Press Conference A Chaotic Scene

Media members, many from Japanese outlets, ask Osamu Shimomura about his Nobel Prize for Chemistry, which was awarded to him on Wednesday. CHRISTOPHER KAZARIAN/ENTERPRISE

FALMOUTH- He answered questions in English, he answered them in Japanese, but no matter what language one spoke, Wednesday’s press conference for Nobel Prize winner Osamu Shimomura of Sippewissett Road, Falmouth, could be described as chaotic.
The media attention extended beyond national borders with numerous Japanese outlets participating, both in person and patched in via phone.
Bright lights flashed down upon the 80-year-old whose scientific work has provided tremendous insight for cellular biologists and medical researchers alike.
Oftentimes, he answered questions in a hushed tone, as photographers snapped pictures, often drowning out his responses. Several times he was asked to repeat answers for reporters listening in on the conference call. Associate Director of Communications Gina Hebert for the Marine Biological Laboratory at one point explained her staff was doing the best they could, as she held a sound station, used for conference calls, a few feet from Dr. Shimomura’s face.
Among those in attendance were NPR Radio, New England Cable News and the Associated Press, whose cameraman asked Dr. Shimomura to speak in his native tongue to people in his home country of Japan.
Reuters, Science News, and the Associated Press were among the news services that offered up questions over the phone. He was asked by one Japanese outlet what his Nobel Prize win means for the country. “It is very unusual,” he said, before adding that “it is very good for Japan.”
His last question was asked and answered entirely in Japanese, which Ms. Hebert asked him to then translate into English. The question focused on when—5 AM—and how—by phone—he was informed about the prize and what his reaction was—surprise, he said.
When the conference was over, roughly a half-hour later, the media contingent swarmed upon Dr. Shimomura, with microphones, video cameras, and reporters, at times inches from his face, asking him questions related to his newfound fame. Minutes later, he fielded a phone call from the Swedish embassy, clutching the cellphone with two hands, straining to talk as members of the press recorded every minute for posterity.