【Nobel Week, Day 9】 Professor Kajita Attends a Press Conference, the Recording of Nobel Minds, and the Royal Banquet Dinner

Date of activity: December 11, 2015

The day after the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, Professor Kajita and his wife Michiko took part in a press conference attended by some 20 representatives of the Japanese media. The professor began the press conference by saying, "I'm relieved that the Ceremony and Banquet concluded successfully yesterday." He then stated that "in order for science and technology to progress in Japan, I believe our generation needs to create an environment that makes it easier for young, motivated people to dive into the world of science." He said that if he has the opportunity to speak about developments in pure science, improvements in benefits for young researchers and other similar topics, he would like to contribute to such discussions, showing his enthusiasm for future endeavors.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Michiko Kajita commented on the Banquet, expressing that the event was dazzling and luxurious, and that it was "such an honor to have the experience of being escorted by King Carl XVI Gustaf." She also thanked the many people from Toyama Prefecture who had given her and her husband warm words of congratulations after her husband won the Nobel Prize.

In the afternoon, Professor Kajita went to the Stockholm Concert Hall to participate in the recording of Nobel Minds, a program produced by Sveriges Television (SVT) and BBC World. Nobel Minds features the Nobel Prize winners of the current year in a roundtable discussion as they exchange opinions on issues relating to their research and to the world at large.

The participants in this year's Nobel Minds were Professor Kajita, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics Professor Arthur B. McDonald, Nobel Prize in Chemistry recipient Professor Tomas Lindahl of the Francis Crick Institute, Nobel Prize in Literature recipient Ms. Svetlana Alexievich, and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel recipient Professor Angus Deaton of Princeton University. The program was hosted by BBC newscaster Zeinab Badawi.

<Related Links>
Nobel Minds
The Royal Palace of Stockholm

*【Nobel Week】 is a special series of reports given during the Nobel Week.
*You can read articles about the other Nobel Week activites here: http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/general/nobel_index.html