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Inamori Foundation E-mail News, Vol. 002-1
December 25, 2009
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This E-mail News is distributed to those who have registered subscription or given us a business card.
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01: Information on Kyoto Prize Week (first half)
- The Presentation Ceremony for the 2009 Kyoto Prize — a splendid occasion on the landmark 25th anniversary (Nov.10)
- Commemorative lectures by the laureates, who moved the audience with their passion (Nov.11)
- Holding of three workshops including open rehearsal under the direction of Mr. Boulez (Nov.12)
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-The Presentation Ceremony for the 2009 Kyoto Prize — a splendid occasion on the landmark 25th anniversary (Nov.10)
The Presentation Ceremony for the 2009 Kyoto Prize was held with solemnity and grandeur at the Kyoto International Conference Center on November 10. It was a festive yet dignified occasion attended by Her Imperial Highness Princess Takamado, Honorary President of the Inamori Foundation, honored ambassadors and consuls, and many distinguished guests from the across Japan and abroad.
In his address, Mr. Hiroo Imura, Chairman of the Inamori Foundation, remarked that, on the milestone 25th ceremony, he expressed it was the Foundation's mission to keep the torch of the founding ideals burning brightly and to pass it on to coming generations. He presented each laureate with the Kyoto Prize medal (20-karat gold) and diploma, and prize money of 50 million yen per category.
The ceremony opened with the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra's rendition of "Overture to the Ceremony," followed by a celebratory Noh Performance of Hagoromo by Hisanori Kongo, the 26th Grant Master of the Kongo School of Noh, Then, congratulatory message from Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan, Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic were read by their individual official government and diplomatic representatives. The solemn atmosphere onstage took a festive turn with the entrance of the Seibo Elementary School Chorus, who sang several songs in praise of the laureates. The following former laureates of the Kyoto Prize were specially attended: Dr.Walter Jakob Gehring in the 2000 laureate of the Basic Sciences category, Dr.George McClelland Whitesides in the 2003 laureate of the Advanced Technology category, and Mr.Issey Miyake in the 2006 laureate of the Arts and Philosophy category.
The left side of the diploma which was presented, is a calligraphic inscription in the hand of His Holiness Tokai Daiko, President of the Myoshin-ji Temple school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Each year's inscription, generally a pertinent Chinese aphorism, is specially selected by His Holiness Tokai in consideration of that year's laureates.This year's calligraphy, a phrase made up of the three characters "maku," "jiki," and "ko," denotes the determination to face things squarely and go straight ahead instead of shirking, no matter how difficult the path is.
At the joint press conference held immediately after the ceremony, the laureates expressed their joy over their selection.
+[Photo News]The Presentation Ceremony for the 2009 Kyoto Prize (Nov.10)
-Commemorative lectures by the laureates, who moved the audience with their passion (Nov.11)
On November 11, the commemorative lectures by the four laureates were held. Open to the public, this annual event is a rare opportunity for the audience to learn from the outstanding contributions that the laureates have made to human society on a global scale. It is hoped that the audience is to be inspired for their lives as they directly hear the laureates' views on life and the world. On the day of the gathering, the venue was filled with an audience of about 1,600, who listened enthusiastically to the earnest remarks of the laureates.
In his lecture, which was entitled "Enchanted Journeys in Blue Light," Dr. Isamu Akasaki took a look back at his days of sheer absorption in research in the face of difficulties, with the feeling of making a solitary trek in the wilderness.
In their speech, which was entitled "In Charles Darwin's Footsteps," Dr. Peter R. Grant and Dr. B. Rosemary Grant described their observations, measurements, and interpretations of evolution by natural selection based on careful field work for a period of 37 years in the Galapagos Islands. They also talked about the results of their research, which benefited from their work together as husband and wife. For example, there were unforeseen synergistic effects deriving from the collaboration between Dr. B. Rosemary Grant, who specializes in genetics, and Dr. Peter R. Grant, whose specialty is ecology.
Mr. Pierre Boulez, in a talk entitled "Labyrinth of Ideals," quoted a poem by Mallarme and described the philosophy he practices in his own creative activities.
Manuscripts of the lectures by the laureates at the gathering to commemorate the Kyoto Prize will be posted on our website at a later date.
+[Photo News]Commemorative lectures by the laureates(Nov.11)
-Holding of three workshops including open rehearsal under the direction of Mr. Boulez (Nov.12)
On November 12, the commemorative workshops were held in each Kyoto Prize category. Besides the addresses by the laureates, each workshop consisted of speeches by researchers who rank at the top in their respective field and dialogues with the laureates.
Held in the Kyoto International Conference Center, the workshops in the advanced technology category and basic sciences category each attracted 160 participants.
At the workshop in the arts and philosophy category, which was held in the Kyoto Concert Hall in the Kitayama district, Mr. Pierre Boulez conducted an open rehearsal for a performance of Sur Incises (1996-1998). The rehearsal drew a big crowd of 950, who listened intently to the orchestra under Mr. Boulez's direction.
+[Photo News]Holding of three workshops(Nov.12)
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