Tokyo Opera City Cultural Foundation aims to stimulate creative activities in the field of music, following the principles of "Prayer, Hope and Peace" that the late artistic director, Toru Takemitsu originally set out. As a way to embody these ideas and provide a "Window to the Future" this international composition award in Mr. Takemitsu's name continues to encourage a younger generation of composers who will shape the coming age thru their new musical works.

This Award is unique in that each year only one judge (without committee) is responsible for the outcome. Each year, the judge examines the submitted scores and selects by his own judgment the compositions to be awarded. Our foundation appoints 3 composers to judge the competition in 3-year cycles.

For the first cycle, Mr. Takemitsu himself chose the first three composers to head the competition.

After Mr. Takemitsu's passing, the initial 3 composers nominated their 3 successors.

Since 2003, the selection of judges is made by ballot among the Foundation's Advisors Committee (whose members have included the late Hiroyuki Iwaki, Oliver Knussen, Kent Nagano, Kazushi Ono, Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the late Hiroshi Wakasugi) and the previous judges.