Akira Yoshino, 71, who on Wednesday was named one of three laureates of this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on lithium-ion batteries, which power countless electronic devices, wants younger generations to challenge untapped fields of science with a curious mindset toward the unknown, something that led him to his own success.

"There are many fields that haven't yet been discovered and I want (younger researchers) to challenge the unknown and pave new ways, without following the paths of others," he said during a news conference held at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on Thursday.

He said such an approach led to his contributions to the development of the widely used power source, which has become indispensable for cellphones and other electronic devices in everyday use.