For his translation of The Tower of London by NATSUME Sôseki

Damian Flanagan originally went to Cambridge University to read Natural Sciences. He ended up studying Japanese and lived in Japan for a year before returning to graduate in English Literature in 1992. From 1993 he studied at Kobe University, and in 2000 became the first Westerner to be awarded a Ph.D. in Japanese Literature at that institution. In 2003 he published his first book, a Japanese-language study of Natsume Sôseki.

Dr. Flanagan is a regular contributor of articles on literature, politics, and society for the Japanese press. His translation of and introduction to Sôseki's writings on Britain, The Tower of London, was published by Peter Owen in January 2005, marking the start of that publisher's relaunch of Sôseki classics in the United Kingdom. More recently, he contributed an introduction to another Sôseki work, The Gate, which appeared in January 2006. Dr. Flanagan is currently working on his fiction.

For his translation of The Gift of Numbers by OGAWA Yôko

Yosei Sugawara received his Bachelor of Law degree from Meiji Gakuin University's College of Law. In 1993 he earned an M.A. in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at California State University in San Bernardino, and in 1998 another M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Arizona in Tucson. He is currently lead instructor in the Japanese Program at Pima Community College in Tucson.

Mr. Sugawara has taught Japanese language extensively, including courses at the University of Arizona and IBM. He has also worked as a translator for Dickerson, Butler, and Rodrigues; ReliaSoft; and Velcro USA.

The 2005 prizes were presented to Professors Sugawara and Flanagan during an award ceremony at Columbia University on April 21, 2006.