We, the members of the PhysicalSociety of Japan, would like to express our deepest congratulations to Dr. Nanbu Yoichiro, Professor Emeritus, Chicago University,Drr. Kobayashi Makoto, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Board Member and Proffesor Emeritus, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, and Dr. Masukawa Toshihide, Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University and Professor, Kyoto Sangyo University for jointly receiving the 2008 Nobel Prize for Physics.

You three have launched and developed the hypothesis regarding the elementary symmetry of quanta, and the mechanism by which that symmetry is broken, a field of research that provides foundation to quantum physics, influencing strongly the structure of standard quantum physics theories and leading to further advanced studies. Professor Nanbu's first research on spontaneous broken symmetry was published jointly with Dr. Jona Lasinio in the journal Physical Review in 1961, which later developed into the Nanbu-Goldstone theorem.

The article by Professors Kobayashi and Masukawa was published in the JPS/JAAP journal Progress of Theoretical Physics in 1973, showing for the first time that for Charge plus Parity symmetry is broken a little bit just like in the real world, it requires 6 kinds (3 generations) of quarks, a point that was conclusively demonstrated in later experiments.

Your theoretical work was at the time truly at the cutting edge of physics, proving to the world Japan's strength in basic scientific research. Also, the experimentation necessary to prove your theories required international joint research over a long period of time, giving testament to the maturing of social conditions surrounding basic science.

We strongly hope that with Professors Nanbu, Masukawa and Kobayashi jointly being awarded the Nobel Prize, Japanese awareness on the importance of basic science is grows and young researchers are encouraged.

Masao Ninomiya
President
The Physical Society of Japan

Part of the journal articles published by Professors Nanbu, Kobayashi and Masukawa could be accessed at the following sites.

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan
Yoichiro Nambu
From Yukawa's Pion to Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking

Progress of Theoretical Physics
Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa

CP-Violation in the Renormalization Theory of Weak Interaction