On Wednesday 29th September, Fukuoka Prize 2021, sponsored by Fukuoka City International Foundation and Fukuoka City was held in the city of Fukuoka. Due to prevention of spread of COVID-19, it was held with no audience and only few authorized personals were allowed in the venue. The ceremony was broadcast online via YouTube streaming and Their Imperial Highness Crown Prince and Princess Akishino have also watched the ceremony online.
The awards were received by Grand Prize laureate, Mr. PALAGUMMI Sainath (India/ Journalist), Academic Prize laureate, and Professor. KISHIMOTO Mio (Japan/ Historian), and Arts and Culture Prize laureate, Mr. Prabda YOON (Thailand/ Writer, Filmmaker, Artist). Both Mr. Sainath and Mr. Prabda attended the ceremony online from each countries.
First, Mr. TAKASHIMA Soichiro, Mayor of Fukuoka City, addressed the audience on behalf of the organizers. He mentioned that it would be a great honor to present the Fukuoka Prize to those who made outstanding contributions for preservation and creation of the cultures of Asia and academic researches.
Next, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Akishino offered his celebration through video message by saying ‘… I believe that it is of great significance that this Prize communicates the value of Asian cultures and their academic aspects during this period when face to face interactions between people are restricted.’
Then the video introductions of the laureates’ achievements took place followed by the presentation of the certificates and the medals. All 3 prize laureates expressed their gratitude in their own words in their acceptance speech.
Mr. Sainath, a passionately committed journalist who has continued to investigate impoverished farming villages in India, said ‘This is an incredibly proud moment for me to receive and accept the Fukuoka Grand Prize one of the most prestigious prizes that I know of. For me it is a vindication of the social role that journalism and media can and ought to play.’
Mr. Prabda, a writer who represents Thailand, and an artist with multiple talents, told ‘Imagination is the blueprint of reality, I have found this to be true. So I would like to send my encouragement to the young people and ask them to not give up their imagination of a better future. There is hope’.
Professor KISHIMOTO, a historian in socio-economic history of the Ming and the Qing dynasties in China, said ‘People today have much richer knowledge comparing to those who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. However, we share the same experience with them in building the future by flying blind with anxiety and hope in our minds in the period of big changes when people cannot see the pass ahead’
Each laureates gave a passionate speech in their own words.
With the presentation of flower bouquets the Fukuoka Prize 2021 was closed with splendid atmosphere. The historical award ceremony of Fukuoka Prize which was held after overcoming the challenges caused by COVID-19, was broadcast online worldwide.
In October, the public lectures of each prize laureates will be held. Their public lectures can be viewed with YouTube live streaming if you apply in advance. Please apply now!
※All events for Fukuoka Prize 2021 have ended.
【Public Lecture by Prabda YOON】
Saturday 2nd October 2021
12:00-13:50(JST)＜Pre-event：Screening of film＞
Please note that there is no appearance of Mr. Prabda Yoon. Onsite audience only.
14:30-15:30(JST)＜Part 1：Lecture and interview＞
Japan and Japanese Represented By a Thai Writer
16:00-17:10(JST)＜Part 2：Literature seminar＞
On Thai Literature as World Literature
【Public Lecture by KISHIMOTO Mio】
Saturday 9th October 2021 ／ 16:00-17:30 (JST)
Public Lecture by KISHIMOTO Mio [China during the Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasty, and the World]
【Public Lecture by PALAGUMMI Sainath】
Wednesday 13th October 2021 ／ 17:00-18:30 (JST)
Public Lecture by PALAGUMMI Sainath [Letʼs build a Peopleʼs Archive and Library of Historical Documentation ~Reclaiming journalism for the public and everyday citizens from hyper-commercialised media]