Kyoto Prize comprises the 3 categories: Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. Each category is composed of 4 fields, so that we shed light and commend the 12 fields’ wisdoms. The prize fields revolve in every 4 years intervals.
For the establishment of the Kyoto Prize, the representatives of Inamori Foundation made a courtesy call to the Nobel Foundation and told that we would highly respect the Nobel Prize as most historical and prestigious prize, so that Kyoto Prize would commend the fields that the Nobel Prize does not cover. Chairman Sune Bergstrom representing the Nobel Foundation addressed in the Kyoto Prize Presentation Ceremony “The Nobel Prizes are naturally limited to the fields defined in Alfred Nobel’s will. But the creative human mind does not know any limits. It is therefore that we indeed welcome the Kyoto Prizes that will recognize other important fields of human activities and thus help increase the understanding of their importance for human development and welfare.” (Excerpt from the acceptance speech for the Special Commemorative Kyoto Prize)
The 1985 Kyoto Prize Presentation Ceremony
Left: Chairman Sune K. Bergström participated in the Press Conference
Right: For the establishment of the prize, President Inamori visited Sweden
Especially commendation of the Arts and Philosophy were highly regarded as unprecedented and epoch-making in the world. Thus a thought of the founder Kazuo Inamori was embodied as in his word “the future of humanity can be assured only through a balance between scientific progress and spiritual depth.”