DATE2026.04.03 #Awards & Prizes
Professor Tetsuya Higashiyama Receives the 20th “The MIDORI Academic Prize”
Professor Tetsuya Higashiyama
Professor Tetsuya Higashiyama of the Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, has been selected as a recipient of the 20th “The MIDORI Academic Prize” awarded by Cabinet Office. The award ceremony will be held on April 24, 2026.
This prize is presented by Prime Minister of Japan to individuals who have made outstanding academic contributions in fields related to “greenery,” including research, technological development, and other achievements concerning plants, forests, green spaces, landscape architecture, and nature conservation within Japan.
Professor Higashiyama has achieved remarkable accomplishments in plant science, particularly in elucidating the molecular mechanisms of pollen tube guidance during plant fertilization. Notably, he initiated his research by striving to make the process of pollen tube guidance—long delayed in progress for decades—“visible” under the microscope by taking advantage of the unique properties of the plant Torenia. As a result, he brought about a striking breakthrough that completely transformed conventional understanding and clarified the mechanism of pollen tube guidance. The compelling videos obtained during this research process have been showcased for many years at international conferences in plant science. This prize also places importance on contributions to society, and Professor Higashiyama’s discoveries have been highly recognized for being widely featured in numerous science programs and high school biology textbooks.
In recent years, his research has expanded from Torenia to Arabidopsis thaliana, and further to applications involving species such as Spiranthes sinensis, which does not undergo double fertilization, and cycads, which are fertilized by sperm. We look forward to and wish continued success in Professor Higashiyama’s research endeavors.
（Written by Professor Hirokazu Tsukaya, Department of Biological Sciences）