Medals of Honor (Japan)
Medals of Honor (褒章, hōshō) are medals awarded by the Emperor of Japan. They are awarded to individuals who have done meritorious deeds and also to those who have achieved excellence in their field of work.[1] The Medals of Honor were established on December 7, 1881, and were first awarded the following year. Several expansions and amendments have been made since then. The medal design for all six types are the same, bearing the stylized characters 褒章 on a gilt central disc surrounded by a silver ring of cherry blossoms on the obverse; only the colors of the ribbon differ.
If for some reason an individual were to receive a second medal of the same ribbon colour, then a second medal is not issued but rather a new bar is added to their current medal. The Medals of Honor are awarded twice each year, on April 29 (the birthday of the Shōwa Emperor) and November 3 (the birthday of the Meiji Emperor).
Types
Red ribbon
First awarded in 1882. Awarded to individuals who have risked their own lives to save the lives of others.
Green ribbon
First awarded in 1882. Originally awarded "to children, grandchildren, wives and servants for remarkable acts of piety; and to individuals who, through their diligence and perseverance while engaging in their professional activities, became public role models".
Changed social values after World War II had resulted in the conferment of this medal being suspended after 1950; since 1955 it has been replaced to some extent by the revived Medal with Yellow Ribbon (see below). However, in 2003 the Medal with Green Ribbon was revived as an award to morally remarkable individuals who have actively taken part in serving society.[citation needed]
Yellow ribbon
First awarded in 1887 (later abolished); revived in 1955. Awarded to individuals who, through their diligence and perseverance while engaging in their professional activities, became public role models.
Purple ribbon
First awarded in 1955. Awarded to individuals who have contributed to academic and artistic developments, improvements and accomplishments.
Blue ribbon
First awarded in 1882. Awarded to individuals who have made significant achievements in the areas of public welfare or public service.
Dark blue ribbon
First awarded in 1919. Awarded to individuals who have made exceptionally generous financial contributions for the well-being of the public.
Select recipients
Red
- Samuel Robinson[2]
- Yan Jun, a People's Republic of China citizen who saved a Japanese child in September 2013[3]
- Anuj Raj Karki, a Nepalese citizen who saved a Japanese girl lying unconscious on a railway track.
Green
Yellow
- Ken Ono[6]
- Hiroshi Maeda[7]
- Noguchi Naohiko[8]
- Hiroshi Tsukakoshi[9]
- Hisashi Suzuki[10]
- Mitsugu Shibata[11]
Purple
- Hiroyuki Sanada[12]
- Osamu Akimoto[13]
- Yasushi Akimoto[14]
- Toshiko Akiyoshi[15]
- Hideaki Anno[16]
- Shizuka Arakawa[17]
- Chieko Asakawa[18]
- Kinji Fukasaku[19]
- Moto Hagio[20]
- Yuzuru Hanyu[21]
- Machiko Hasegawa[20]
- Joe Hisaishi[22][23]
- Akira Ifukube[24]
- Sayuri Ishikawa[25]
- Chika Kuroda[26]
- Keisuke Kuwata[27]
- Akihiro Maeta[28]
- Takashi Matsumoto[27]
- Miyuki Nakajima[22]
- Eiichi Nakamura[22]
- Koichi Nakano[17]
- Hitoshi Narita[29]
- Tetsuya Noda[30]
- Hideyuki Okano[31]
- Katsuhiro Otomo[32]
- Shoichi Ozawa[33]
- Takao Saito[34]
- Hiroyuki Sasaki[35]
- Jian-ren Shen[36]
- Chiyoko Shimakura[37]
- Takashi Shimura[38]
- Yasuharu Suematsu[39]
- Taihō Kōki[40]
- Rumiko Takahashi[41][42]
- Keiko Takemiya[43]
- Ichirō Tominaga[44]
- Mitsuo Tsukahara[22]
- Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi[22]
- Morihei Ueshiba[45]
- Hozan Yamamoto[46]
- Yoshihisa Yamamoto[47][48]
- Koji Yamamura[49]
- Kono Yasui[50]
- Akinori Yonezawa[22]
- Masaaki Yuasa[51]
- Toshiko Yuasa[52]
- Kōji Yakusho[53]
- Katsuya Yokoyama[54]
Blue
- Clara Converse awarded 1929 for contributions to women's education.[55]
- Tano Jōdai awarded for contributions to women's education
- Rokuro Ishikawa
- Koichi Kawai
- Yasuhiro Fukushima[22]
- Yanosuke Hirai, Nuclear engineer whose precaution and foresight prevented two nuclear disasters.
- Masaru Ibuka[56]
- Kaoru Inoue[57]
- Kazuo Imai[58]
- Keiichi Ishizaka[22]
- Norio Ohga[59]
- Eishiro Saito[60]
- Hiroko Sakai[58]
- Nobuchika Sugimura
- Shoichiro Toyoda[61]
- Yoshikazu Yahiro[62]
- Gōgen Yamaguchi[63]
- Alice Appenzeller[64]
- Magokichi Yamaoka
- Carlos Ghosn
- Toshiko Satake (Satake Corporation)
- Abbas Kiarostami
- Hiroyuki Ito[65] (Crypton Future Media)
- Miyazaki Atsuo
- Tomio Fukuoka (1993)[66]
- Tokio Yokoi, Rev ordained minister and politician, international author 1890 to 1920. IHJ 3rd Class Honour award for his contributions during the 1919 Paris Peace Talks
- Tsuyoshi Kikukawa [2]
- Kisshomaru Ueshiba [3]
- Moriteru Ueshiba [4]
Dark blue
References
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- ^ "Kontatsu. Co., Ltd". www.kontatsu.co.jp.
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- ^ Japan Foundation – Toshiko Akiyoshi Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine
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- ^ "Renowned director Fukasaku, of 'Battle Royale' fame, dies". The Japan Times. 13 January 2003. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
- ^ a b Ransom, Ko (27 April 2012). "Hagio Is 1st Shōjo Manga Creator to Win Japan's Purple Ribbon (Updated)". Anime News Network. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ "紫綬褒章:羽生「更なる好成績を」 - 毎日新聞". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-09-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Honor awarded 2009 (Tokyo Prefecture) Archived 2005-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "678 individuals, 24 groups awarded Medals of Honor," Archived 2009-11-03 at the Wayback Machine Mainichi Shimbun. November 3, 2009; "Ghibli Composer Joe Hisaishi Awarded Medal of Honour," Anime News Network. November 3, 2009.
- ^ "伊福部昭音楽資料室" [Akira Ifukube Music Library]. Town of Otofuke. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
- ^ Jiji press, 20 May, 2019 (「歌手の石川さゆりさんら紫綬褒章=囲碁の趙治勲さんも-春の褒章」https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2019052000090&g=pol ), viewed 9, June, 2019. See also, Ishikawa’s press conference script, (「春の紫綬褒章、受章。」 http://www.ishikawasayuri.com/news/2019/05/post_442.html ), viewed 9, June, 2019.
- ^ "Chika Kuroda (1884~1968)". Ochanomizu University. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
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- ^ "2003年/平成15年". Archived from the original on 2013-01-22. Retrieved 2014-03-10. Chronological report of Japan's Art Yearbook by Independent Administrative Institution National Research Institute of Cultural Properties, Tokyo)
- ^ "Info" (PDF). www.brain.riken.jp.
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- ^ "'Enka' icon Shimakura dies at 75". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 2013-11-11. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
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- ^ The Japan Prize Foundation: Dr. Yasuharu Suematsu. Dated 2014, Archived copy at archive.org
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- ^ "秋の褒章、高橋留美子さんら" [Autumn medal 2020, Rumiko Takahashi and others]. Kyodo News. November 2, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ "Ranma 1/2, Inuyasha Creator Rumiko Takahashi Receives Japan's Medal with Purple Ribbon". Anime News Network. November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
- ^ Sherman, Jennifer (3 November 2014). "To Terra's Takemiya Receives Japan Medal with Purple Ribbon". Anime News Network. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (22 May 2021). "Manga Creator Ichirō Tominaga Passes Away at 96". Anime News Network. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
- ^ Honor conferred 1960 – North Austin Tae Kwan Do: "Chronology of the Life of Morihei Ueshiba, Founder of Aikido."
- ^ "Hozan Yamamoto: The Story of Japan's National Treasure". 2021-07-08. Retrieved 2022-12-24.
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- ^ "Professor Yoshihisa Yamamoto is awarded "Medal with Purple Ribbon"". www.nii.ac.jp.
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- ^ "Yasui, Kono (1880–1971)". Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages. 2007. Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
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- ^ "Katsuya Yokoyama". Retrieved 2022-12-24.
- ^ Hill, Edith Naomi, ed. (July 1929). "Clara A. Converse is Honored by Japan". The Smith Alumnae Quarterly. 20 (4). Northampton, Massachusetts: The Alumnae Association of Smith College: 427. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ Honor awarded 1960 – Sony Corporation: [1].
- ^ Honor awarded 2009 (Nagasaki Prefecture) Archived 2010-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b Honor awarded 2009 (Kyoto Prefecture) Archived 2010-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Sony, "Passing of Norio Ohga, Senior Advisor and former President and Chairman, Sony Corporation," April 23, 2011; retrieved 2011-08-08
- ^ "訃報(経団連名誉会長、当社社友名誉会長 斎藤英四郎殿)[News of death: President Emeritus of Keidanren, Honorary Chairman of our company, Saito Eishiro]". Nippon Steel. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
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- ^ Honor awarded 2009 (Fukuoka Prefecture) Archived 2010-09-11 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Profile". www.gojukai.com.
- ^ Parker, Fitzgerald (1936). Twenty-Sixth Annual Report, Woman's Missionary Council of The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Home Mission Movement, 1935–1936. Nashville, Tennessee: Methodist Episcopal Church, South Whitmore & Smith, Agents.
- ^ jrharbort (5 November 2013). "Crypton CEO Awarded Blue Ribbon Medal of Honor, Snow Miku 2014 Event Info, Meiko V3 Details Announced". Mikufan.com.
- ^ "Kobe Institute of Computing - History". www.kic.ac.jp.
- ^ "B'zの松本孝弘が紺綬褒章を受章" (in Japanese). Natalie. 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
- ^ "X JAPAN's YOSHIKI Receives Prestigious Japanese Medal Of Honor". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2021-03-15.
Bibliography
- Peterson, James W., Barry C. Weaver and Michael A. Quigley. (2001). Orders and Medals of Japan and Associated States. San Ramon, California: Orders and Medals Society of America. ISBN 1-890974-09-9
External links
- Japan, Cabinet Office: Decorations and Medals
- Decoration Bureau: Medals of Honour
- Japan Mint: Production Process