese and Japanese Literature, Faculty of Arts, Cairo University
[Egypt]Awarded 2011Read messege -
HOSOKAWA ToshioComposer
[Japan]Awarded 2018Read messege -
MIURA NaoyukiPresident, Artistic Director of Music From Japan, Inc.
[Japan / U.S.A]Awarded 2001Read messege -
Suntory Foundation
[Japan]Awarded 1998Read messege -
The Association for Japanese-Language Teaching
[Japan]Awarded 1992Read messege -
The Asiatic Society of Japan
[in Tokyo]Awarded 1982Read messege -
Meiji Shinbun Zasshi Bunko, Center for Modern Japanese Legal and Political Documents, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo
[Japan]Awarded 1977Read messege -
The Asian Students Cultural Association
[Japan]Awarded 1975Read messege -
Japan Center for International Exchange
[Japan]Awarded 1974Read messege -
SANKAI JUKU
[Japan]Awarded 2013Read messege -
"Japanese Mothers for International Students" Movement of the Tokyo YWCA
[Japan]Awarded 2002Read messege -
TAKARA KurayoshiProfessor Emeritus of the University of the Ryukyus /
Doctor of Literature, History of the Ryukyus
[Japan]Awarded 2004Read messege -
KURONUMA YurikoViolinist, Former President of Academia Yuriko Kuronuma
[Japan / Mexico]Awarded 1992Read messege -
Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association
[Japan]Awarded 1985Read messege -
Sophia University
[Japan]Awarded 1973Read messege -
MIYATA MayumiShō (Japanese wind instrument) performer
[Japan]Awarded 2021Read messege -
YANAGIYA SankyoRakugo Performer
[Japan]Awarded 2014Read messege -
MURAKAMI HarukiWriter / Translator
[Japan]Awarded 2012Read messege -
KITAGAWA FramArt Director / Chairman, Art Front Gallery Co.
[Japan]Awarded 2007Read messege -
SEN GenshitsuGrand Master XV, Urasenke Tradition of Tea
[Japan]Awarded 1995Read messege -
HAYASHI NozomuEx-associate professor of The Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music / Japanese Bibliography and Classic Literature
[Japan]Awarded 1992Read messege -
Africa Society of Japan
[Japan]Awarded 1980Read messege -
Simul International, Inc.[Japan]Awarded 1977Read messege
* The Japan Foundation Special Prizes have been integrated into The Japan Foundation Awards since 2008.
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