The is an award established by the city of Fukuoka and the Fukuoka City International Foundation (formerly The Yokatopia 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 (referred to as "Yokatopia") 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 every September, also known as "Asian Party" in Fukuoka. In 1999, school visits were added to 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 Year Category Name Nationality Occupation 1990 Special Ba Jin China Writer Akira Kurosawa Japan Film director Joseph Needham United Kingdom Scholar of Chinese science history Kukrit Pramoj Thailand Writer, statesman 1991 Grand Ravi Shankar India Sitar player Academic Taufik Abudullah Indonesia Historian, social scientist Chie Nakane Japan Social anthropologist Arts & Culture Donald Keene United States Scholar of Japanese literature & culture 1992 Grand Kim Won-yong South Korea Archaeologist Academic Clifford Geertz United States Anthropologist Minoru Takeuchi Japan Anthropologist Arts & Culture Leandro V. Locsin Philippines Architect 1993 Grand Fei Xiaotong China Sociologist, Anthropologist Academic Ungku Abdul Aziz Malaysia Economist Jiro Kawakita Japan Scholar of ethnogeography Arts & Culture Namjilyn Norovbanzad Mongolia Vocalist 1994 Grand Manna Dey India Musician Academic Wang Gungwu Australia Historian Yoneo Ishii Japan Scholar of Southeast Asian studies Arts & Culture Padma Subrahmanyam India Traditional dancer 1995 Grand Koentjaraningrat Indonesia Anthropologist Academic Hahn Kiun South Korea Scholar of education Noboru Karashima Japan Historian Arts & Culture Nam June Paik United States Video artist 1996 Grand Wang Zhongshu China Archaeologist Academic Phan Huy Lê Vietnam Historian Shinkichi Eto Japan Scholar of relations Arts & Culture Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Pakistan Qawwali singer 1997 Grand Chheng Phon Cambodia Dramatist, artist Academic Romila Thapar India Historian Japan Archaeologist Arts & Culture Im Kwon-taek South Korea Film director 1998 Grand Ki-Moon Lee South Korea Linguist Academic Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah United States Anthropologist Masaaki Ueda Japan Historian Arts & Culture R. M. Soedarsono Indonesia Dancer, scholar of dance 1999 Grand Hou Hsiao-hsien Taiwan Film director Academic Taryo Obayashi Japan Ethnologist Nidhi Eoseewong Thailand Historian Arts & Culture Tang Da Wu Singapore Visual artist 2000 Grand Pramoedya Ananta Toer Indonesia Writer Academic Than Tun Myanmar Historian Benedict Anderson Ireland Scholar of politics Arts & Culture Hamzah Awang Amat Malaysia Shadow play master 2001 Grand Muhammad Yunus Bangladesh Economist Academic Yujiro Hayami Japan Economist Arts & Culture Thawan Duchanee Thailand Painter Marilou Diaz-Abaya Philippines Film director 2002 Grand Zhang Yimou China Film director Academic Kingsley Muthumuni De Silva Sri Lanka Historian Anthony Reid Australia Historian Arts & Culture Lat Malaysia Cartoonist 2003 Grand Shuzen Hokama Japan Scholar of Okinawan studies Academic Reynaldo C. Ileto Philippines Historian Arts & Culture Xu Bing China Artist Dick Lee Singapore Singer-songwriter 2004 Grand Amjad Ali Khan India Sarod maestro Academic Li Yining China Economist Ram Dayal Rakesh Nepal Scholar of folk culture studies Arts & Culture Sembukuttiarachilage Roland Silva Sri Lanka Conservator 2005 Grand Im Dongkwon South Korea Folklorist Academic Thaw Kaung Myanmar Librarian Arts & Culture Douangdeuane Bounyavong Laos Textile researcher Tashi Norbu Bhutan Traditional musician 2006 Grand Mo Yan China Writer Academic Shagdaryn Bira Mongolia Historian Takeshi Hamahita Japan Historian Arts & Culture Uxi Mufti Pakistan Culture expert 2007 Grand Ashis Nandy India Social and cultural critic Academic Thailand Anthropologist, archaeologist Arts & Culture Ju Ming Taiwan Sculptor Kim Duk-soo South Korea Traditional performing artist 2008 Grand Ann Hui Hong Kong Film director Academic Savitri Goonesekere Sri Lanka Legal scholar Shamsul Amri Baharuddin Malaysia Social anthropologist Arts & Culture Farida Parveen Bangladesh Musician 2009 Grand Augustin Berque France Cultural geographer Academic Partha Chatterjee India Political scientist, historian Arts & Culture Minoru Miki Japan Composer Cai Guo-Qiang China Contemporary artist 2010 Grand Hwang Byungki South Korea Musician Academic James C. Scott United States Political scientist, anthropologist Kazuko Mori Japan Scholar of contemporary China studies Arts & Culture Ong Keng Sen Singapore Contemporary performance artist 2011 Grand Ang Choulean Cambodia Ethnologist Academic Cho Dong-il South Korea Literary scholar Arts & Culture Niels Gutschow Germany Architect 2012 Grand Vandana Shiva India Environmental philosopher Academic Charnvit Kasetsiri Thailand Historian, political scientist Arts & Culture Kidlat Tahimik Philippines Filmmaker G.R.Ay. Koes Moertiyah Paku Buwono Indonesia Dancer 2013 Grand Tetsu Nakamura Japan Cross-cultural humanitarian, grassroots cooperation Academic Tessa Morris-Suzuki Australia Asian studies scholar Arts & Culture Nalini Malani India Contemporary artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul Thailand Filmmaker, visual artist 2014 Grand Ezra F. Vogel United States Sociologist Academic Azyumardi Azra Indonesia Historian Arts & Culture Danny Yung Hong Kong Theatre artist 2015 Grand Thant Myint-U Myanmar Historian Academic Ramachandra Guha India Historian, sociologist Arts & Culture Đặng Thị Minh Hạnh Vietnam Fashion designer 2016 Grand A. R. Rahman India Musician, composer Academic Ambeth R. Ocampo Philippines Historian Arts & Culture Yasmeen Lari Pakistan Architect 2017 Grand Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker Thailand / United Kingdom Economist, historian Academic Wang Ming China Public management scholar Arts & Culture Kong Nay Cambodia Musician 2018 Grand Jia Zhangke China Filmmaker Academic Akira Suehiro Japan Economist, area studies (Thailand) Arts & Culture Teejan Bai India Folk musician 2019 Grand Randy David Philippines Sociologist Academic Leonard Blussé Netherlands Historian of Asian–European relations Arts & Culture Makoto Satō Japan Theatre director 2021 Grand Palagummi Sainath India Journalist Academic Kishimoto Mio Japan Historian Arts & Culture Prabda Yoon Thailand Writer, creative artist 2022 Grand Eitetsu Hayashi Japan Musician Academic Timon Screech United Kingdom Art historian Arts & Culture Shahzia Sikander United States Visual artist 2023 Grand Thongchai Winichakul Thailand Historian Academic Khatharya Um United States Political scientist Arts & Culture Zhang Lü China Filmmaker 2024 Grand Daito Manabe Japan Media artist Academic Sunil Amrith United States Historian Arts & Culture Kimsooja South Korea Visual artist 2025 Grand Kurayoshi Takara Japan Historian Academic Baik Young-seo South Korea Historian Arts & Culture Vo Trong Nghia Vietnam Architect 2026 Grand Ho Tzu Nyen Singapore Artist Academic Caroline Hau Philippines Scholar of Southeast Asian Studies, Literature Critique, Writer Arts & Culture Pichet Klunchun Thailand Dancer, Choreographer, Contemporary Artist Source
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