Prizewinners

The University of Osaka-related Awardees

International Prizes

Name

Achievement

Year

YUKAWA Hideki

Nobel Prize in Physics for his prediction of the existence of mesons on the basis of theoretical work on nuclear forces

Yukawa Memorial, The University of Osaka

1949

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance

[BREAKING NEWS] Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon receives 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine!

Immunology Frontier Research Center

2025

Name

Achievement

Year

HANAFUSA Hidesaburo

Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for demonstrating how RNA tumor viruses cause cancer, and elucidating their role in combining, rescuing and maintaining oncogenes in the viral genome

1982

Name

Achievement

Year

AKIRA Shizuo

Discovery of proteins playing a key role in innate immunity

2011

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Discovery of regulatory T cells, characterization of their role in immunity and application to the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer

Distinguished Professor SAKAGUCHI awarded Canada Gairdner International Award

2015

Name

Achievement

Year

HAYAISHI Osamu

The Wolf Prize in Medicine "for his discovery of the oxygenase enzymes and elucidation of their structure and biological importance."

1986

SATO Mikio

The Wolf Prize in Mathematics for foundation of algebraic analysis, theories of hyperfunction and micro-local hyperfunction, Holonomic quantum field theory, and creation of algebraic analysis including a unified theory of soliton equations.

2002-2003

Name

Achievement

Year

KISHIMOTO Tadamitsu

For their pioneering work in isolating interleukins, determining their properties and exploring their role in the onset of inflammatory diseases

Articles about their winning the Crafoord Prize:

Handai Now #111

Handai Newsletter #45

2009

HIRANO Toshio

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

For discoveries relating to regulatory T cells, which counteract harmful immune reactions in arthritis and other autoimmune diseases

Article about his winning the Crafoord Prize:

Specially Appointed Professor SAKAGUCHI Shimon receives Crafoord Prize (News & Topics)

2017

Name

Achievement

Year

KASAMI Tadao

For his significant contributions to coding theory

1999

Name

Achievement

Year

KISHIMOTO Tadamitsu

Discovery of interleukin-6 and its applications in the treatment of diseases (Fields of Materials Science and Production)

Article about his winning the Japan Prize

Handai Now #125

2011


HIRANO Toshio

OKAMOTO Yoshio

Leading contributions to precision synthesis of helical polymers and development of practical chiral materials for separating chiral drugs (Field of Life Sciences and Medicine)

2019

AKIRA Shizuo

Elucidation of the nucleic acid recognition mechanism by the innate immune system (Field of Life Sciences)

Professor Shizuo AKIRA Receives 2026 Japan Prize (News & Topics)

2026

Name

Achievement

Year

MIMURA Takashi

Invention of the High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT) and Its Development for the Progress of Information and Communications Technology

2017

Domestic Prizes

Order of Culture

Name

Research field

Year

NAGAOKA Hantaro

Physics

1937

YUKAWA Hideki

Atomic Physics

1943

OKABE Kinjiro

Electric Engineering

1944

MAJIMA Toshiyuki

Chemistry

1949

KIKUCHI Seishi

Atomic Physics

1951

YAGI Hidetsugu

Electric Engineering

1956

AKAHORI Shiro

Bioorganic Chemistry

1965

NITTA Isamu

Crystal chemistry

1966

SHODA Kenjiro

Mathematics

1969

YASUI Takuma

Modern Economics

1971

HAYAISHI Osamu

Biochemistry

1972

MORISHIMA Michio

Theoretical Economics

1976

KOTANI Masao

Molecular Physiology, Biophysics

1980

OKADA Yoshio

Cytogenetics

1987

IMAI Isao

Hydrodynamics

1988

HANAFUSA Hidesaburo

Cytobiology, Molecular Oncology

1995

KISHIMOTO Tadamitsu

Immunology

1998

TOYOSHIMA Kumao

Virology, Oncology

2001

ARATA Yoshiaki

High Temperature Engineering, Welding Engineering

Articles about his winning the Order of Culture

Handai Now #93

2006

SHIBA Yoshinobu

Chinese History

2017

MATSUBARA Kenichi

Molecular Biology

2017

YAMAZAKI Masakazu

Theater/Literature

2018

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Immunology

2019

KAWASHIMA Yasunaru

cardiovascular surgery

Professor Emeritus KAWASHIMA Yasunaru selected for the 2025 Order of Culture

2025

KOMATSU Kazuhiko

Folklore

2025

Person of Cultural Merit

Name

Research field

Year

YUKAWA Hideki

Physics

1951

OKABE Kinjiro

Electric Engineering

1951

MAJIMA Riko

Chemistry

1951

KIKUCHI Seishi

Atomic Physics

1952

YAGI Hidetsugu

Electric Engineering

1956

IMAMURA Arao

Internal Medicine

1960

KOTAKE Yashiro

Biochemistry

1961

TAKATA Yasuma

Sociology

1964

AKAHORI Shiro

Bioorganic Chemistry

1965

NITTA Isamu

Crystal chemistry

1966

SHODA Kenjiro

Mathematics

1969

YASUI Takuma

Modern Economics

1971

HAYAISHI Osamu

Biochemistry

1972

MORISHIMA Michio

Theoretical Economics

1976

KOTANI Masao

Molecular Physics

1977

IMAI Isao

Hydrodynamics

1979

OKADA Yoshio

Cytogenetics

1982

INUKAI Takashi

Manyoshu Studies

1987

MIYAMOTO Mataji

History of Japan Economy, History of Management in Japan

1988

YAMAMURA Yuichi

Internal Medicine, Immunology, Biochemistry

1988

KISHIMOTO Tadamitsu

Immunology

1990

HANAFUSA Hidesaburo

Cytobiology, Molecular Oncology

1991

ARATA Yoshiaki

High Temperature Engineering, Welding Engineering

1995

TOYOSHIMA Kumao

Virology, Oncology

1998

KUMAGAI Nobuaki

Electromagnetic Wave Engineering

1999

NAGATA Shigekazu

Molecular Biology, Biochemistry

2001

SHINKAI Yoichi

Macroeconomics, International Economics

2004

MATSUBARA Kenichi

Molecular Biology, Academic Promotion

2006

YAMAZAKI Masakazu

Playwriting, Criticism

2006

SHIBA Yoshinobu

Oriental History

2006

KAWASHIMA Yasunaru

Transplant Surgery , Medical Education, Healthcare Promotion

2007

AKIRA Shizuo

Immunology

2009

YANAGIDA Toshio

Biophysics

2013

HAMAKAWA Yoshihiro

Applied Physics

2015

NISHIO Shojiro

Information Science, Academic Promotion

2016

MURAI Shinji

Synthetic Organic Chemistry

2017

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Immunology

2017

TONO Haruyuki

Ancient Japanese History

2017

INOKI Takenori

Economics

2019

KINSUI Satoshi

Japanese Linguistics

2023

KAWATA Satoshi

Applied Physics

2024

Imperial Award and Japan Academy Prize

Name

Title

Year

YUKAWA Hideki

Theoretical Study on the Interaction of Elementary Particles and Prediction of the Existence of Mesotrons in Cosmic Rays

1940

OKABE Kinjiro

Research Regarding Magnetrons

1941

SAKATA Shoichi

Two Meson Theory

1950

IMAI Isao

Contributions to Aerodynamics

1959

NAGAMIYA Takeo

Theoretical Studies on Antiferromagnetism

1963

YOSHIDA Kosaku

A Study of Modern Analysis

1967

MIYAMOTO Mataji

A Study of the Ono-Gumi

1971

TAKASAKI Jikido

Development at Thatāgata-garbha Doctrine

1975

OKADA Yoshio

Cell Fusion and Cell Engineering

1980

HARA Kokichi

L'Œuvre Mathématique de Pascal

1982

SATO Ryo

Studies on the Microsomal Monooxygenase System

1985

KISHIMOTO Tadamitsu

Studies on Interleukin 6

1992

HONJO Tasuku

Studies on Regulation of Immunoglobulin Class Switching

1996

YANAGIDA Toshio

Direct Manipulation and Observation of Molecular Machines of Biological Movements

1998

NAGATA Shigekazu

Studies on Molecular Mechanism of Apoptosis

2000

AKIRA Shizuo

Pathogen Recognition by Innate Immunity and its Signaling

Articles about his winning the Imperial Award and Japan Academy Prize

Handai Now #98

2007

NAMBA Keiichi

Structural and Functional Analyses of Biological Macromolecular Nanomachines

Articles about his winning the Imperial Award and Japan Academy Prize

Handai Now #133

2012

Japan Academy Prize

Name

Title

Year

MAJIMA Riko

Investigations on the Constitution of Urushiol

1917

KOTAKE Yashiro*

Studies on the Intermediate Metabolism of Tryptophan

1933

KUNUGI Kinjiro

Researches on the Theory of Abstract Spaces

1939

NITTA Isamu

Researches on Chemical Constitution by the X-ray Method

1943

KOTAKE Munio

Chemical Studies on Toad Poisons

1944

KOTANI Masao

Oscillation Mechanism of a Magnetron and Theoretical Study on Wave Guides and Resonators

1948

KURU Masaru

Studies on the Determination of the Posterior Horn Cells relative to the Conduction of Pain and Temperature Sensation

1949

SHODA Kenjiro

Studies in Modern Abstract Algebra

1949

KIKKAWA Hideo

Studies in Biochemical Genetics on Insects

1952

NAKAYAMA Tadashi

Investigations on the Theory of Rings and Representations

1954

AKABORI Shiro

Studies on the Mode of Combination of Amino Acids in Proteins

1955

TITANI Toshizo

Researches on Stable Isotopes

1956

NAGASAWA Nobuhisa

Studies in St. Augustine's Philosophy

1961

ICHIHARA Katashi

Studies on Intermediate Metabolism of Some Amino Acids and Related Enzymes

1961

SUDA Masami

HAYAISHI Osamu

Studies on Oxygenases

1967

OKUNUKI Kazuo

Studies on Cytochrome Systems

1968

UYEO Shojiro

Studies of the Chemistry of the Basic Poisonous Constituents of Lycoris radiata Herb

1970

KAMIYA Noburo

Studies on Protoplasmic Streaming and Some Water Relations in Plant Cells

1971

NOMURA Masayasu

Studies on Reconstruction of Ribosomes

1972

KAWAI Naoto

Experimental Studies of Earth Materials under Extremely High Pressures and High Temperatures

1973

NISHIYAMA Zenji

Studies on Martensite Transformations of Alloys

1973

KUBOTA Takashi

Studies on Bitter Principles of Plants

1975

SEKI Shuzo

Research on Structural Thermodynamics of Solids

1976

SATO Mikio

Theory of Hyperfunctions and Its Applications

1976

SUZUKI Tomoji

Protein Chemistry on Kinin System and Its Control Mechanism

1979

ISHIMOTO Masao

Reasonable Grounds of Liability without Fault: A Study of Comparative Law on "Culpa levissima" in Roman Law

1984

ARATA Yoshiaki

Development of Ultra High Energy Density Heat Sources and Their Application to Heat Processing

1985

YAMAMURA Yuichi

Cell-mediated Immunity and its Modulation

1985

TOYOSHIMA Kumao

Studies on src-Family Oncogenes

1987

MORIMOTO Nobuo

Discovery of a New Type of Mechanism for Solid-Solution Formation in Minerals

1994

FUJITA Hiroshi

In Situ Observation of Plastic Deformation of Metals Using High Voltage Electron Microscopy (HVEM)

1994

SUGA Hiroshi

Phase Transitions and Relaxation Processes in Condensed Phases

1995

KANAMORI Junjiro

Theory of Ferromagnetic Transition Metal Alloys

1996

IKEHARA Morio

Synthesis and Functional Studies on Nucleic Acids-Synthetic c-Ha-ras Gene and Related Subjects (Joint Research)

1996

OHTSUKA Eiko

KUMAGAI Nobuaki

Basic Research on the Development of New Theories of Electromagnetic Waves and their Applications to Guided Wave Transmission

1997

KITAMURA Yukihiko

Development and Malignant Transformation of Mast Cells and Interstitial Cells of Cajal through KIT Receptors

2005

MATAGA Noboru

Studies on Molecular Interactions and Chemical Reaction Dynamics of Photo-excited Molecules

2006

OHTAKE Fumio

Inequality in Japan

2008

HASEGAWA Akira

Discovery of Optical Soliton Properties in Fibers and of Self-organization of Plasma Turbulence

2008

MURAI Shinji

Skeletal Formation and Modification of Organic Compounds via Transition Metal-Based Molecular Catalysts

2010

MURAHASHI Shun-ichi

TANIGUCHI Naoyuki

Pioneering Accomplishments in Glycobiology, Especially on the Significance of N-glycans in Disease

2011

FUTAI Masamitsu

Studies on the Synthesis and Cellular Use of Biological Energy

2012

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Regulation of Immune Response by Regulatory T Cells

2012

NAGASAWA Takashi

Elucidation of Microenvironments Essential for the Maintenance of Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Hematopoiesis and Bone

2019

*Award to mark Crown Prince Akihito's marriage


Medal with Purple Ribbon

Name

Affiliation at the time of winning a medal

Year

MATSUKAWA Tatsuo

School of Engineering

1959

CHITANI Toshizo

School of Science

1965

TERAZAWA Kazuo

School of Engineering

1970

FUJINO Tsunesaburo

Research Institute for Microbial Diseases

1971

SUGATA Eiji

School of Engineering

1971

FUSHIMI Koji

School of Science

1973

UEMATSU Tokio

School of Engineering Science

1974

YOSHINAGA Hiroshi

School of Engineering

1975

KAMAHORA Juntaro

Research Institute for Microbial Diseases

1975

SUZUKI Tomoji

Institute for Protein Research

1976

MIYAJI Toru

Faculty of Medicine

1977

YUKAWA Yasuhide

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

1977

KUMAGAI Hisao

School of Economics

1978

OKUNO Yoshiomi

Research Institute for Microbial Diseases

1978

KINOSHITA Kazuo

School of Economics

1983

ISHIMARU Toshiyasu

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

1984

SAKURAI Hiroshi

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

1985

OSAWA Fumio

School of Engineering Science

1985

HASHIMOTO Hatsujiro

School of Engineering

1985

IKEHARA Morio

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

1986

MANABE Hisao

Faculty of Medicine

1987

NAMBA Susumu

School of Engineering Science

1988

SHIOKAWA Jiro

School of Engineering

1988

INADA Ken-ichi

Institute of Social and Economic Research

1989

MISUMI Juji

School of Human Sciences

1989

KOIZUMI Mitsue

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

1990

MORIMOTO Nobuo

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

1990

DATE Muneyuki

School of Science

1991

YAMANAKA Chiyoe

School of Engineering

1992

YOSHIMORI Akio

School of Engineering Science

1992

TSUBOMURA Hiroshi

School of Engineering Science

1993

FUJITA Hiroshi

School of Engineering

1993

HARA Tomiyuki

School of Science

1994

MATAGA Noboru

School of Engineering Science

1995

HAMAKAWA Yoshihiro

School of Engineering Science

1995

YAMANE Toshimi

School of Engineering

1996

MIYAMOTO Sigenori

School of Science

1996

MURATA Ichiro

School of Science

1996

KAWASHIMA Yasunaru

Faculty of Medicine

1997

SONODA Noboru

School of Engineering

1997

MATSUBARA Ken-ichi

Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology

1997

MORITA Zen-ichiro

School of Engineering

1998

KYOGOKU Yoshimasa

Institute for Protein Research

1998

SHIOBARA Tsutomu

School of Human Sciences

1998

NAKAMURA Akira

School of Science

1998

SHINODA Jun-ichi

School of Letters

1999

SONODA Takao

Faculty of Medicine

1999

YAMAZAKI Masakazu

School of Letters

1999

ARIMOTO Suguru

School of Engineering Science

2000

AOKI Tamotsu

School of Human Sciences

2000

KITAMURA Yukihiko

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences

2001

INOKI Takenori

School of Economics

2002

KAWAI Tomoji

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

2003

TAKAI Yoshimi

Faculty of Medicine

2003

TAKEDA Sachiko

Osaka University of Foreign Studies

2003

WASHIDA Kiyokazu

School of Letters

2004

AKIRA Shizuo

Research Institute for Microbial Diseases

2005

TANIGUCHI Naoyuki

Faculty of Medicine

2005

HIRANO Toshio

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences

2006

HARADA Akira

School of Science

2006

NAKAMURA Toshikazu

Graduate School of Medicine

2006

MATSUZAWA Yuji

Faculty of Medicine

2006

KAWATA Satoshi

Graduate School of Engineering

2007

ONUKI Yoshichika

Graduate School of Science

2008

MASUHARA Hiroshi

Graduate School of Engineering

2008

NAKAJIMA Hideo

Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research

2009

SAKAGUCHI Shimon

Kyoto University

2009

TONO Haruyuki

School of Letters

2010

MORITA Seizo

Graduate School of Engineering

2011

NISHIO Shojiro

Graduate School of Information Science and Technology

2011

FUKUZUMI Shunichi

Graduate School of Engineering

2011

HANAOKA Fumio

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences

2012

KITAOKA Yoshio

Graduate School of Engineering Science

2012

KUBO Shiro

Graduate School of Engineering

2012

HAMADA Hiroshi

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences

2014

YONEDA Yoshihiro

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences

2015

KOMIZO Yuuichi

Joining and Welding Research Institute

2017

KINOSHITA Taroh

Research Institute for Microbial Diseases

2018

DOME Takuo

Graduate School of Economics

2019

YOSHIMORI Tamotsu

Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences

2019

SAWA Yoshiki

Graduate School of Medicine

2020

AKITA Shigeru

Graduate School of Humanities

2022

ITOZAKI Hideo

Graduate School of Engineering Science

2023

SEKIGUCHI Kiyotoshi

Institute for Protein Research

2023

CHATANI Naoto

Research Center for Environmental Preservation

2023

YAMAUCHI Kazuto

Graduate School of Engineering

2023

KODAMA Ryosuke

Graduate School of Engineering

2023

YAMAMURA Kazuya

Graduate School of Engineering

2024

MIYAJI Atsuko

Graduate School of Engineering

2024

NISHIDA Kohji

Graduate School of Medicine

2025

KUMANOGOH Atsushi

Graduate School of Medicine

2025

share !