Kazuo Inamori is a Japanese philanthropist, entrepreneur and the founder of Kyocera Corporation and KDDI Corporation. He is the chairman of Japan Airlines. In 2011, he received the Othmer Gold Medal for outstanding contributions to progress in science and chemistry.
Inamori is also a Zen Buddhist priest, established the Inamori Foundation in 1984, which awards the annual Kyoto Prize to honor those who have made "extraordinary contributions to science, civilization, and the spirituality of humankind."