The Inamori Foundation (non-profit; President: Dr. Kazuo Inamori) today presented its 25^th annual Kyoto Prize in “Advanced Technology” to Dr. Isamu Akasaki. The Kyoto Prize is Japan’s highest private award for global achievement, honoring significant contributions to the scientific, cultural and spiritual betterment of humankind.

Today’s ceremony marked the 25^th anniversary of the Kyoto Prize – a major milestone in the history of the award, which is presented annually in three categories: Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. The laureates received a diploma, a 20-karat-gold Kyoto Prize medal, and a cash gift totaling 50 million yen (approximately US$550,000) per prize category.

For 2009, the Kyoto Prize in “Advanced Technology” focuses on the field of Electronics. Dr. Akasaki (citizenship: Japan, b. 1929), received the award for his pioneering work that led to the development of the blue light-emitting diode (LED).

A semiconductor scientist, Dr. Akasaki serves both as a university professor at Nagoya University and professor at Meijo University in Japan.

In his efforts to develop the blue LED, once regarded as technologically impossible, Dr. Akasaki conducted decades-long research on gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors. He persisted after other researchers had given up and eventually created GaN-based positive-negative (P-N) junctions, making the blue LED practically possible for the first time in history. This achievement stimulated research on blue LEDs worldwide, and served as the first step toward their eventual commercialization in the 1990s.

Blue LEDs have already been adapted into a broad range of applications, yet their potential is only beginning to be realized. Current applications include displays for mobile electronic devices; large outdoor display equipment and signage; railway and road traffic signals; and vehicle lamps. With the advent of blue semiconductor lasers, the capacity of optical recording media, such as Blu-ray discs, has been increased dramatically. Dr. Akasaki’s pioneering research has not only led to numerous and diverse new applications in electronic equipment, but also offers great promise for protecting the global environment, as blue LEDs are adopted for general-purpose lighting with superior energy-conserving qualities.

Dr. Akasaki is one of four 2009 Kyoto Prize recipients. The others include:

• In “Basic Sciences,” Drs. Peter R. and B. Rosemary Grant, both 73, evolutionary biologists, professors emeriti at Princeton University, and the first husband-and-wife team to receive the Kyoto Prize.
• In “Arts and Philosophy,” Maestro Pierre Boulez, 84, a world-renowned composer, conductor, and honorary director of the Institute for Research and Coordination Acoustic/Music (IRCAM) in Paris.

The laureates will reconvene in San Diego, Calif., April 20-22, 2010, for the ninth annual Kyoto Prize Symposium at San Diego State University; University of California, San Diego; and University of San Diego. For three days, the symposium will allow an international audience to learn about the latest Kyoto Prize laureates and participate in one-of-a-kind public presentations not seen anywhere else in the world.

About the Inamori Foundation

The non-profit Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera (NYSE:KYO) and KDDI Corporation. The Kyoto Prize was founded in 1985, in line with Dr. Inamori’s belief that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of society, and that the future of humanity can be assured only when there is a balance between our scientific progress and our spiritual depth. An emblematic feature of the Kyoto Prize is that it is presented not only in recognition of outstanding achievements, but also in honor of the excellent personal characteristics that have shaped those achievements. The laureates are selected through a strict and impartial process considering candidates recommended from around the world. As of November 10, 2009, the Kyoto Prize has been awarded to 81 individuals and one group – collectively representing 13 nations, and ranging from scientists, engineers and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians and film directors. The United States has produced the most recipients (33), followed by Japan (13), the United Kingdom (12), and France (8).

For more information and/or photos, visit: www.kyotoprize.org.