Three scientists, one Japanese and two Belgians, were selected as recipients of the 1998 Japan Prize, the Tokyo-based Science and Technology Foundation of Japan announced Friday in Tokyo.

The annual award is given to individuals whose research or discoveries have contributed to the wealth of mankind and world peace. Leo Esaki, the president of the University of Tsukuba, received the award for his seminal work with man-made superlattice crystals and his 1969 proposal that they have unique electrical properties. Esaki, 72, a Nobel laureate in 1973 for physics, was selected the winner in the new materials field. His research paved the way for scientists and researchers to create the conductor laser, which is indispensable to optical communication, said Shojiro Asai, director and general manager of Hitachi's Corporate Research and Development Promotion Office.

Jozef S. Schell, 62, a department director at the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and Marc C .E. Van Montagu, 64, a department director at the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology in Belgium, were named joint recipients of the award in the biotechnology in agricultural sciences category. They were recognized for their collaborative work in the production of transgenic plants, or the genetic altering of plants, especially to resist insects or herbicides.

Each recipient will receive a certificate of merit and medal, while a cash prize of 50 million yen is awarded in each category. The Emperor and Empress are scheduled to participate in the official presentation ceremony, to be held at the National Theater in Tokyo on April 28. The Japan Prize, in its 14th year, is given for work in two categories each year. The categories for the 1999 Japan Prize will be Information Technologies and Molecular Recognition and Dynamics in Bioscience, it was announced Friday.