My connections with Japan
One of the conditions for my acceptance of the 2024 Japan Prize was that I be willing and able to travel to Japan in April 2024 to receive the prize, to attend the ceremonies that the Japan Prize Foundation was organizing and hosting, and to give a lecture related to the work that led to my being chosen as a co-recipient of the prize. My wife and I were delighted to be able visit Japan again for this event, having been there several times previously, and it was all the more appealing in that it provided a venue for spending time together with our good friends Brian Hoskins, co-recipient of the prize, and his wife Jackie. We didn’t fully appreciate until the events of Japan Prize Week were well underway that my greatest source of satisfaction would be reconnecting with our Japanese friends and research colleagues and reflecting upon our shared history, some of which relates to prior events in my life dating as far back as my early childhood. To share those reflections with my Japanese friends, I wrote a set of seven short stories, one for each day of Japan Prize week. Inspired by the name of Japanese TV series that Susie and I often watch on Netflix, I entitled them Memorable Dinners: Tokyo Stories.
I should acknowledge that some of the best photos included on these web pages were provided by the Japan Prize Foundation. A much more complete set of photos and animations of the events of Japan Prize Week is posted on the Japan Prize Foundation website Japan Prize Foundation website.