Updated: 7 December, 2009
Japan
 |
Medals
of Japan
Decorations
Bureau – Official Site |
Japanese Orders, Decorations, and Medals of Honor (Shoji Sugita) - also available in Japanese
|
Orders and Medals of Japan Website, where you will find information on Japanese awards extracted from hard-to-find printed books and knowledge obtained by chatting with other collectors. This site is focused on military-related pre-1945 awards so you will not find here information about the Order of the Sacred Crown, but we include the Japanese Red Cross and Imperial Sea Disaster Rescue Society awards, as they appear frequently in military sets of medals for any rank of servicemen. Also, badges of military support or patriotic associations are covered. |
Production of Orders & Medals of Honour - Japanese Mint Bureau
Medal with Purple Ribbon – Actor Go Kato, actress Yaeko Mizutani and physicist Yoji Tozuka are among the 23 recipients of this spring’s Medal with Purple Ribbon for contributions to the arts and academia, the government said Friday. (Ref: Kyodo News on the Web 28 Apr 01)
Japanese Govt. honours Sri Lankan The Government of Japan announced on November 3 the conferment of The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette on Dayasiri Warnakulasooriya, President of the Japanese Language Education Association of Sri Lanka and Chairman and Managing Director of Midaya Group of Companies in Sri Lanka in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the promotion of Japanese language education in Sri Lanka and also to the friendly relationship between Japan and Sri Lanka. He was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister's Commendation on 8th July 1996 in recognition of his contribution to promoting the Japanese language education in Sri Lanka and also to cultural and economic exchange between Japan and Sri Lanka.(Nov 02)
Austria bestows honor on Ozawa The Austrian government on Monday awarded Seiji Ozawa, the musical director of the Vienna State Opera, with the Cross of Honor for Science and Art First Class. The award is Austria's highest honor for contributions to art and culture. The director of the state opera, Ioan Holender, won a Great Golden Badge of Honor for Merit for the Austrian Republic. Ozawa was the first Japanese to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's concert. He was appointed musical director of the Vienna State Opera in the fall after resigning in August from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which he had conducted since 1973. (Dec 02)
Mathematician
Hironaka to receive France's Legion
Japan - Young athletes and volunteers appear prominently in a list of distinguished people from various walks of life to be honored with government medals this autumn. Judo champion Ryoko Tamura, 28, record-breaking swimmer Kosuke Kitajima, 21, and new gymnastics hero Takehiro Kashima, 23, will be given the Medal with Purple Ribbon. A total of 846 individuals and five groups will be honored. 93-year-old Hideko Asakawa, a cleaning servant from Tokushima Prefecture who will be given the Medal with Green Ribbon. A total of 38 non-Japanese citizens and more than 4,000 Japanese will be decorated this fall for their contributions to Japan and Japanese society, according to a government list of award recipients released Sunday. American George Olah, who won the 1994 Nobel Prize in chemistry, former British Ambassador to Japan Sydney Giffard and nine Japanese will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. The 38 foreign honorees, including two women, represent 19 countries. Nine come from the United States, three from each of Britain, Canada, France and Germany, and two each from of Belgium, Brazil and Sri Lanka. The Japan Times: Nov. 3, 2003
Orders, Decorations, and Medals of Japan (Antiques A to Z)
 |
Imperial Japanese Navy Page - You can look at pictures of Japanese warships, access detailed information on these vessels; their guns, torpedoes, sensors, names, and the officers who led them in combat. (Mar 02) |
 |
Japan
honors slain Iraqi driver, |
Nissan's Ghosn, 3 rescuers to receive gov't medals Nissan Motor Co President Carlos Ghosn and three men who saved others' lives are among the 869 people and eight organizations who will receive the Medal with Blue Ribbon given for business and public contributions as well as philanthropic acts. The three rescuers, all from Osaka Prefecture, are Takamichi Sugiyama, 57, Shinji Matsumoto, 30, and Issei Fujimori, 23, the youngest among all recipients. They will be honored for rescuing two people from a car that fell into a canal last August with a family of four on board. japantoday.com 28 Apr 04
Japan confers honour on former Indian envoy Former Indian Ambassador to Japan Arjun G Asrani has been conferred the coveted honour by Japan's Emperor Akihito for his outstanding contribution in promoting Indo-Japanese relations. He has been honoured with the 'Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun'. Asrani, who joined the IFS in 1957, served in the Indian Embassy in Tokyo three times. 123bharath.com 23 Nov 04
Japan to honor Taiwanese teacher with special order Tsai Mao-feng (蔡茂豐) has been selected by the Japanese government to receive the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his contributions in the areas of culture and education. Tsai, 71, who has been teaching the Japanese language in Taiwan for nearly 50 years, will be the first citizen to receive the prestigious citation since the two countries severed formal diplomatic relations in 1972.Tsai will be among 34 foreign nationals from 21 countries and areas to be cited with the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon. A total of 4,057 Japanese citizens will be cited with one of the various levels of the Order of the Rising Sun at a presentation ceremony to be held at the Royal Palace in Tokyo on May 19. A former Japanese supreme court judge will be the only recipient of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Paulownia Flowers -- the top honor. taipeitimes.com 30 Apr 05
|
|
Samba TALL, Médaille de l'ordre du trésor sacré : L’empereur décore un passeur de cultures Samba Tall, a member of the Japanese Embassy Cultural Service in Senegal, has been awarded the medal of the Order of the Golden Treasure. The medal is awarded for 25 years of service. walf.sn Jun 05 |
Japan Government honours Indian engineer M.R. Ranganathan, a Chennai based engineer, has won Japan's highest civilian award - 'The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver rays' for promoting better cultural ties between New Delhi and Tokyo. Ranganathan, 62, is the founder of the Asia Bunka Kaikan Dosokai scheme of the Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship. Dosokai, a voluntary organisation, has 500 members who help teach Japanese language to Indians who need to interact with Japanese in the technology sector. The group also holds cultural activities. news.webindia123.com 11 Jul 05
 |
Mrs. Sadako Ogata - President Japan International Cooperation Agency - Decorations Received by Mrs. Sadako Ogata - Grand Cross of the Phoenix, Government of Greece, Hilal-i-Pakistan (Crescent of Pakistan), Islamabad, Pakistan, Commandeur de l`Ordre National, Ivory Coast, First Order of the Jordanian Al Kawkab, Amman, Jordan, Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur, France, Calvarie di Gran Croce, Italy, The Order of Friendship, Russian Federation, The Royal Order of the Polar Star, Sweden, The Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Federal Republic of Germany, Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star for Services, Republic of Austria, Person of Cultural Merits, Japan, Grand Officer of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, Norway, Ordre National du 27 Juin 1977, Republic of Djibouti, Order of the Lion of Malawi, Republic of Malawi, Order of Culture, Tokyo, Japan, Grand Cross of the Order of San Carlos, Republic of Colombia, Order of Duke Branimir, Republic of Croatia, Commandeur de l' Ordre National de Lion, Republic of Senegal. gcacma.org |
 |
Order
of the Rising Sun Mr Yue Kwan Cheuk, the Founding
Chairman of the Japanese Studies Department at CUHK, was conferred The
Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, a very
prestigious title granted by the Japanese government to individuals
who have made significant contributions to Japanese studies or Japan's
ties with foreign nations on the 11th of June 2004. cuhk.edu.hk |
 |
Order of the Sacred Treasure - Image of recipient, along with certificate. If anyone can translate the contents, please email me. kumamoto-pct.jp |
Former Turkish Ambassador Presented With Japanese State Medal Japan presented Ismet Birsel, a former Turkish ambassador to Iran, with state medal as he had an important role in the rescue of Japanese citizens who were stranded in Iranian capital of Tehran during Iran-Iraq war 20 years ago. Making a keynote speech in the ceremony held at the Japanese Embassy in Ankara, Japanese Ambassador to Turkey Tomoyuki Abe said that Japan has never forgotten Birsel's contributions. Japan is presenting this medal to 49 foreigners this year. Besides Birsel, 12 Turkish Airlines (THY) staff who took part in the rescue operation will also be awarded with the same medal. The ceremony will take place in Turkish metropolis of Istanbul tomorrow. Iraq, ruled by Saddam Hussein, gave only two days to foreign citizens to leave Tehran before it launched air strikes on Iran in March 1985. Many foreign airline companies refused to carry Japanese citizens, who were stranded in Tehran, as their priority was to carry the citizens of their own countries. Then Japanese Ambassador to Iran Yutaka Nomura requested assistance of his colleague and close friend Birsel, and asked if a Turkish plane could carry Japanese citizens. Upon Birsel's demand and consent of then Turkish prime minister Turgut Ozal, a THY plane was sent to Tehran on March 19th, 1985. The plane rescued 215 Japanese citizens only hours before the air strike. turkishpress.com 18 May 06
 |
Japanese order honours former PM Phan Van Khai Japanese Emperor Akihito bestowed his country’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun to Viet Nam’s former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe then handed Khai the certificate of the order. Khai was honoured for his contribution to strengthening the relationship between Viet Nam and Japan. In his nearly 10 years as Viet Nam’s Prime Minister, Khai attached great importance to this relationship, considering it a partnership based on long-term stability and reliability. He also actively helped to increase the number of exchange visits between the leaders of the two countries’ governments; pushed for the signing of the Viet Nam-Japan Agreement for the Liberalisation, Promotion and Protection of Investment; and implemented the Viet Nam-Japan Joint Initiative. vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn 8 Nov 06 |
Donald J. Johnston, Counsel with Heenan Blaikie, To Receive Japan's Order of the Rising Sun The Honourable Donald J. Johnston, P.C. Q.C., a founding partner and now counsel to the law firm Heenan Blaikie, will be receiving the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. This decoration will be presented to Mr. Johnston by His Majesty The Emperor during a ceremony on November 7 at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. This decoration is awarded to Mr. Johnston in consideration of his ten years of accomplishments as Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. cnw.ca 6 Nov 06
 |
Former Deputy PM gets Japan’s highest honour Former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan was presented the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. The Order, the most prestigious given to foreigners, was handed out as a sign of appreciation for Khoan’s efforts in strengthening ties between Viet Nam and Japan. Khoan played a critical role in negotiations between the two countries that resulted in Japan re-establishing the provision of official development assistance to Viet Nam in 1992. He is the second Vietnamese official to be bestowed with the order. vietnamnews. vnagency.com 9 May 07 |
 |
World Championships Medals unveiled with 50 days to go to Osaka 2007 Vice President & Managing Director, Japan Association of Athletics Federations, along with Hiromasa Hemmi, the General Secretary of the Osaka Local Organising Committee had the honour to unveil the championship Medals to the world. Designed and created by Japan Mint, the concept for the Medals is - on the front: the “Stream of time” and “The moment of the record”, with the Official Emblem of the championships at its centre; while on the back: “To the future” is the theme, and here the event, athlete’s name and country will be engraved. The Official Event title is engraved around the edge of the medals, and the colours stand for: “Passion Red” - The city of Passion, Osaka and the passion of athletes; “Exchange Blue” - The lagoon City, Osaka and the exchange among the visitors all over the world; “Culture Green” - The rich natural City, Osaka, stands next to the cities which have the world’s cultural heritage, Kyoto, Nara and Wakayama. iaaf.org 7 Jul 07 |
Lasorda to be honored by Emperor of Japan Hall of Fame Manager and Special Advisor to the Chairman Tommy Lasorda will be honored by the Emperor of Japan and will receive the Order of the Rising Sun. Lasorda is receiving this decoration because of his contributions to the development of Japanese baseball. Lasorda is being honored because of his efforts in the development of Japanese baseball. He has worked to build a bridge between American and Japanese baseball for parts of five decades, while spreading goodwill through the respective country's love of the game. Lasorda and the Dodgers have a long history with Japanese baseball. In 1965, on behalf of the Dodgers, Lasorda traveled to Japan as a guest coach of the Tokyo Giants. Lasorda worked with Tetsuharu Kawakami, Manager of the Giants, and his coaching staff and players, and trained them on all aspects of the game including the fundamentals of pitching, hitting, fielding, base running, and baseball strategy as well as scouting techniques and the creation of a player development system. The Giants won nine consecutive titles starting that year. The relationship between the Dodgers and Japanese baseball grew tremendously because of Lasorda's visit to Japan in 1965. The Dodgers toured Japan in 1966 and played a series of games against Japanese teams. These visits led to a series of visits by Japanese teams to the Dodgers' Spring Training facility in Vero Beach, Florida for baseball clinics conducted by Lasorda and other Dodger coaches. The Tokyo Giants visited five times, the first being in 1961, and four subsequent visits in 1967, '71, '75 and '80 while the Chunichi Dragons visited Dodgertown in 1988. Lasorda and the Dodgers visited Japan again in 1993 for the Akihiro "Ike" Ikuhara Friendship Series. Ikuhara, who passed away one year before the Friendship Series, was the Dodgers' conduit to Japan for many years and was an instrumental part of the relationship between Japanese baseball and the Dodgers. In 1995, Hideo Nomo became only the second Japanese-born player to appear in Major League Baseball. The Nomo signing and his success opened the doors for Japanese players in the United States. Lasorda is credited for helping Nomo's transition from the Japanese league to the Major Leagues, and more importantly, for helping him adjust to the cultural changes from Japan to the United States. After Lasorda's retirement from managing the Dodgers in 1996, and his Hall of Fame induction in 1997, he continued his relationship with Japanese baseball by signing a Friendship Agreement with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2001. Similar to what he did in 1965 with the Tokyo Giants, Lasorda visited the Buffaloes in Japan more than 15 times over the next three years conducting clinics for the players and coaching staff, as well as instructing the Buffaloes in scouting and player development. The Buffaloes also visited Dodgertown in 2001, '02, and '03 for fall training camp hosted by Lasorda and Dodger coaches. Lasorda's involvement with Japan goes beyond his expertise in baseball. In June 2005, he was asked by President George W. Bush to serve as a delegate to the U.S. National Day at the World Expo in Aichi, Japan. He represented the United States at the World Expo as each country hosts a National Day and has a pavilion on which to host their exhibit. As Lasorda's role in the globalization of the game grew, Commissioner Bud Selig appointed him as the Official Ambassador of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006. In that capacity, Lasorda served as a spokesperson for the tournament and traveled to Japan to throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the WBC for the games being played in Japan. losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com 6 Nov 08
 |
Clint Eastwood receives Japanese decoration in LA Actor Clint Eastwood has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by Japan. japantoday.com 23 Jul 09 |
