Asahi Prize

Asahi Prize
Asahi Prize
Awarded for	Achievement in science or arts that has made a great contribution to culture or society
Country	Japan
Presented by	Asahi shimbun and Asahi Shimbun Foundation
First award	1929
Website	www.asahi.com/corporate/award/asahi/12737983

The Asahi Prize (朝日賞, Asahi Shō), established in 1929, is an award presented by the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun Foundation to honor individuals and groups that have made outstanding accomplishments in the fields of arts and academics and have greatly contributed to the development and progress of Japanese culture and society at large.

The Asahi Prize was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the foundation of Asahi Shimbun. It is recognized today as one of the most authoritative private awards.

The award recipients are announced each year in The Asahi Shimbun on New Year's Day.

Asahi Sports Award

In its early years the awards were divided into three categories: "Culture," "Welfare," and "Sports." In 1975 the "Asahi Prize" was made a comprehensive award, and the Welfare category was separated into the "Asahi Social Welfare Award" and the Sports category into the "Asahi Sports Award".

Notable winners

Past prize winners include the following.

Arts

Tsubouchi Shōyō, novelist, 1929
Taikan Yokoyama, artist, 1933
Jigoro Kano, founder of judo, 1935
Shimazaki Toson, novelist, 1935
Ryōhei Koiso, painter, 1939
Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, novelist, 1948
NHK Symphony Orchestra, 1951
Mashiho Chiri, 1954
Eiji Yoshikawa, novelist, 1955
Shikō Munakata, artist, 1964
Jirō Osaragi, writer, 1964
Akira Kurosawa, film director, 1965
Haruko Sugimura, actress, 1968
Ryōtarō Shiba, novelist, 1982
Ineko Sata, writer, 1983
Yasushi Inoue, novelist, 1984
Seiji Ozawa, conductor, 1985
Osamu Tezuka, manga artist, 1987
Arata Isozaki, architect, 1988 (2019 Pritzker Architecture Prize)
Migishi Setsuko, artist, 1989
Seichō Matsumoto, novelist, 1989
Shuhei Fujisawa, novelist, 1993
Fumihiko Maki, architect, 1993 (1993 Pritzker Architecture Prize)
Tadao Ando, architect, 1994 (1995 Pritzker Architecture Prize)
Kenzaburō Ōe, novelist, 1994 (1994 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Shuntaro Tanikawa, poet, 1995 (2022 Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath Award)
Yoji Yamada, film director, 1996
Donald Keene, writer, 1997
Makoto Ōoka, poet, 1997 (1996 Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath Award)
Yayoi Kusama, artist, 2000
Hayao Miyazaki, film director, 2001 (2002 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature)
Ai Nagai, playwright, 2005
Haruki Murakami, novelist, 2006 (2009 Jerusalem Prize)
Shigeru Mizuki, manga artist, 2008
Tadanori Yokoo, artist, 2011
Takarazuka Revue, 2013
Tatsuya Nakadai, actor, 2013
Taichi Yamada, screenwriter, 2014
Shigeru Ban, architect, 2015 (2014 Pritzker Architecture Prize)
Tōta Kaneko, poet 2015
Kazushi Ono, conductor 2015
Moto Hagio, manga artist, 2016
Jakucho Setouchi novelist, 2017
Yoko Tawada, writer, 2019
Haruomi Hosono. bass player, 2020
Daidō Moriyama, photographer, 2020
Machi Tawara, poet, 2021
Miyako Ishiuchi, photographer, 2022
Kojin Karatani, philosopher and critic, 2022 (2022 Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture)
Nobuko Imai, violist, 2024
Hiroyuki Sanada, actor, 2024
Kazuyo Sejima, architect, 2025 (2010 Pritzker Architecture Prize)

Science

Yoshio Nishina, physicist, 1944
Shinichiro Tomonaga, physicist, 1946 (1965 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Shoichi Sakata, physicist, 1948
Tomizo Yoshida, pathologist, 1951 (1963 Robert Koch Prize)
Kiyoshi Oka, mathematician, 1953
Hamao Umezawa, scientist, 1958
Leo Esaki, physicist, 1959 (1973 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Kenkichi Iwasawa, mathematician, 1959 (1962 Cole Prize)
Osamu Hayaishi, biochemist, 1964 (1986 Wolf Prize in Medicine)
Yoshimasa Hirata, chemist, 1965
Chushiro Hayashi, astrophysicist, 1965 (2004 Bruce Medal)
Heisuke Hironaka, mathematician, 1967 (1970 Fields Medal)
Setsuro Ebashi, biomedical scientist, 1968 (1979 Croonian Medal)
Mikio Sato, mathematician, 1969 (2003 Wolf Prize in Mathematics)
Reiji Okazaki, molecular biologist, 1970
Kimishige Ishizaka, immunologist, 1973 (1973 Canada Gairdner International Award)
Kiyoshi Itô, mathematician, 1977 (1987 Wolf Prize in Mathematics)
Susumu Tonegawa, molecular biologist, 1981 (1987 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
Tasuku Honjo, immunologist, 1981 (2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
Hidesaburo Hanafusa, virologist, 1983 (1982 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research)
Masaki Watanabe, orthopedic surgeon, 1983
Jun-ichi Nishizawa, engineer, 1984 (2000 IEEE Edison Medal)
Yasutomi Nishizuka, biochemist, 1985 (1994 Wolf Prize in Medicine)
Motoo Kimura, biologist, 1986 (1992 Darwin Medal)
Akira Tonomura, physicist, 1986 (1999 Benjamin Franklin Medal)
Kamiokande Project Team (Leader: Masatoshi Koshiba), 1987 (2002 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Masaki Kashiwara (2025 Abel Prize) / Takahiro Kawai, mathematician, 1987
Hirotsugu Akaike, statistician, 1988
Tadamitsu Kishimoto, immunologist, 1988 (2009 Crafoord Prize)
Tadatsugu Taniguchi, immunologist, 1988 (1991 Robert Koch Prize)
Tomisaku Kawasaki, pediatrician, 1989
Masato Sagawa, Metallurgist, 1990 (2022 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering)
Goro Shimura, mathematician, 1991 (1977 Cole Prize)
Ryoji Noyori, chemist, 1992 (2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
Masatoshi Takeichi, biologist, 1993 (2020 Canada Gairdner International Award)
Makoto Kobayashi, physicist, 1994 (2008 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Toshihide Masukawa, physicist, 1994 (2008 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Nobutaka Hirokawa, neuroscientist, 1995
Syukuro Manabe, meteorologist, 1995 (2021 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Sumio Iijima, physicist, 1996 (2002 Benjamin Franklin Medal)
Shigekazu Nagata, molecular biologist, 1997(1995 Robert Koch Prize)
Super Kamiokande Project Team (Leader: Yoji Totsuka,), 1998 (2007 Benjamin Franklin Medal)
Toshio Yanagida, biophysicist, 1998
Seiji Ogawa, physicist, 1999 (2003 Canada Gairdner International Award)
Shuji Nakamura, material scientist, 2000 (2014 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Isamu Akasaki, material scientist, 2000 (2014 Nobel Prize in Physics)
Shizuo Akira, immunologist, 2005 (2011 Canada Gairdner International Award)
Takao Kondo, biologist, 2006
Osamu Shimomura, chemist, 2006 (2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry)
Shinya Yamanaka, biomedical scientist, 2007 (2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
Yoshinori Ohsumi, biologist, 2008 (2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
Hayabusa Mission (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), 2010
Shimon Sakaguchi, immunologist, 2011 (2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
Hiroyuki Matsunami, engineer, 2012 (2023 IEEE Edison Medal)
Kenji Kosaka, psychiatrist, 2013
Kazutoshi Mori, molecular biologist, 2013 (2014 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research)
Hiroaki Mitsuya, virologist, 2014
Satoshi Ōmura, biochemist, 2014 (2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
Hiraku Nakajima, mathematician, 2016 (2003 Cole Prize)
Jaw-Shen Tsai, Taiwanese physicist, 2020
Takurō Mochizuki, mathematician, 2020 (2022 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics)
Keiko Torii, plant scientist, 2021
Makoto Fujita, chemist, 2022 (2020 Wolf Prize in Chemistry)
Tsutomu Miyasaka, chemist, 2023
Yoshiko Ogata, mathematical physicist, 2024
Takashi Taniguchi, material engineer, 2024
Kenji Watanabe, material engineer, 2024
Masahiro Hara, engineer, 2025

References

1 2 "The Asahi Prize (English version)". The Asahi Shimbun. 2025-01-01. Archived from the original on 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
↑ "Award". Archived from the original on 2014-02-04. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
1 2 "What is the Asahi Prize?". Asahi Shimbun Company (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 September 2026.
↑ Japan Society Archived 2015-05-01 at the Wayback Machine
↑ 水木先生受賞『2008年度朝日賞』 (in Japanese). Tourism Section, Trading and Tourism Div., Industry Environment Dept., Sakaiminato City. Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
↑ "Artist Yokoo, four others win 2011 Asahi Award". Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
1 2 3 ２０１３年度朝日賞に仲代達矢ら、宝塚歌劇団も受賞 (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-02-03.
↑ "ISAS ニュース 2011年2月号" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-02-02.

External links

Official website (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun with information on the award winners sorted by year of award (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun with information on the winners from 2001 to 2017 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun with information on the winners from 1971 to 2000 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun with information on the winners from 1929 to 1970 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun with information on the winners from 1929 to recent years and a description of the achievements since 2000 (in English)

Asahi Sports Award

Website of the Asahi Shimbun listing winners of the Asahi Award in the Sports category from 1929 to 1954 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun listing winners of the Asahi Award in the Sports category from 1955 to 1964 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun listing winners of the Asahi Sports Award from 1965 to 1974 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun listing winners of the Asahi Sports Award from 1975 to 1988 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun listing winners of the Asahi Sports Award from 1989 to 2009 (in Japanese)
Website of the Asahi Shimbun listing winners of the Asahi Sports Award from 2010 to 2025 (in Japanese)

[Asahi-1] 1 2 "The Asahi Prize (English version)". The Asahi Shimbun. 2025-01-01. Archived from the original on 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-01-08.

[2] "Award". Archived from the original on 2014-02-04. Retrieved 2014-02-02.

[AS-3] 1 2 "What is the Asahi Prize?". Asahi Shimbun Company (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 September 2026.

[4] Japan Society Archived 2015-05-01 at the Wayback Machine

[5] 水木先生受賞『2008年度朝日賞』 (in Japanese). Tourism Section, Trading and Tourism Div., Industry Environment Dept., Sakaiminato City. Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-02-02.

[6] "Artist Yokoo, four others win 2011 Asahi Award". Archived from the original on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2014-02-02.

[isas-7] 1 2 3 ２０１３年度朝日賞に仲代達矢ら、宝塚歌劇団も受賞 (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-02-03.

[8] "ISAS ニュース 2011年2月号" (PDF) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2014-02-02.