Japanese scientists get awarded Nobel Prizes in medicine, chemistry

(MENAFN) According to reports, Japanese scientists Shimon Sakaguchi and Susumu Kitagawa were formally recognized in Stockholm on Wednesday, receiving Nobel Prizes for their pioneering work in the fields of medicine and chemistry.

At a ceremony held in the Stockholm Concert Hall, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf presented each laureate with a gold medal and diploma. Both Sakaguchi, a 74-year-old professor at Osaka University, and Kitagawa, a 74-year-old professor at Kyoto University, were celebrated for contributions that have reshaped scientific understanding in their respective disciplines.

Reports noted that this is the first time in a decade that Japan has secured Nobel honors in two different scientific categories in the same year.

Sakaguchi earned the Nobel Prize in Medicine for identifying regulatory T cells, or Tregs—specialized immune cells that suppress harmful immune responses and prevent the body from attacking its own tissues. His findings have paved the way for innovative therapies in autoimmune diseases, cancer, and other medical conditions.

Kitagawa received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing metal-organic frameworks, highly porous materials capable of absorbing and releasing gases such as methane and nitrogen. His work has broadened the potential applications of these materials in environmental and industrial fields.

Each award includes a monetary prize of 11 million kronor, roughly equivalent to $1.2 million. Both scientists shared their awards with two additional researchers in their respective categories.

With these latest recognitions, Japan’s overall number of Nobel laureates has reached 31, including last year’s Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization representing atomic bomb survivors engaged in anti-nuclear advocacy.

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