Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attend prize ceremony

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the 2026 Japan Prize Presentation Ceremony in Tokyo.

Emperor Naruhito was accompanied by Empress Masako this week in attending the 2026 Japan Prize Presentation Ceremony at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. The Japan Prize, organised by The Japan Prize Foundation, honours scientists and researchers from around the world, recognising individuals who have contributed significantly to the peace & prosperity of humankind through “original and outstanding achievements that have greatly advanced the progress of science and technology.”

The winners of the 2026 Japan Prize are Professor Cynthia Dwork (USA) in the field of Electronics, Information, and Communication, as well as Professor Shizuo Akira (Japan) and Professor Zhijian’ James’ Chen (USA) in the field of Life Sciences.

For the 2026 Prize, the Foundation asked approximately 16,000 prominent scientists & engineers to nominate researchers working in various fields, with this year’s winners selected from a total of 292 nominees.

The Japan Prize Foundation states,

The creation of the Japan Prize was motivated by the Japanese government’s desire to “contribute to the development of science and technology worldwide by establishing a prestigious international award.” The Japan Prize was established in 1983 with a cabinet endorsement and is supported by numerous private donations.