Harumi Befu, Emeritus Professor at Stanford University, founded Anthropology of Japan in Japan in 1998, while serving as Professor of Social Anthropology at Kyoto Bunkyo University. He was the inaugural and lifetime emeritus president of AJJ, a distinguished anthropologist and ever-generous mentor to younger researchers for well over half a century. He passed away on August 4, 2022 at the age of 92 and is remembered with affection and gratitude by all who knew him.

Thanks to the generosity of Harumi’s widow, Kei, AJJ was able to launch a major new prize in memory of Professor Befu, designed to enable a gifted young scholar to pursue further significant research in Japan.

The prize consists of 250,000 yen and a framed certificate, and will be awarded for the best presentation at the AJJ annual conference by an emerging scholar.

The gift from Mrs. Befu will finance the prize for the at least ten annual conferences, 2023 to 2032.

Rules of the Befu Prize

Eligibility

The prize will be awarded to the best presentation at the AJJ annual conference by an emerging scholar, defined as a scholar who does not hold a tenured position. This specifically includes students (undergraduate or postgraduate), post-doctoral researchers, adjunct faculty, and non-tenured contract faculty. Members of the AJJ executive committee are not eligible. If there is any ambiguity as to whether a particular presenter is eligible for the prize, it will be resolved at the discretion of the judges.

Judges

Presentations will be evaluated by a team consisting of members of the AJJ executive committee, plus senior scholars that the panel may decide to co-opt. Each panel at the AJJ conference will be attended by at least three members of the judging team. The judging team will be chaired by the host of the conference. At the end of the conference, the judging team will meet to decide the winner of the prize. Panels will be recorded and the recording may be used as material to help the judges in coming to their decision.

Criteria for Awarding the Prize

The judges will evaluate each presentation on the following criteria:
(1) Originality and importance of topic.

(2) Sophistication of research methods, with preference for fieldwork-driven projects.

(3) Excellence in presentation, with preference for well-structured, engaging argumentation and delivery.

(4) Ability to respond concisely and convincingly to questions and comments.

Non-Award of the Prize

If the judging team decides that none of the presentations are of sufficient merit to be awarded the prize, the prize may be withheld, in which case the prize will be awarded for an extra year.

Sharing of the Prize

If the judging team feels that two or more presentations are of equal merit, the prize may be divided between two or more recipients, each of whom will receive a certificate as well as a reduced cash prize (\125,000 for two winners; \83,333 for three winners, \62,500 for four winners, etc.). However, the prize should only be shared when the judging team is genuinely unable to pick a single winner.

Announcement of the Winner or Winners

If the judging team is able to come to a swift decision, the winner or winners will be announced at the end of the conference. If the judging team is unable to make a swift decision on the winner, the announcement will be published on the AJJ home page, no more than ten days after the conference has ended. If necessary, the head of the judging panel may request candidates for the prize to send in the full text of their presentations for review by the judging panel.
Reporting Results to the Befu Family: Once the winner of the prize has been decided, the president of AJJ will promptly inform Kei Befu and any other family members or other people she may nominate of the result, including the title and summary of the winning presentation or presentations. The report will also include details of the amount of money paid to the winner or each of the winners, the cost of the framed certificates, and the amount remaining in the prize fund.
Publication of the Winning Paper or Papers: The text of the winning presentation or presentations will be published on the AJJ home page, subject to the presenter’s consent.

Use of the Prize Money

The winner or winners are expected to use the prize money to further their research on the anthropology of Japan, and will be asked to submit a brief report on their activities to the next annual meeting of AJJ after the one at which they have been awarded the prize.

Unethical Behaviour

Presentations must be the original and unaided work of the presenter. If a presentation that has been awarded the prize is later found to be not the original and unaided work of the presenter, the prize may be revoked, in which case the winner will be asked to return the prize money and certificate and the revoking of the prize will be announced on the AJJ home page. Note, however, that advice given to students by their thesis advisers in the course of their studies is not subject to the sanctions above.

Remaining Funds

If there are funds remaining after the ten-year period of the prize, they will be used to finance a further year or years of the prize, at a reduced level of prize money if necessary.

Restrictions on Use of Funds

The funds donated for the Befu Prize may only be used for the award of the annual prize and the purchase and calligraphy of the certificate and its frame, and may not be used for any other purpose. The cost of the framed certificate may not exceed 25,000 yen.

Changes to These Rules

Any changes to these rules must be approved by the AJJ annual business meeting and confirmed by Kei Befu or her nominated representative.