ɪnæmˈɔːɹi, hˌuː wʌzɐ zˈɛn bˈuːdɪst pɹˈiːst, ɪstˈæblɪʃt ðɪ ɪnæmˈɔːɹi faʊndˈeɪʃən ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi fˈoːɹ, wˌɪtʃ ɐwˈɔːɹdz ðɪ ˈænjuːəl kaɪˈoʊɾoʊ pɹˈaɪz tʊ ˈɑːnɚ ðoʊz hˌuː hæv mˈeɪd "ɛkstɹˈoːɹdɪnˌɛɹi kˌɑːntɹɪbjˈuːʃənz tə sˈaɪəns, sˌɪvɪlᵻzˈeɪʃən, ænd ðə spˌɪɹɪtʃuːˈælᵻɾi ʌv hjˈuːmɐŋkˌaɪnd.
Inamori, who was a Zen Buddhist priest, established the Inamori Foundation in 1984, which awards the annual Kyoto Prize to honor those who have made "extraordinary contributions to science, civilization, and the spirituality of humankind.