Hiroo Kanamori, Kyoto Laureate

By Don Anderson

HIROO KANAMORI, KYOTO LAUREATE

The Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences was presented to Hiroo Kanamori in Kyoto, Japan on November 10, 2007. The first Kyoto Prize was awarded in 1985. Three prizes are awarded each year, for advanced technology, basic sciences and arts and philosophy. Previous Laureates of the Kyoto Prize include Claude Shannon, Jan Oort, Noam Chomsky, Sydney Brenner, Jane Goodall, Edward Lorenz, Karl Popper, David Kingery, Walter Munk, Leroy Hood, and Eugene Parker. Apparently, Caltech has the largest number of prizes, to faculty and alumni. The prizes in 2007 were awarded to Hiroo Inokuchi, Hiroo Kanamori and Pina Bausch*. Some of the previous Laureates were in attendance, including Jane Goodall.

The ceremony itself was a combination of a Nobel ceremony, the Academy awards, symphony concerts and several traditional Japanese performances, all with UN-type simultaneous translations. The full Kyoto Symphony Orchestra was installed 15 feet above the main stage. Industry, academia, royalty, the arts and the sciences were all well represented. University presidents, vice-presidents, trustees and deans were there in force. Among US colleges, Case Western Reserve University, University of San Diego, UCSD and Alfred University were well represented.

Festivities were spread over three days and included banquets, commemorative lectures, tours, workshops and a garden party. The formal banquets and most other ceremonies were attended by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, usually seated alone at the front of the stage, or next to Hiroo Kanamori. The two formal banquets were traditional Kyoto, and pure French.

Posters of the Laureates were all over Kyoto, including subway cars. It was therefore interesting to watch the passengers dobletakes when Hiroo entered a crowded subway car for a “student” dinner downtown hosted by an international group of Hiroo’s students and colleagues, resident in Kyoto. By this time, Hiroo had already dined with H.I.H. Princess Takamado as dinner partner on several occasions. There were attendant posted behind their chairs to tend to their needs, and chairs. Coincidently, Tom Heaton was in Japan for a conference and found his way to Kyoto, late as usual but in time for Hiroo’s lecture and workshop on the second and third days. The small dinner party involved several Caltech alumni and former students of Hiroo and Tom.

The Kyoto Prize ranks among the major international awards, thus qualifying Hiroo to hang on the wall in the Atheneum and other places of honor. The Medal itself is 250.5 g of solid 20K gold-encrusted with 8 Inamori Stones, 4 recrystallized emeralds (4.56 ct) alternating with recrystallized rubies (6.88 ct), developed by the Kyocera Corporation. A Kyoto Laureate Symposium will be held in San Diego in March.

Finally, I salute the wisdom of Caltech in making it possible for Caltech to be officially represented at the ceremonies. Hiroo and Kay very much appreciated this (Caltech gave Kay several days leave from her lab for the event). This is the kind of personal touch that makes Caltech special. Caltech is well known to the officials of the Kyoto Prize community and the Inamori Foundation, and their respect for the Institute was brought up several times.

DON L. ANDERSON

January 17, 2008

*Pina Bausch is a well known German dancer/choreographer. In a dance review in the December 8 New York Times, the reviewer wrote; “This is ballet sex in a bird-bath
and it is just silly…it generally works better on a Pina Bausch scale.”


The various programs and a book concerning the Kyoto Prize are with Marcia Hudson. They should probably reside in the Presidents, Provosts or Chairs office.

Last updated: Thu Jan 31 07:28:20 -0800 2008