Fukuoka Prize


The Fukuoka Prize is an award established by the city of Fukuoka and the Fukuoka City International Foundation to honor the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in preserving or creating Asian culture. There are three prize categories: Grand Prize, Academic Prize, and Arts and Culture Prize.
In 1989, Fukuoka held the Asia-Pacific Exposition with the concept of interaction between the Asia-Pacific region. The prize program was inaugurated in the following year to carry on the spirit of the Expo, and ever since then, the prizes have been given annually and the related official events including the award ceremony and the public forums by the prize winners have been held in every September, also known as "Asian Party" in Fukuoka. In 1999, the school visits were added into the program to give a special lecture to children by the prize winners.

Prize categories

Grand Prize

To be presented to an individual or an organization in either the field of academics or arts and culture. The laureate must have made outstanding contributions to the preservation and creation of Asian culture and have exhibited the significance of Asian culture to the world. The prize is endowed with 5 million yen.

Academic Prize

To be presented to one or two individuals or organizations that have made outstanding achievements in the field of Asian studies, such as social and human sciences, contributing to the world’s understanding of Asia. The prize is endowed with 3 million yen.

Arts and Culture Prize

To be presented to one or two individuals or organizations who have made outstanding contributions in the diverse arts and culture of Asia. The category includes a wide range of fields such as the fine arts, literature, music, drama, dance, film, architecture, and so forth. The prize is endowed with 3 million yen.

Geographical focus

It is limited to East, South, and Southeast Asia.

List of recipients

Source:
YearCategoryNameNationalityOccupation
1990SpecialBa JinChinaWriter
1990SpecialAkira KurosawaJapanFilm director
1990SpecialJoseph NeedhamUKScholar of Chinese science history
1990SpecialKukrit PramojThailandWriter, statesman
1991GrandRavi ShankarIndiaSitar player
1991AcademicTaufik AbudullahIndonesiaHistorian, social scientist
1991AcademicChie NakaneJapanSocial anthropologist
1991Arts & CultureDonald KeeneUSAScholar of Japanese literature & culture
1992GrandKim Won-yongSouth KoreaArchaeologist
1992AcademicClifford GeertzUSAAnthropologist
1992AcademicMinoru TakeuchiJapanAnthropologist
1992Arts & CultureLeandro V. LocsinPhilippinesArchitect
1993GrandFei XiaotongChinaSociologist, Anthropologist
1993AcademicUngku Abdul AzizMalaysiaEconomist
1993AcademicJiro KawakitaJapanScholar of ethnogeography
1993Arts & CultureNamjilyn NorovbanzadMongoliaVocalist
1994GrandM. C. Subhadradis Diskul ThailandArchaeologist, art historian
1994AcademicWang GungwuAustraliaHistorian
1994AcademicYoneo IshiiJapanScholar of Southeast Asian studies
1994Arts & CulturePadma SubrahmanyamIndiaTraditional dancer
1995GrandKoentjaraningratIndonesiaAnthropologist
1995AcademicHahn KiunSouth KoreaScholar of education
1995AcademicNoboru KarashimaJapanHistorian
1995Arts & CultureNam June PaikUSAVideo artist
1996GrandWang ZhongshuChinaArchaeologist
1996AcademicPhan Huy LêVietnamHistorian
1996AcademicShinkichi EtoJapanScholar of relations
1996Arts & CultureNusrat Fateh Ali KhanPakistanQawwali singer
1997GrandChheng PhonCambodiaDramatist, artist
1997AcademicRomila ThaparIndiaHistorian
1997AcademicTakayasu HiguchiJapanArchaeologist
1997Arts & CultureIm Kwon-taekSouth KoreaFilm director
1998GrandLee Ki-moonSouth KoreaLinguist
1998AcademicStanley Jeyaraja TambiahUSAAnthropologist
1998AcademicMasaaki UedaJapanHistorian
1998Arts & CultureR. M. SoedarsonoIndonesiaDancer, scholar of dance
1999GrandHou Hsiao-hsienTaiwanFilm director
1999AcademicTaryo ObayashiJapanEthnologist
1999AcademicNidhi EoseewongThailandHistorian
1999Arts & CultureTang Da WuSingaporeVisual artist
2000GrandPramoedya Ananta ToerIndonesiaWriter
2000AcademicThan TunMyanmarHistorian
2000AcademicBenedict AndersonIrelandScholar of politics
2000Arts & CultureHamzah Awang AmatMalaysiaShadow play master
2001GrandMuhammad YunusBangladeshEconomist
2001AcademicYujiro HayamiJapanEconomist
2001Arts & CultureThawan DuchaneeThailandPainter
2001Arts & CultureMarilou Diaz-AbayaPhilippinesFilm director
2002GrandZhang YimouChinaFilm director
2002AcademicKingsley Muthumuni De SilvaSri LankaHistorian
2002AcademicAnthony ReidAustraliaHistorian
2002Arts & CultureLatMalaysiaCartoonist
2003GrandShuzen HokamaJapanScholar of Okinawan studies
2003AcademicReynaldo C. IletoPhilippinesHistorian
2003Arts & CultureXu BingChinaArtist
2003Arts & CultureDick LeeSingaporeSinger-songwriter
2004GrandAmjad Ali KhanIndiaSarod Maestro
2004AcademicLi YiningChinaEconomist
2004AcademicRam Dayal RakeshNepalScholar of folk culture studies
2004Arts & CultureSembukuttiarachilage Roland SilvaSri LankaConservator
2005GrandIm DongkwonSouth KoreaFolklorist
2005AcademicThaw KaungMyanmarLibrarian
2005Arts & CultureDouangdeuane BounyavongLaosTextile researcher
2005Arts & CultureTashi NorbuBhutanTraditional Musician
2006GrandMo YanChinaWriter
2006AcademicShagdaryn BiraMongoliaHistorian
2006AcademicTakeshi HamahitaJapanHistorian
2006Arts & CultureUxi MuftiPakistanCulture expert
2007GrandAshis NandyIndiaSocial and cultural critic
2007AcademicSrisakra Vallibhotama ThailandAnthropologist, archaeologist
2007Arts & CultureJu MingTaiwanSculptor
2007Arts & CultureKim Duk-sooSouth KoreaTraditional performing artist
2008GrandAnn HuiHong KongFilm
2008AcademicSavitri Wimalawathie Ellepola GoonesekereSri LankaLaw
2008AcademicShamsul Amri BaharuddinMalaysiaSocial anthropology
2008Arts & CultureFarida ParveenBangladeshMusic
2009GrandAugustin BerqueFranceCultural geography
2009AcademicPartha ChatterjeeIndiaPolitical science, history
2009Arts & CultureMinoru MikiJapanMusic composition
2009Arts & CultureCai Guo-QiangChinaContemporary art
2010GrandHwang ByungkiSouth KoreaMusic
2010AcademicJames C. ScottUSAPolitical science, anthropology
2010AcademicKazuko MoriJapanArea studies
2010Arts & CultureOng Keng SenSingaporeContemporary performance
2011GrandAng ChouleanCambodiaEthnology
2011AcademicCho Dong-ilSouth KoreaLiterature
2011Arts & CultureNiels GutschowGermanyArchitecture
2012GrandVandana ShivaIndiaEnvironmental philosophy
2012AcademicCharnvit KasetsiriThailandHistory, politics
2012Arts & CultureKidlat TahimikPhilippinesFilm
2012Arts & CultureG.R.Ay. Koes Moertiyah Paku BuwonoIndonesiaDance
2013GrandTetsu NakamuraJapanCross-cultural understanding, international and grassroots cooperation
2013AcademicTessa Morris-SuzukiAustraliaAsian studies
2013Arts & CultureNalini MalaniIndiaContemporary art
2013Arts & CultureApichatpong WeerasethakulThailandFilm, visual arts
2014GrandEzra F. VogelUSASociology
2014AcademicAzyumardi AzraIndonesiaHistory
2014Arts & CultureDanny YungHong KongTheater
2015GrandThant Myint-UMyanmarHistory
2015AcademicRamachandra GuhaIndiaHistory, Sociology
2015Arts & CultureĐặng Thị Minh HạnhVietnamFashion
2016GrandA. R. RahmanIndiaMusic
2016AcademicAmbeth R. OcampoPhilippinesHistory
2016Arts & CultureYasmeen LariPakistanArchitecture
2017GrandPasuk Phongpaichit and Chris BakerThailand and UKEconomics and History
2017AcademicWang MingChinaPublic Management
2017Arts & CultureKong NayCambodiaMusic
2018GrandJia ZhangkeChinaFilm
2018AcademicAkira SuehiroJapanEconomics, Area Studies
2018Arts & CultureTeejan BaiIndiaMusic