The Kyoto Symposium Organization (KSO) is a California 501(c)3 non-profit corporation founded in 2004 to organize and administer San Diego’s Kyoto Prize Symposium. The organization is dedicated to promoting education and expanding the mission of the non-profit, Inamori Foundation, and the Foundation’s Kyoto Prize in North America.
Major activities of the Kyoto Symposium Organization include co-hosting the annual Kyoto Prize Symposium in conjunction with San Diego’s major universities; holding an annual benefit gala; and funding the Kyoto Scholarships, which are awarded to high-school seniors in the greater San Diego/ Tijuana region who plan to continue their education at an accredited four-year university.
In addition to scholarships, the Symposium offers unique educational opportunities through public lectures by the esteemed laureates of the Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest private award for global achievement. The mission of the Kyoto Symposium Organization is aligned with that of the Inamori Foundation, which awards the Kyoto Prize to individuals and groups worldwide who demonstrate outstanding contributions to the betterment of society.
All activities of the Kyoto Symposium Organization are intended to uphold the ideals of Dr. Kazuo Inamori, who established the Inamori Foundation and the Kyoto Prize.
Kyoto Prize Laureates Since 1985
The Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corporation; founder and honorary adviser to KDDI Corporation; and chairman emeritus and honorary adviser to Japan Airlines.
Dr. Inamori established the Kyoto Prize in 1984 for two reasons: first, to support his belief that there is no higher calling than to work for the greater good of all humankind; and second, to recognize those dedicated yet unsung people who improve the world through their research, science, and art. Through the Kyoto Prize, Dr. Inamori hopes both to recognize the extraordinary efforts and contributions to society made by these laureates, and to stimulate them and others to still greater heights.
Categories/Fields
The Kyoto Prize is presented in the three categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy, each of which comprises four fields, making a total of 12 fields. Every year, one Prize is awarded in each of the three categories with prize money of 100 million yen per category. The Kyoto Prize ceremony is held each year in Kyoto on November 10th.
One of the distinctive features of the Kyoto Prize is that it is presented in both “science” and “arts and philosophy” fields. This is because of Inamori’s conviction that the future of humanity can be assured only when there is a balance between scientific development and the enrichment of the human spirit.
Kyoto Prize Medal
The Kyoto Prize medal presented to the laureate in honor of his/her achievements was designed by Yoshiyuki Chosa (1915-2002), a Japanese metalwork artisan who received the Order of Culture. At the center of the medal is a camphor tree in relief, a “divine tree” that has been an object of nature worship since ancient times, believed to symbolize eternity and perpetuity. Weighing about 250g, it is made of 20K gold. It is adorned with four recrystallized emeralds (4.56 ct.) and four recrystallized rubies (6.88 ct.), which are called Inamori Stones. The reverse side is engraved with the laureate’s name and the year of the award.
Diploma
The diploma measures 34.5 cm in length and 63 cm in width, with a fold in the center. On the right side, the Prize category and field, Laureate’s name and the date of awarding appear. The diploma is undersigned by the president of Inamori Foundation and Chairmen of respective Committees in the Kyoto Prize Selection Organization. The left side is calligraphic inscription in the hand of the President of the Myoshin-ji Temple school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism, which is generally selected from pertinent Chinese aphorisms with lives and achievements of that year’s laureates in mind.
““The annual Kyoto Prize ceremonies in Japan rank among theworld’s most auspicious events for recognizing outstanding human achievement. The Kyoto Prize Symposium is an undeniable indicator of San Diego’s rising prominence on the world stage””
Kyoto Prize & KSO Timeline:
1984 – Inamori Foundation (IF) created by Dr. Kazuo Inamori in Kyoto, Japan
1985 – First Kyoto Prize awards: to three laureates and a Special Commemorative Kyoto Prize to the Nobel Foundation
2001 – Kyoto Prize Symposium (KPS) created in San Diego at University of San Diego (USD) to host laureates for North American presentations
2004 – KPS hosting includes UC San Diego (UCSD) and San Diego State University (SDSU) in addition to USD
2005 – Kyoto Symposium Organization (KSO) incorporated as CA 501(c)(3) to host KPS with partnership of IF and San Diego host universities
2008 – Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) becomes a host university
2016 – Kyoto Prize at Oxford created to host laureates for European presentations
2018 – Kyoto Prize founder Dr. Kazuo Inamori retires - succeeded by his daughter, Ms. Shinobu Inamori Kanazawa as President of the Inamori Foundation
2018 – IF announces doubling of annual Kyoto Prize monetary awards to 100,000,000 yen (about $1 million per laureate)
2019 – IF and Kyoto Prize Symposium renew four year MOU agreement with UCSD and PLNU, with laureate lectures to be hosted at UCSD
Inamori Foundation Archive
Our founding organization has a wealth of information including past laureate presentations and workshops.
We recommend visiting their site for more education materials and resources.
Board of Directors
Dr. Peter C. Farrell HONORARY CHAIR ResMed, Founding Executive Chair
Paul Robinson CHAIRMAN Hecht Solberg Robinson Goldberg & Bagley LLP, Sr. Partner
Kimberly J. Becker DIRECTOR San Diego International Airport, President & CEO
Malin Burnham FOUNDING CHAIR Burnham Foundation, President
Shoichi Himono DIRECTOR Inamori Foundation, Executive Managing Director
Dr. Ann Clare Kessler DIRECTOR EraCal Therapeutics, Chairman
Brian M. Kramer DIRECTOR Morrison Foerster, Partner
Rodney N. Lanthorne DIRECTOR Kyocera International, Inc., President (Ret.)
Kate Leonard TREASURER Hutchinson & Bloodgood LLP, Partner Emerita Honorary Consul of Japan in San Diego
Dr. Magda Marquet DIRECTOR Ajinamoto Althea, Co-Founder
Ray McKewon DIRECTOR Xceptional Music Co., President
Henry L. Nordhoff DIRECTOR Chugai Pharmaceuticals US, Chairman (Ret.)
Dennis Otsuji DIRECTOR WYAC Landscape Architects, Principal Japanese Friendship Garden, President
Jay Scovie DIRECTOR Kyocera International, Inc., DGM, Corporate Communications and Education
Dr. Mary Walshok DIRECTOR UC San Diego, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Public Programs (Ret.)
Contact us.
Richard H. Davis Executive Director
admin@kyotosymposium.org
Marisa Takeuchi Lin Operations Manager KSOMarisa@outlook.com