The Nishina Prize is awarded by the Nishina Memorial Association to outstanding graduate students in science and engineering fields within Okayama Prefecture, with the aim of fostering young scientists and honoring the legacy of the late Dr. Yoshio Nishina (the first post-WWII recipient of Japan's Order of Culture). Genta Sakane received this prestigious award from the Governor of Okayama Prefecture on March 15, 1995, during the third year of his Ph.D. program in Material Science at the Graduate School of Science, Okayama University of Science. The achievement was also featured in the Sanyo Shimbun newspaper.
