What Okochi Memorial Foundation does

The Okochi Memorial Foundation (公益財団法人 大河内記念会) is a Tokyo-based Japanese public interest foundation established on April 21, 1954, in memory of Dr. Masatoshi Okochi, the third director of RIKEN and chairman of the RIKEN industrial group. The foundation's purpose, derived from Dr. Okochi's philosophy of "science and technology for production," is to recognize and promote outstanding achievements in production engineering, production technology, and advanced production methods that contribute to Japan's industrial development. It became a chartered foundation (財団法人) in 1958 and transitioned to its current public interest incorporated foundation (公益財団法人) status on May 1, 2012. The foundation operates from a single small office at Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, with 1-10 employees.

The foundation's core product is the Okochi Prize (大河内賞), an annual award program that has run continuously since 1954 and is structured around four categories: the Okochi Memorial Prize (大河内記念賞) as the highest honor, the Okochi Memorial Production Special Prize (大河内記念生産特賞), the Okochi Memorial Technical Prize (大河内記念技術賞), and the Okochi Memorial Production Prize (大河内記念生産賞). The 72nd ceremony, held March 24, 2026, awarded seven prizes spanning semiconductor materials, automotive hot-stamping, high-strength steel, carbon fiber composites, electronic substrates, antibody-drug conjugate manufacturing, and zirconia NOx sensors; the 71st ceremony (March 25, 2025) awarded eight prizes in fields including EV power semiconductors, biopharmaceuticals, and OLED manufacturing. The foundation also operates the Friends Association (友の会), a membership community of past recipients that runs lectures and site visits for ongoing knowledge exchange. Governance rests with Chairman/理事長 三島良直, Audit Committee Chair 古田一雄, and Friends Association President 曽谷保博.

The foundation's business model is that of a non-commercial public-interest entity: it does not sell products or services, does not disclose revenue, and is funded through endowment, corporate and individual supporting memberships (法人・個人賛助会員), and donations. Distribution is limited to Japan, with dissemination handled through the official website (okochi.or.jp), press releases, an annual ceremony at the Japan Industrial Club Hall in Marunouchi, and printed materials. The foundation has no subsidiaries, no parent company, and no external investors or ownership shareholders.

Name

Okochi Memorial Foundation

Legal name

公益財団法学院 大河内記念会

Website

https://okochi.or.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Okochi Memorial Foundation is a Tokyo-based Japanese public interest foundation, established in 1954, that awards the annual Okochi Prize recognizing outstanding achievements in production engineering and manufacturing technology across Japanese industry and academia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Science and Technology Awards

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

akta.pro primary industry

Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

Keywords

• Production engineering awards
• Manufacturing technology recognition
• Industrial science prizes
• Technology innovation awards
• Public interest foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Okochi Memorial Foundation operates the Okochi Prize (大河内賞), Japan's oldest annual award dedicated to production engineering, production technology, and advanced manufacturing methods. Each year it recognizes individuals, companies, and research organizations for outstanding achievements across four prize categories — the Okochi Memorial Prize, Production Special Prize, Technical Prize, and Production Prize — and sustains a recipient community (Friends Association / 友の会) that holds lectures and site visits to support cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange.

Product overview

The Okochi Memorial Foundation operates the Okochi Prize (大河内賞), a prestigious annual award program recognizing outstanding achievements in production engineering, production technology, and advanced manufacturing methods. The prize program consists of four award categories: the Okochi Memorial Prize (大河内記念賞) as the highest honor, the Okochi Memorial Production Special Prize (大河内記念生産特賞), the Okochi Memorial Technical Prize (大河内記念技術賞), and the Okochi Memorial Production Prize (大河内記念生産賞). The foundation also operates the Okochi Memorial Foundation Friends Association (大河内記念会友の会), a membership program for award recipients that organizes lectures and factory visits. The foundation was established in 1954 in memory of Dr. Masatoshi Okochi, the third director of RIKEN, to promote 'Science and Technology for Production' following his philosophy of creating new industries through science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Okochi Prize (大河内賞) A prestigious annual prize awarded for outstanding achievements in production engineering, production technology, and advanced production methods, honoring individuals and companies that contribute to the advancement of science and technology for production in Japan.
• Okochi Memorial Prize (大河内記念賞) The highest category of the Okochi Prize, awarded for the most distinguished achievements in production engineering and technology.
• Okochi Memorial Production Special Prize (大河内記念生産特賞) Award category recognizing special excellence in production technology and manufacturing innovation.
• Okochi Memorial Technical Prize (大河内記念技術賞) Award category for outstanding technical achievements in science and technology research and development related to production.
• Okochi Memorial Production Prize (大河内記念生産賞) Award category for achievements in production engineering and manufacturing technology implementation.
• Okochi Memorial Foundation Friends Association (大河内記念会友の会) A membership community for past Okochi Prize recipients that organizes lectures, factory/site visits, and networking events to facilitate cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange in production technology.
• Corporate and Individual Supporting Membership (法人・個人賛助会員) Sponsorship / supporting-membership program that allows Japanese corporations and individuals to financially support the foundation's prize program and gain association with its industrial recognition activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Okochi Prize has been awarded annually since 1954, with the 73rd edition underway as of June 2026

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

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Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 友の会 (Okochi Prize Friends Association)moderateOthers · 24 March 2026The 'Friends Association' (友の会) is a community of Okochi Prize recipients that organizes lectures and site visits to facilitate cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange among award winners. Led by president Sotoya Yasuhiro, the association supports ongoing networking among the foundation's award recipients across different years and fields.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Japan Prize Foundation: The Japan Prize Foundation administers an annual science and technology prize in Japan. It is highly comparable to the Okochi Memorial Foundation in structure (annual award ceremony, public interest foundation, corporate sponsorship) though broader in scope across all science fields.
• Toray Science Foundation: The Toray Science Foundation awards science and technology prizes in Japan. It is a corporate-affiliated Japanese foundation with a similar model of awarding annual prizes to advance science/technology, comparable to Okochi.
• Tokyo Ohka Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology: Tokyo Ohka Foundation provides research grants and awards in science and technology, particularly for young researchers in Japan. It is structurally similar to Okochi as a corporate-affiliated Japanese science foundation.
• Nakatani Foundation for Engineering & Technology: The Nakatani Foundation grants research subsidies and awards to engineering researchers in Japan. It overlaps with Okochi in supporting recognition of Japanese engineering and technology contributors, though it leans more toward academic research grants.
• Ichimura Foundation for New Technology: The Ichimura Foundation awards the Ichimura Prizes for outstanding Japanese industrial technology achievements. It is closely comparable to Okochi in mission, structure, and award focus on industrial/technology innovation in Japan.
• Inamori Foundation (Kyoto Prize): The Inamori Foundation awards the Kyoto Prize annually for achievements in advanced technology, basic sciences, and arts/philosophy. It mirrors Okochi as a Japanese private foundation running a prestigious annual award with international recognition and corporate backing.
• Asahi Glass Foundation: The Asahi Glass Foundation administers the 'Overseas Research Scholarship' and 'Academic Award' for materials science and related engineering. It is a comparable Japanese private foundation recognizing industrial/technical contributions.

Others

• RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research): RIKEN is the research institute where Okochi Memorial Foundation's namesake (Dr. Masatoshi Okochi) served as the third director. It is thematically linked as the institutional origin of the foundation's mission but is a research entity rather than an award body.
• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS): JSPS is a quasi-governmental Japanese organization that administers research funding and academic recognition programs. It is an enabling/ecosystem participant in the same award-granting ecosystem as Okochi, though much larger in scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Okochi Memorial Foundation