Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama held a ceremony to present the Prime Minister's Award to Mr. Koichi Wakata, an astronaut, at the Prime Minister's Office, and presented him with a certificate of award and a shield.

The award was presented to acknowledge Mr. Wakata's outstanding achievements in making major contributions to the promotion of Japan's space development. Mr. Wakata, as Japan's first astronaut to complete an extended stay in the International Space Station (ISS), has successfully completed a number of missions, including the completion of Japan's first manned laboratory module in space "Kibo." The award also acknowledges that Mr. Wakata has contributed to the enhancement of public interest in science by giving the people, including the youth, big dreams and hope through his activities in space.