Recipients of 2008 Australia-Japan Foundation Achievement Awards

The Ishibashi Foundation

Ishibashi Foundation was established in 1956 to promote educational, cultural and artistic activities. The Foundation has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of links between the Australia and Japanese art worlds. The Ishibashi Foundation had successful holdings of the major Prism: Contemporary Australian Art exhibition at the prestigious Bridgestone Art Museum as part of the 2006 Australia-Japan Year of Exchange. This exhibition attracted favourable media reviews, would not have been possible without the indispensable commitment of the Ishibashi Foundation and Bridgestone. The Ishibashi Foundation recently added seven works of Australian artists on their world class collections and continues to increase opportunities for Australian art in Japan.

Mr Yoshio Wada

Mr Wada's connection with Australia started when he presented Woven Hell at the Perth and Adelaide Festivals in 1992. He returned in 1998 to both festivals to present Master Key. He became enthused with Australian theatre, particular works by indigenous playwrights and since worked tirelessly presented numerous Australian drama pieces in Japan in translation, working with Japanese theatre companies. He has invited several Australian theatre directors and playwrights to Japan and has become a well known and highly respected figure in the Australian theatre world for longstanding efforts to promote Australian theatre and links between Australia and Japan in theatre. He has been an effective advocate for Australian theatre in a country which traditionally looks to Europe and America and has successfully encouraged many in the business here to visit Australia and take an interest in Australian theatre. In 2006 he was an integral member of the organising committee for the Dramatic Australia theatre festival which was an important part of the Australia-Japan Year of Exchange. Several plays, including the world premier of Cookie's Table, were presented. Mr Wada has given so much voluntarily and it has been a true labour of love in an industry which struggles to make profits.

Mr Amane Konishi and Mr Kaoru Nakashima, Japan Rugby League (JRL)

JRL's connection with Australia started in 1994 at the time when the Japanese team known as the "Samurais" was formed. Since then, JRL has had a frequent and positive engagement with the NSW Rugby League Academy of Australian Rugby League Development (ARL Development) and Mr Konishi and Mr Nakashima have both played an important role in developing and maintaining the strong ties between the two organisations. In particular they have voluntarily devoted much of their time and energy in organising player exchange programs each year (consisting of the Australian teams' visits to Japan and Japanese players' visits to Australia). They also enthusiastically advocate OZTAG Games in Japan which promote people-to-people relationship at the community level. The strong ties between the ARL Development and JRL, as well as the current popularity of Rugby League in Japan, would not have been possible without the tireless efforts and valuable contribution of Mr Konishi and Mr Nakashima to promote the sport which often struggles to secure sponsors in Japan.

Mr Masaaki Nagasawa

Mr Nagasawa is currently a Managing Director of the Hakubaku Australia in Ballarat, Victoria. The Headquarter of Hakubaku Co., Ltd. is based in Yamanashi, west of Tokyo. The Nagasawa family pioneered the development of Japanese investment in the Australian wheat industry. The company established a factory in Ballarat in 1996 and has made a major contribution to developing Australian produced organic noodles. Mr Nagasawa has encouraged and advocated wider investment in Australia through his support for hundreds of visits from Japan to inspect operations. He also generously contributes to the cross-cultural relationship at the community level in Victoria by organising and participating in events with the Town Council, for instance Japanese speech contests and by teaching how to make Soba to children in Victoria. He has done much to expand opportunities for Australian and Japanese business, government and community members to exchange opinions and information.

The Australian Studies Association of Japan

The Australian Studies Association of Japan (ASAJ) is a network of academics and lecturers promoting of studies of Australia across a wide range of fields throughout Japan. Established in 1989, with the support of the Foundation, the ASAJ offers grant support and networking opportunities to its members (around 230) through regional seminars and the ASAJ national conference. Over the past nineteen years ASAJ members have played a critical role to encourage research by undergraduates and post-graduates that helped to shape accurate perceptions of Australia in Japan and encourage discussion and debate on issues of mutual relevance to both countries. ASAJ members have also been instrumental in the establishment of high quality curriculum and course content on Australia in Japan. Recent market research shows that there are currently about over 15,000 students enrolled at 80 institutions (out of a total of 744 universities) taking Australia-related curriculum and courses. With the tireless work of the ASAJ it would not have been possible for Australian studies to have penetrated so deeply at the tertiary level in Japan.

Mr Mitsuaki Tanabe

Mr Mitsuaki Tanabe is a Japanese artist, sculptor and conservationist who has chosen as the theme for his work the "in-situ conservation of wild rice". His unique sculptures aim to inspire an awareness of the need for conservation and the co-existence of human life and wild life. In Australia, Mr Tanabe has sought and received approval from the Queensland State government to mount on permanent display at the Mareeba Wetlands Centre a gigantic stainless steel sculpture of a lizard as a reminder to visitors to the Centre of the importance of environmental conservation. He has also undertaken work in the Northern Territory to carve large ancient granite boulders with images of wild rice and other native species of animals and plants, again to draw attention to the importance of in-situ conservation of wild rice. Both projects have carried out in cooperation with local authorities and with the approval of the aboriginal community. The works are entirely funded by Mr Tanabe and his Japanese supporters as a gift to the people of Australia.