Japanese scientist wins Ig Nobel for studying how to blow your nose

A 1977 study on the mechanics of blowing your nose has earned late Japanese professor Tokuji Unno an Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine.

Unno’s research measured the flow and speed of air when people blew their noses. Its conclusion was practical: the most effective method is to clear one nostril at a time.

Professor Miki Takahara of Asahikawa Medical University accepted the award for Unno at a ceremony in Zurich on September 3, 2026. Takahara described Unno as a serious and dedicated researcher and said he would certainly have been pleased to receive the recognition had he been alive.

Unno, an honorary professor at Asahikawa Medical University, died in 2022 at the age of 89. His award extends Japan’s run to 20 consecutive years with at least one citizen among the Ig Nobel winners.

The prizes, presented annually since 1991, honour research that is creative, unusual and humorous. Another award this year went to an international team whose study found that crystals of milk from one cockroach species contain more than three times the energy of cow’s milk by weight.

The ceremony moved from the United States to Europe this year as rules for obtaining U.S. visas tightened.