Nakatani Foundation
Holding the “40th Anniversary Ceremony” and “1st Kobe Prize Award Ceremony” to support creative researchers and highlight innovations originating in Japan
～Kobe Prize Ambassador Suzu Yamanouchi interacts with high school students who are the leaders of the future～
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The Nakatani Foundation for the Promotion of Medical and Engineering Measurement Technology, a public interest incorporated foundation (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo/Representative Director: Hisashi Ietsugu, hereinafter referred to as the “Nakatani Foundation”), is holding an award ceremony for the “Kobe Prize,” an academic award established to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the foundation’s establishment. was held on Saturday, June 1, 2024.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-73491e7ddce1d4394078-5.jpg&s3=119957-6-e551a18a32592b2d4eba09c191ffc1a6-3900×2600.jpg] The Kobe Prize is awarded to outstanding and original research that brings about innovation in the field of BME (Bio Medical Engineering), which is attracting attention as a field in which Japan will lead in the future. This is a new academic award that shines a spotlight on researchers who have achieved great results in the field, as well as young researchers whose unique research shows promise. This was the first award ceremony for the Nakatani Foundation, which was
established to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its establishment. Part 1: “40th Anniversary Ceremony of the Nakatani Foundation” A solemn ceremony to look back on the 40 years of the Nakatani Foundation
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-d379515c70f89ed1c9b6-5.jpg&s3=119957-6-ce0eb9afb4dbc1bb59dd51060eb8409c-3900×2600.jpg] In the first part, a ceremony was held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Nakatani Foundation. This was a place to look back on the Nakatani Foundation’s 40 years of accomplishments and accomplishments, and to pass on our “thoughts” for the wide-ranging development of medical and engineering measurement technology. During the ceremony, representative director Ietsugu took the stage and said, “Since 2012, we have added a number of new projects in the 10 years, and in 40 years we have been able to provide support for a total of approximately 2,500 projects and more than 5.8 billion yen. We have been able to reach this point thanks to the dedicated support, assistance, and sincere advice of so many renowned teachers over the past 40 years, including as councilors, directors, and reviewers.” Looking back on the progress we have made, he expressed his gratitude to everyone involved. Next, awards were presented to three people who have contributed to the foundation by serving on the review committee for many years.
Part 2: “The 1st Kobe Prize Award Ceremony”
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Recognizing researchers who will lead the future with many colorful performances
[Image 4: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-59e3c157f3e064d5819a-5.jpg&s3=119957-6-433c3d3b26ec3a968a4a37332a3f608e-3900×2600.jpg] In the second part, we held the “1st Kobe Prize Award Ceremony.” First, jazz artist MITCH performed an opening live performance in front of approximately 300 visitors. The impression was completely different from the solemn atmosphere of the first part, and the opening of the ceremony was decorated with a dazzling performance. Next, Representative Director Ietsugu took to the stage. “The Kobe Prize is an academic award based on the idea of “revitalizing Japan.” We will identify human resources who will advance original research that will lead to the revitalization of Japan’s industry and economy, and support their activities. We will contribute to nurturing the soil in which innovation is born,” he said, explaining the history leading up to the establishment of the “Kobe Prize.”
[Image 5: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-2207b36aa1dab3aaf41b-5.jpg&s3=119957-6-06affaafba0c1d9c75675d1a6a3789c0-3900×2600.jpg] Afterwards, the four award winners appeared amidst gorgeous music and performances. Passing through a path of light, I entered the stage from the audience seats.
Then, Kobe Prize Ambassador Suzu Yamanouchi handed out the trophy, and representative director Ietsugu handed out certificates and
supplementary prizes to the four winners. The trophies are designed to embody the creativity of researchers as a “light in the darkness.” The statue is made of plated material and has a built-in lighting function, making it a unique design that not only looks glossy but also actually lights up.
At the 1st Kobe Prize Award Ceremony, a corner was set up where high school students from Hyogo Prefecture asked each award winner questions and had them answer questions. The venue was filled with excitement due to the enthusiastic questions asked by high school students and the detailed and moving answers that gave a sense of the way people live their lives, from top-runner researchers.
grand prize
Prize money/supplementary prize: 50 million yen prize money, trophy
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Name: Yasuteru Urano
Affiliation/Position: Professor, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine
Research topic: Precise development of original fluorescent probes and their utilization,
Creation of innovative biological and medical imaging technology Comment: I am honored to have won the prestigious 1st Kobe Prize Grand Prize. I would like to express my gratitude to Representative Director Ietsugu and everyone involved in the foundation, and I would also like to thank my parents for giving birth to me at the right time so that I could receive the award in the first edition. Also, my research ideas often start from failures. I feel that this success is due to the fact that we have valued the “unexpected results” that emerge from experiments.
Young Investigator (Y.I.) Award
Prize/Second Prize: Prize money 5 million yen, supplementary prize trophy, research grant 40 million yen (5 years)
[Image 7: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-375d27b4ff8f2f890866-16.jpg&s3=119957-6-0ea1ae43907f20b60508dfa4facc00d2-312×338.jpg] Name: Takanori Takebe
Affiliation/Position: Professor, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine Deputy Director, Human Metaverse Disease Research Center Professor, Institute for Integrated Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University
Director of Communication Design Center, Yokohama City University Research topic: Strategic pluripotent stem cell research towards realizing my medicine
Comment: Starting with the opening act’s jazz performance, I had many experiences that I don’t know if I would experience once in a lifetime. I would like to thank the people involved in the foundation who have prepared this far. My research involves producing organ replacements, which is helping to clarify the causes of deterioration. In the future, all
We hope to use this information to find treatment methods other than organ transplants for these diseases.
[Image 8: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-a0d2c0ab7bebe4c02196-16.jpg&s3=119957-6-cfcf63ccc5d4071c7e09b33234e5a779-310×324.jpg] Name: Sadao Ota
Affiliation/Position: Associate Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Tokyo
Research topic: Freeing high-speed, non-destructive optical life analysis from human knowledge
Development of Learning Cytometry technology group
Comment: I am the same age as the Nakatani Foundation, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and I feel a strong connection with it, so I am extremely honored to have received this award. Up until now, I had struggled because I felt there were hurdles in fields that were different from my area of expertise, but now I feel like I’m actually enjoying it. Stepping into the unknown is an opportunity to open up new possibilities, and I want to continue taking on challenges to expand my possibilities.
[Image 9: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-8e93f0257e5aa299b122-16.jpg&s3=119957-6-306c6f5ed6b72aa9da188462a37585c5-311×335.jpg] Name: Hideaki Kato
Affiliation/Position: Professor, Advanced Science and Technology Research Center, University of Tokyo
Research topic: Elucidation of the molecular basis of optogenetics technology and its advancement
Comment: I am extremely honored to have received the prestigious first Y.I. Award. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the foundation that established the Kobe Prize, as well as everyone who attended the award ceremony. I have always loved looking at experimental data, and I find research interesting when I discover unexpected results. When analyzing these “unexpected things” and building theories, I see it as an opportunity to expand my framework and grow. I would like to continue my research every day while coming into contact with “unexpected” data.
[Image 10: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-08cbf96a67d1589aaea9-19.png&s3=119957-6-2ef168a5298a639cdeeddf035759f6e4-2161×662.png ]
An exchange event between Kobe Prize Ambassador Suzu Yamanouchi and high school students was also held.
[Image 11: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-16c1d5bbe33b6e1e9bf8-0.jpg&s3=119957-6-6124741319b6734c15896f2e31a33403-1920×1280.jpg] Kobe Prize Ambassador Suzu Yamanouchi interacts with high school students who are the leaders of the future
Before the “1st Kobe Prize Award Ceremony” began, high school students who had been invited to the award ceremony held a roundtable discussion with Kobe Prize Ambassador Suzu Yamanouchi. High school students, who are the leaders of Japan’s future, talked about their future goals and what they would like to study.
[Image 12: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-822868843c0b1b6419c8-0.jpg&s3=119957-6-fdbb6b1f26f373240bad2df5afd0395c-1920×1280.jpg] “I’m interested in the field of the global environment, and in the future I want to be involved in a job that helps protect the global environment.” “I want to continue to have the spirit of not giving up even if I fail, and continue to work positively,” and “I want to work hard to become a researcher.” There were positive comments such as, “I want to devote my entire high school life to research without being satisfied with the results.”
Mr. Yamanouchi expressed his hopes for the future, saying, “Looking at everyone (high school students) today, I think Japan will be in good shape in the future.I want them to grow up to be people who shine ‘light,’ which is the keyword of the Kobe Prize.” It was blurred.
[Image 13: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-c0e1253d9227e2dd3e74-0.jpg&s3=119957-6-7078837efa1a2362967c3fbf28c7444a-1920×1280.jpg] Regarding his hometown of Kobe, under the theme of “Invigorating Japan from Kobe,” Mr. Yamanouchi was able to receive encouragement from high school students. A high school student said, “Kobe is a city where Western culture and a crowded food culture are deeply rooted, in a good way.It is also known as a city where Kobe beef and alcohol are delicious.We will continue to promote Japan through Kobe’s food culture.” I hope that you will do well, but I think that having someone like Mr. Yamanouchi who is active as a native of Kobe will bring excitement to both the local community and Japan.” Ms. Yamanouchi said, “I am very happy to hear this.From now on. As a talent from Kobe, I will do my best as a talent.”, he said
enthusiastically.
2nd “Kobe Prize” Application Overview
We are soliciting the following nominations of researchers who will be eligible for the 2nd Kobe Prize.
Target research field: BME (Bio Medical Engineering) field ~ A fusion boundary area between life science and science and engineering ~ ・Research that uses original and innovative approaches that can contribute to medical care and people’s health is targeted.
・As a supplementary term for BME, we have added the term
“interdisciplinary boundary area between life science and science and engineering.”
Biology, medicine, etc. are defined as life sciences, applications of physics, chemistry, etc. are defined as engineering, and science is added to engineering to clarify that information sciences such as mathematics and AI are also included. We used the term fusion boundary area to indicate that the research areas involved are linked. ・We will cover a wide range of research fields, from basics to applications, with an eye on the development of medical care and the promotion of health.
Eligible persons: Eligible persons for the above awards will be recruited through public recruitment. We ask a wide range of academic societies, universities, and research institutions to recommend candidates.
The winners will be selected by the Kobe Prize Judging Committee and decided by the Board of Directors.
Recruitment period: June 1, 2024 (Saturday) to July 31, 2024 (Wednesday)
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“Kobe Prize” Jury List
[Chairman of the Judging Committee]
Masashi Yanagisawa (Director and Professor, International Research Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine, University of Tsukuba) [Examination Vice Chair]
Seiji Ogawa (Professor, Department of Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University)
[judging committee]
Seiko Kinoshita (Professor, Deputy Director, Institute for Glycobial System Integration, Soka University)
Michinori Saito (Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University) Toshiro Sato (Professor, Department of Medical Chemistry, Keio University School of Medicine)
Takao Someya (Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Tokyo) Yasuhiko Tabata (Specially Appointed Professor, Department of Plastic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University)
Fumi Eiji (Professor, Institute of Multidisciplinary Materials Science, Tohoku University)
Osamu Nureki (Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo)
Akiko Hayashi (Team Leader, Multilevel Psychiatric Disorders Research Team, RIKEN Neuroscience Research Center)
Kenya Honda (Professor, Keio University School of Medicine)
Yoshiko Miura (Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University)
Yusuke Mori (Professor, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University) [Advisor]
Shinichi Nishikawa (Representative Director, NPO All About Science Japan) Overview of Nakatani Medical and Engineering Measurement Technology Promotion Foundation
The Nakatani Foundation was established in 1984 as the Nakatani Electronic Measurement Technology Promotion Foundation by the late Taro Nakatani, founder of Sysmex Corporation, a Kobe-based
manufacturer of clinical testing equipment and reagents. Following a bequest from his son, the late Tadashi Nakatani, who carried on that will, the foundation was reborn in 2012 as a foundation capable of carrying out large-scale projects, and in the same year it became a public interest incorporated foundation, taking on its current name. Since then, with the hope of wide-ranging development in the field of medical and engineering measurement, we have focused on supporting leading technology development, awarding awards to researchers who have made outstanding achievements in technology development, and providing support for exchanges related to technology development. I went there.
In addition, since 2014, in order to develop young human resources, we have provided support to a wide range of people, including
scholarships for graduate students and short-term study abroad support for university students, and to further expand our base, we have provided support to a wide range of people, including the promotion of science education for elementary, junior high, and high school students. doing. In this way, it has become one of the most unique foundations in Japan, expanding its business to everyone from researchers to elementary, junior high, and high school students. In 2024, we will celebrate our 40th anniversary, and we will expand our grant fields to include the BME field, as well as create a new award program, the Kobe Prize.
In addition, since 2014, in order to develop young human resources, we have provided support to a wide range of people, including
scholarships for graduate students and short-term study abroad support for university students, and to further expand our base, we have provided support to a wide range of people, including the promotion of science education for elementary, junior high, and high school students. doing. In this way, it has become one of the most unique foundations in Japan, expanding its business to everyone from researchers to elementary, junior high, and high school students. As we celebrate our 40th anniversary in 2024, we have expanded our grant fields to the BME field and created a new award program, the “Kobe Prize.”
[Image 15: https://prtimes.jp/i/119957/6/resize/d119957-6-b3ad01fb10ec0dc4120f-0.jpg&s3=119957-6-f1d3621dfbfee8163e5753a53725b004-1955×1082.jpg] Name: Nakatani Medical and Engineering Measurement Technology Promotion Foundation
English name: Nakatani Foundation for Advancement of Measuring Technologies in Biomedical Engineering
Established: April 1984
Address: 8F Art Village Osaki Central Tower, 1-2-2 Osaki,
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032
Purpose: In the field of BME (Bio Medical Engineering) – a fusion boundary area between life science and science and engineering. 〇 To promote and contribute to the development of Japan and the international community and the improvement of lives.
WEB: https://www.nakatani-foundation.jp/
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