 In 1982 Sato share Brandeis University's Rosenstiel Award with subsequent 1986 Nobel prize winners, biochemist Stanley Cohen and Rita Levi-Montalcini, and in 1984 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences for his contributions to cell biology.In 2002 Sato was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Society for In Vitro Biology in 2002 for his contributions in both cell biology and global issues.Sato was a Laureate of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in 2002.