Photo/Illutration Nobel laureates Susumu Kitagawa, front left, and Shimon Sakaguchi, front right, attend the 2025 Nobel Prize award ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10. (Pool)

STOCKHOLM—Japan's two newest Nobel laureates were awarded their medals at the 2025 Nobel Prize award ceremony here at the Stockholm Concert Hall on Dec. 10.

Susumu Kitagawa, 74, a distinguished professor at Kyoto University, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was the first honored.

After the ceremony, he shared his joy with his co-researchers, shaking hands and taking photos with them.

Following was Shimon Sakaguchi, 74, a distinguished honorary professor at the University of Osaka who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

“The medal is fairly heavy, and I appreciate it. Today will be a special day in my life,” Sakaguchi told reporters after the ceremony. 

Set to an orchestra playing a march, a total of 13 laureates kicked off the event a little past 4 p.m. as they appeared onstage where they took their seats. Represented were winners specializing in the three natural sciences, literature and economics.

During the speech of a selection committee member for the Nobel Prize in Physics, three laureates in the physics field stood up at the wrong time, and the venue was filled with warm laughter.

Next up was the chemistry prize. The selection committee explained the laureates' achievements, followed by the presentation of the medal and certificate from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The laureates' bows were met with loud applause.

The physiology or medicine prize followed in the same manner.

Sakaguchi was awarded for advancements in peripheral immune tolerance—how the body keeps the immune system from erroneously attacking tissues—thanks to his discovery of regulatory T cells and how they work.

Kitagawa was awarded for the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). This porous material has attracted attention due to its potential to help address environmental issues. 

Sakaguchi is the sixth Japanese to receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, while Kitagawa is the ninth Japanese to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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