Order of the Rising Sun

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun (3rd Class) rosette
Order of the Rising Sun (3rd Class) rosette

The Order of the Rising Sun (Japanese: 旭日章, Kyokujitsu shō ?) is a Japanese Order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government.[1] The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun. The design of the Rising Sun symbolizes energy as powerful as the rising sun[2] in parallel with the "rising sun" concept of Japan ("Land of the Rising Sun").

It is the second most prestigious Japanese decoration after the Order of the Chrysanthemum.[3] Before 1981, the Order was granted to only Japanese males; and women were awarded the Order starting in 2003.[4] The awarding of the Order is administered by the Decoration Bureau of Office of the Prime Minister. It is awarded in the name of the Emperor and can be awarded posthumously.

Contents

[edit] Classes

The Order can be awarded in any of these eight classes. Conventionally, a diploma is prepared to accompany the insignia of the order, and in some rare instances, the personal signature of the emperor will have been added. As an illustration of the wording of the text, a translation of a representative 1929 diploma says:

"By the grace of Heaven, Emperor of Japan, seated on the throne occupied by the same dynasty from time immemorial,
We confer the Second Class of the Imperial Order of Meiji upon Henry Waters Taft, a citizen of the United States of America and a director of the Japan Society of New York, and invest him with the insignia of the same class of the Order of the Double Rays of the Rising Sun, in expression of the good will which we entertain towards him.
"In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hand and caused the Grand Seal of the Empire to be affixed at the Imperial Palace, Tokio, this thirteenth day of the fifth month of the fourth year of Showa, corresponding to the 2,589th year from the accession to the throne of Emperor Jimmu."[5]

The badge for the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Blossoms, Grand Cordon is a gilt cross with white enameled rays, bearing a central emblem of a red enameled sun disc surrounded by red rays, and with three paulownia blossoms between each arm of the cross. It is suspended from three enameled paulownia leaves on a sash in red with white border stripes, and is worn on the right shoulder.

The star for the Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Blossoms, Grand Cordon is the same as the badge, but without the paulownia leaves suspension. It is worn on the left chest.

The badge for the First to Sixth Classes is an eight-pointed badge, in gilt (1st-4th Classes), gilt and silver (5th Class), or silver (6th Class), with white enamelled rays, bearing a central red enamelled sun disc. It is suspended from three enamelled paulownia leaves (not chrysanthemum as the Decoration Bureau page claims) on a ribbon in white with red border stripes, worn as a sash on the right shoulder for the 1st Class, as a necklet for the 2nd and 3rd Classes, on the left chest for the 4th to 6th Classes (with a rosette for the 4th Class).

The star for the First and Second Classes is an eight-pointed silver badge, bearing a central emblem identical to the 4th Class badge without the paulownia leaves suspension. It is worn on the left chest for the 1st Class, on the right chest for the 2nd Class.

The badge for the Seventh and Eighth Classes consists of just a silver medal in the shape of three paulownia leaves, enamelled for the 7th Class and plain for the 8th Class. It is suspended on a ribbon, again in white with red border stripes, worn on the left chest.

Investiture of a Grand Cordon
Investiture of a Grand Cordon

[edit] Selected recipients

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness.
Revisions and sourced additions are welcome.

[edit] 1st Class, Order of the Rising Sun with Paulownia Blossoms, Grand Cordon

[edit] 1st Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon

[edit] 2nd Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star

[edit] 3rd Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon

[edit] 4th Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette

[edit] 5th Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

  • Moazzem Hussain, 2004.[30]

[edit] 6th Class, Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays

  • Satoru Shisei Tsuneishi (May 30, 1888-October 1, 1987) awarded on November 2, 1972 for his lifetime achievements in haiku

[edit] 7th Class, Green Paulownia Leaves Medal

[edit] 8th Class, White Paulownia Leaves Medal

[edit] Class unknown

  • Grundfest, Harry (1982).[37]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Decorations Bureau web site
  2. ^ a b c Embassy of Japan in Australia
  3. ^ Administration of matters under the direct purview of the Prime Minister: the Honors System
  4. ^ Weatherhead East Asian Institute web site -- Carol Gluck
  5. ^ a b Honor awarded 1929 -- "Japanese Emperor Honors H.W. Taft; Consul-General Gives Insignia for Fostering International Friendship. Diploma Also Presented; Brother of Chief Justice Receives Order of Rising Sun at Exercises Here," New York Times, June 28, 1929.
  6. ^ Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "2008 Spring Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals," p. 4; [http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080430a5.html "51 non-Japanese among 4,000 to receive decorations this spring." Japan Times. April 30, 2008.
  7. ^ Wudunn, Sheryl. "New U.S. Diplomat Tries to Speak Japan's Language," New York Times. April 8, 1998.
  8. ^ Nagashima-Hayashi, Michiko. "Former UNICEF Executive Director receives humanitarian award in Japan," UNICEF web site (2006)]
  9. ^ Honor awarded 1973 -- National Archives of Australia
  10. ^ Garamone, Jim. "Pace Receives Japanese Emperor’s Rising Sun Award", American Forces Press Service, August 18, 2007.
  11. ^ "4,632 people win awards for contributing to Japan." Japan Times, November 3, 2002.
  12. ^ Honor awarded 1908 -- Ibaraki Prefecture e-newsletter
  13. ^ Amb. Nogami presents Order of Rising Sun
  14. ^ "Periscope," Newsweek. December 20, 2004.
  15. ^ Honor awarded posthumously 1928 -- "Mikado Honors Dr. Noguchi, New York Times. June 2, 1928.
  16. ^ Honor awarded 1907 -- Adler, Cyrus (1921). p. 14; Sakamoto, Pamela Rotner. (1998). Japanese Diplomats and Jewish Refugees, p. 17.
  17. ^ Honor awarded 2006 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  18. ^ a b Adam Mathew web.
  19. ^ "Pax Britannica (3rd Class)", Time, May 16, 1932.
  20. ^ Honor awarded 1982 -- Rogala, Jozef. A Collector's Guide to Books on Japan in English: A Select List of Over 2500 Titles with Subject Index, p. 144.
  21. ^ Honor awarded 1991 -- Kenrick, Vivienne. "Personality Profile: Ian Nish," Japan Times. September 18, 2004.
  22. ^ "California Ethnomusicologist Dr. Robert Garfias to Receive Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun Award," Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) Archives.
  23. ^ Consulate General of Japan, Boston.
  24. ^ Consulate General of Japan, Los Angeles.
  25. ^ Japan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "2008 Spring Conferment of Decorations on Foreign Nationals," p. 4.
  26. ^ Embassy of Japan in Belgium: Decoration Awarding Ceremony of Prof.Dr. W.F. Vande Walle
  27. ^ Honor awarded 1984 -- Bergan, Ronald. "A satirical eye on Japan: Keisuke Kinoshita, film director; born December 5, 1912; died December 30, 1998," The Guardian (Manchester). January 5, 1999.
  28. ^ Honor awarded 1915 -- Kita, Atsushi. (2005). Dr. Noguchi's Journey: A Life of Medical Search and Discovery, p. 196.
  29. ^ Honor awarded 1942 -- Tsuji, Masanobu. (1997). Japan's Greatest Victory, Britain's Worst Defeat, p. 108.
  30. ^ Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh -- Hussain
  31. ^ Honor awarded 1983 -- Sims, Richard. "Obituary: William Beasley; Historian of the Meiji Restoration and the end of Japan's isolation," The Guardian (Manchester). December 15, 2006; "Professor Bill Beasley," The Telegraph (London). January 15, 2007.
  32. ^ Honor awarded 2004 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  33. ^ a b Honor awarded 1993 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  34. ^ "Uncle Bob", Time, September 10, 1945.
  35. ^ a b Honor awarded 1994 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  36. ^ Honor awarded 1908 -- Crossroads: A Journal of Nagasaki History and Culture
  37. ^ Honor awarded 1982 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  38. ^ a b c Honor awarded 1984 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  39. ^ Ozaki, Yukio. (2001). ''The Autobiography of Ozaki Yukio: The Struggle for Constitutional Government in Japan, p. 393.
  40. ^ Honor awarded 1918 -- RAF web page
  41. ^ Day, Peter. "British aviation pioneer was a spy for Japan," Telegraph (London). February 1, 2002.
  42. ^ Honor awarded 1999 -- Whiting, David. "Obituary: Tatsuzo Shimaoka; Japanese potter steeped in folk traditions who became a cultural ambassador," The Guardian (Manchester). January 17, 2008.
  43. ^ Honor awarded 2003 -- Weatherhead East Asian Institute, The Reed
  44. ^ Honor awarded 1874 -- "A Victory for the Chinese; Japanese Driven with Heavy Loss from Ping-yang," New York Times, August 22, 1894.
  45. ^ Honor awarded 1983 -- "Origami artist of stunning originality who became an ambassador for Japanese culture and his art". The Times (London). March 30, 2005; Lister, David. "Obituary: Akira Yoshizawa; Japanese craftsman who singlehandedly revived the art of origami," The Guardian (Manchester). April 8, 2005.


  • 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 1-8909-7409-9
  • Tsuji, Masanobu. (1997). Japan's Greatest Victory, Britain's Worst Defeat, Margaret E. Lake, tr. New York: Da Capo Press. 10-ISBN 1-873-37675-8; 13-ISBN 978-1-873-37675-1 (cloth)

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Honors and decorations of Japan