Earthquake scientist, chemist, choreographer awarded 2007 Kyoto Prizes

TOKYO -- A California-based earthquake scientist, a Japanese chemist and a German choreographer have been awarded this year's Kyoto Prizes for achievement in the arts and sciences.

The Inamori Foundation, which announced the awards in June, presented each winner with a gold medal and 50 million yen (US$444,000; £á302,390) at a ceremony in the ancient capital of Kyoto on Saturday.

The basic sciences award went to Hiroo Kanamori at the California Institute of Technology for his research on major earthquakes along the Pacific Rim, which has helped in the development of early response systems.

"Earthquakes cause extreme misery to our society," the foundation quoted Kanamori as saying in a statement. "Our research is mainly to reduce the adverse impact of (earthquakes) on our society."

Hiroo Inokuchi at the University of Tokyo received the advanced technology award for his work in organic electronics, which has been applied to the development of organic electroluminescent panels that are seen as a possible next-generation replacement for today's liquid-crystal displays.

German choreographer Pina Bausch was awarded the arts and philosophy prize for her pioneering work in developing a new genre of ballet dubbed "Tanztheater," or dance theater, the foundation said.

"My body and its movements are my artistic assets. The dance expresses everything that moves me - that moves us," Bausch was quoted as saying.

The Kyoto Prize was founded in 1985 and is awarded to people deemed to have contributed significantly to the scientific, cultural and spiritual betterment of humankind.