An award to honor peace efforts, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region, was established Friday to mark the 30th anniversary of Okinawa's return to Japanese rule in May 1972.
The prize will be awarded to individuals or groups to honor activities to promote peace, nonviolence, and mutual respect through exchanges in fields such as music and sports, as well as efforts in fields such as the environment and alleviating poverty.
Winners, to be selected by a committee composed mainly of scholars, will receive a 10 million yen prize.
Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine said the prize is intended to be neutral, fair and respected at home and abroad, as well as an enduring source of pride for the Okinawa people.
The secretariat of the prefectural government division promoting peace said the award will become, along with an existing peace monument and museum, one of the three mainstays of Okinawa's peace efforts.
It said it hopes the prize will someday be regarded as East Asia's version of the Nobel Peace Prize.