[Topics] Professor Hirofumi Tachibana receives the 2026 Japan Agricultural Prize and the Yomiuri Agricultural Prize

Professor Hirofumi Tachibana has received the 2026 Japan Agricultural Prize and the Yomiuri Agricultural Prize.
The awards were granted in recognition of his research achievements entitled "molecular basis of the physiological functions of green tea components and their applications."

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The Japan Agricultural Prize and the Yomiuri Agricultural Prize
The Japan Agricultural Prize is regarded as the highest honor among agricultural researchers in Japan. It originated in 1925 as the agricultural prize (agricultural medal) established by the Agricultural Society of Japan, the predecessor of the Japanese Society of Agricultural Science, and has a long and distinguished history.
The Yomiuri Agricultural Prize, meanwhile, is presented by The Yomiuri Shimbun in recognition of outstanding research achievements in the field of agriculture.

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Research Overview
Health benefits of green tea have been utilized since ancient times, and numerous functional foods based on its physiological effects have been launched. However, the mystery of why green tea exhibits such diverse physiological effects has been awaited. In this context, we have succeeded in discovering the 67kDa laminin receptor (67LR), a green tea catechin receptor essential for the activity of green tea catechins, the main component of green tea, ahead of the rest of the world. To date, it has been revealed that the 67LR receptor is involved in the diverse bioregulatory effects of green tea catechins, including anti-cancer, anti-obesity, and anti-allergic effects. Furthermore, by identifying molecules responsible for the signal transduction pathway originating from the 67LR receptor, we have elucidated the detailed molecular mechanisms related to the expression of the physiological effects of green tea catechins. Moreover, the results of this basic research led to the development of Japan's first functional food product that promotes the anti-allergic effects of green tea, with methylated catechins as the active ingredient. In the future, we intend to utilize the results of this basic research in the development of functional foods and pharmaceuticals.

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For Research-related inquiries

• Hirofumi Tachibana, Professor
• "The recipients of the 2026 Japan Agricultural Prize and the Yomiuri Agricultural Prize have been announced"
  (The Japanese Society of Agricultural Science website)