Japan's Nobel Prize laureates awarded with highest cultural honor

Japan's 2015 Order of Culture was awarded Tuesday to two Nobel Prize laureates and five other notable figures from in the sectors of academia and art.

The ceremony took place at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, with the awards being presented by Emperor Akihito.

Among those in attendance were Satoshi Omura, 80, a professor Emeritus at Kitasato University, who shared this year's Nobel Prize in Medicine for his role in the discovery of avermectin, a treatment for roundworm parasites, which has benefited millions in the developing world by combating diseases associated with parasitic diseases.

Takaaki Kajita, 56, who won this year's Nobel Prize in Physics, was also commemorated Tuesday for his role in proving that neutrinos, the second most abundant subatomic particles in the universe, after photons, can change identities with the metamorphosis proof that the neutrons have mass.

Along with a number of notable academics, dyeing and weaving artist Fukumi Shimura, 91, a National Treasure here in Japan, was also bestowed with the prestigious honor, along with revered actor Tatsuya Nakadai.

The 83-year-old actor has previously been honored with a number of acting and cultural awards, including the Chevalier De L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1992, Person of Cultural Merit in 2007 and the prestigious Asahi Prize in 2013.

University of Tokyo Professor Emeritus Hiroshi Shiono, one of the awardees on Tuesday, was quoted as saying at the ceremony that all the recipients would continue to do their best to contribute to the ongoing development of culture. Enditem