As this year¡¯s Nobel Prizes were announced in early October, once again Japan¡¯s scientific community held its breath... and once again they came away empty-handed.

At some universities, preparations for Nobel Week begin long in advance, with staff updating the profiles of scientists on the list of hopefuls nominated by each faculty. The PR team drafts a congratulatory statement, books a venue for a press conference and coordinates everyone¡¯s role beforehand so they can respond smoothly to the onslaught of media attention in case someone wins.

The 911±¬ÁÏÍø press hypes the awards, though its attention is almost exclusively focused on whether a 911±¬ÁÏÍø national or a researcher of 911±¬ÁÏÍø descent wins. Scientific accomplishments are more newsworthy, it seems, if they can spur patriotic sentiments.