The Japan Foundation Awards

Dr. Josef Kreiner [Austria]
Director, Institute of Japanese Studies, The University of Bonn
Dr. Kreiner is one of the major figures in the field of Japanese studies both in Europe and throughout the entire world. He has done outstanding research on the society and culture of all parts of Japan, including Okinawa and Hokkaido, and he continues his studies from a broad viewpoint. In 1987, he received the Japan Foundation Special Prize, and subsequently, he has continued remarkable activities, including his service as Director of the German Institute for Japanese Studies (Tokyo) for eight years. It is in recognition of these outstanding activities that he has been selected as the recipient for the Japan Foundation Award this year.

Dr. Yoshiaki Ishizawa [Japan]
Professor, Faculty of Foreign Studies, Sophia University
For more than forty years, Dr. Ishizawa has been involved in the investigation of cultural properties, and he has rendered great service toward the preservation of the cultural heritage of Southeast Asia. He deserves special mention for his involvement in the excavations, preservation, and restoration of the Angkor Wat remains in the virgin forests of Cambodia and his cooperation with local research, even throughout the civil war there, leading to the designation of Angkor Wat as a World Heritage site. Thus, he has made great contributions toward the rediscovery of Southeast Asian history and to international cultural and academic exchange.

The Japan Foundation Special Prizes

Mr. Mikio Kato [Japan]
Trustee and Executive Director, International House of Japan
Mr. Kato has been involved in the practical work of cultural exchange among the various foreign nations, centered on America and the countries of Southeast Asia, for many years. The International House of Japan plays an important role as a major Japanese international exchange organ, as well as serving as a base in Japan for American cultural-exchange organizations and universities. As the executive in charge of cultural-exchange programs at I-House, he has made outstanding accomplishments toward intellectual exchange and mutual understanding on a global scale.

Far Eastern National University Oriental Studies Institute [Russia]
This institute boasts a long history as a traditional base for Japanese studies on the Pacific coast of Russia. Thus, it has exerted great influence on the diffusion and dissemination of Japanese-language studies and Japanese culture. It is also actively involved in academic and artistic exchange activities with neighboring countries, including Japan, with an aim toward the development of university education in close cooperation with the Asia-Oceania region.

Turkish Japanese Foundation [Turkey]
This foundation serves as a base for the promotion of a friendly and cooperative relationship between Turkey and Japan, in which capacity, it has made an outstanding contribution to the introduction of Japanese culture, through the carrying out of broadly diverse cultural programs, including film screenings, art exhibitions, and lectures. It has also exerted prodigious efforts toward the promotion of Japanese-language education, and great expectations are held for its increasing activities in the future as a symbol of friendship between Turkey and Japan.