The is a Japanese

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...

, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art,

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

, science, technology, or anything related to

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

in general; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life. The order is conferred by the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

in person on

Culture Day is a public holiday in Japan held annually on November 3 for the purpose of promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor. Festivities typically include art exhibitions, parades, and award ceremonies for distinguished artists and scholar ...

(November 3) each year. It is considered equivalent to the highest rank (Grand Cordon) of the

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight f ...

, the

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest tw ...

, and the Order of the Precious Crown. The only orders that Japanese emperors bestow on recipients by their own hands are the

Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously. Apart f ...

, the Grand Cordon of each order, and the Order of Culture. The badge of the order, which is in gold with white enamel, is in the form of a

Tachibana orange The tachibana orange (''Citrus tachibana,'' or ''Citrus reticulata tachibana'') is a variety of mandarin orange, a citrus fruit. They grow wild in the forests of Japan and are referred to in the poetry of the early Japanese and Ryukyu Islands kin ...

blossom; the central disc bears three crescent-shaped

jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group ...

s (''

magatama are curved, comma-shaped beads that appeared in prehistoric Japan from the Final Jōmon period through the Kofun period, approximately 1000 BCE to the 6th century CE. The beads, also described as "jewels", were made of primitive stone and ea ...

''). The badge is suspended on a gold and enamel wreath of mandarin orange leaves and fruit, which is in turn suspended on a purple ribbon worn around the neck.

System of recognition

The Order of Culture and Persons of Cultural Merit function together in honoring contributions to the advancement and development of Japanese culture in a variety of fields such as academia, arts and others.

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan) The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international communit ...

''Culture 2000,'' Part 1, Chapter 3, Section 2.1

Order of Culture

The Emperor himself presents the honor at the award ceremony, which takes place at the Imperial Palace on the Day of Culture (November 3). Candidates for the Order of Culture are selected from the Persons of Cultural Merit by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, upon hearing views of all the members of the selection committee for the Persons of Cultural Merit. The Minister then recommends the candidates to the Prime Minister so that they can be decided by the Cabinet.

Persons of Cultural Merit

The system for Persons of Cultural Merit was established in 1951 by the ''Law on Pensions for the Persons of Cultural Merit.'' The purpose is to honor persons of cultural merit by providing a special government-sponsored pension. Since 1955, the new honorees have been announced on the Day of Culture, the same day as the award ceremony for the Order of Culture.

Selected recipients

Tasuku Honjo Susumu Nakanishi Ikuta Takagi Shinzo Abe Shunichi Iwasaki and Goichi Oda 20131103

A complete list can be found here. *

Akira Ifukube was a Japanese classical and film music composer, best known for his works on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Biography Early years in Hokkaido Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshimi ...

(1914–2006). A composer of classical music and film scores. * Ryukichi Inada (1874–1950). A physician, a prominent academic, and bacteriologist researcher. *

Hideo Kobayashi was a Japanese author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan. Early life Kobayashi was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo, where his father was a noted engineer who introduced European diamond polishing tech ...

(1902–1983). An author, who established literary criticism as an independent art form in Japan. * Hantaro Nagaoka (1865–1950). A physicist and a pioneer of Japanese physics in the early Meiji period. * Nakamura Kichiemon I (1896–1954). 1st

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...

actor to receive this honor. * Nakamura Utaemon VI (1917–2001). A famous kabuki actor, known for his oyama roles. *

Kaii Higashiyama was a Japanese writer and artist particularly renowned for his Nihonga style paintings. As one of the most popular artists in post-war Japan, Higashiyama was awarded the Japan Art Academy Prize in 1956 and the Order of Culture in 1969. Biograph ...

(1908–1999). A famous artist and writer, renowned for his Nihonga style paintings. * Kinjiro Okabe (1896–1984). An electrical engineering researcher and professor who developed the split-anode magnetron. *

Jirō Osaragi was the pen-name of a popular Japanese writer in Shōwa period Japan, known primarily for his historical fiction novels, which appeared serialized in newspapers and magazines. His real name was . Early life Osaragi Jirō was born in Yokohama. Hi ...

(1897–1973). A popular writer in

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

. * Junjiro Takakusu (1866–1945). An academic, an advocate for expanding higher education opportunities, and an internationally known Buddhist scholar. * Kenjiro Takayanagi (1899–1990). A pioneer in the development of

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

. *

Morohashi Tetsuji was an important figure in the field of Japanese language studies and Sinology. He is best known as chief editor of the '' Dai Kan-Wa jiten'', a comprehensive dictionary of Chinese characters, or '' kanji''. Biography Morohashi's father was al ...

(1883–1982). An important figure in the world of Japanese studies and

Sinology Sinology, or Chinese studies, is an academic discipline that focuses on the study of China primarily through Chinese philosophy, language, literature, culture and history and often refers to Western scholarship. Its origin "may be traced to the e ...

. *

Susumu Tonegawa is a Japanese scientist who was the sole recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1987 for his discovery of V(D)J recombination, the genetic mechanism which produces antibody diversity. Although he won the Nobel Prize for his w ...

(born 1939). A scientist who won the

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

for Physiology or Medicine in 1987. *

Eiji Yoshikawa was a Japanese historical novelist. Among his best-known novels are revisions of older classics. He was mainly influenced by classics such as '' The Tale of the Heike'', ''Tale of Genji'', ''Water Margin'' and ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'', ...

(1892–1962). A historical novelist. * Yasunari Kawabata (1899–1972). A novelist who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968.

1990s

1992

Masaru Ibuka Masaru Ibuka (井深大 ''Ibuka Masaru''; April 11, 1908 – December 19, 1997) was a Japanese electronics industrialist and co-founder of Sony, along with Akio Morita.Kirkup, James"Obituary: Masaru Ibuka,"''Independent'' (London). December 2 ...

(1908–1997). Co-founder, President and Chairman of Sony Corporation."Sony Global-Press Release-Masaru Ibuka 1908-1997"
, ''Sony Press Release Archive'', Retrieved November 11, 2014.

1994

* Takashi Asahina (1908–2001). Orchestral conductor."Takashi Asahina, 93; Musical Director of Orchestra in Japan"
, ''Los Angeles Times'', 31 December 2001. * Tadao Umesao (1920–2010). Ethnologist.

NEC is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. The company was known as the Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before rebranding in 1983 as NEC. It provides IT and network soluti ...

(2 October 2002)
"Brief Summary of Recipients' Careers"
. Press release. Retrieved 18 April 2010. *

Hideo Shima was a Japanese engineer and the driving force behind the building of the first bullet train (Shinkansen). Shima was born in Osaka in 1901, and educated at the Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. His father was p ...

(1901–1998). Railway engineer.

1995

* Shigemitsu Dandō (1913–2012). Criminologist.

Rockefeller University The Rockefeller University is a private biomedical research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and provides doctoral and postdoctoral education. It is classif ...

(October 26, 1995)
"Japanese Government Honors Rockefeller University Professor for Cancer Research"
. Press release. Retrieved 18 April 2010. *

Shūsaku Endō was a Japanese author who wrote from the rare perspective of a Japanese Catholic. Internationally, he is known for his 1966 historical fiction novel ''Silence'', which was adapted into a 2016 film of the same name by director Martin Scorsese. ...

(1923–1996). Writer.

1996

* Hanae Mori (born 1926). Fashion designer."Hanae Mori"
, ''Japan Times Online'', 23 October 2007. * Rizō Takeuchi (1907–1997). Historian of Japan.

1997

* Masatoshi Koshiba (1926–2020). Nobel Prize-winning physicist."Order of Culture Awarded", ''Japan Foundation Newsletter'', Vol. XXV, No. 6, March, 1998, page 6
(PDF)
*

Hirofumi Uzawa was a Japanese economist. Biography Uzawa was born on July 21, 1928 in Yonago, Tottori to a farming family. He attended the Tokyo First Middle School (currently the Hibiya High School ) and the First Higher School, Japan (now the University ...

(1928–2014). Economist.

1998

Ikuo Hirayama Ikuo Hirayama (''Hirayama Ikuo'' 平山郁夫; 15 June 1930 – 2 December 2009), was a Japanese Nihonga painter and educator. Born in Setoda-chō, Hiroshima Prefecture, he was famous in Japan for Silk Road paintings of dreamy desert land ...

(1930–2009).

Nihonga ''Nihonga'' (, "Japanese-style paintings") are Japanese paintings from about 1900 onwards that have been made in accordance with traditional Japanese artistic conventions, techniques and materials. While based on traditions over a thousand years ...

artist."Order of Culture", ''Japan Foundation Newsletter'', Vol. XXVI, No. 4, February, 1999, page 7
(PDF)
*

Tadamitsu Kishimoto is a Japanese immunologist known for research on IgM and cytokines, most famously, interleukin 6. He did postdoctoral work under Kimishige Ishizaka, the discoverer of IgE at Johns Hopkins University. He is listed by the Institute for Scientifi ...

(born 1939). Immunologist.

1999

* Hiroyuki Agawa (1920–2015). Writer."Prime Minister Attends Order of Culture Award Ceremony"
, ''Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet'' (official website), November 3, 1999. *

Fuku Akino was a Japanese painter. She was born in Futamata, Iwata-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture (currently, Nimata Town, Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City). She became known by her paintings of Indian themes, landscapes and peoples. Life and career Akino got ...

(1908–2001). Nihonga artist. *

Takeshi Umehara was born in Miyagi Prefecture in Tōhoku and graduated from the philosophical faculty of Kyoto University in 1948. He taught philosophy at Ritsumeikan University and was subsequently appointed president of the Kyoto City University of Arts. He ...

(born 1925). Scholar of Japanese cultural studies.

2000s

2000

Ryōji Noyori is a Japanese chemist. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001, Noyori shared a half of the prize with William S. Knowles for the study of chirally catalyzed hydrogenations; the second half of the prize went to K. Barry Sharpless for his ...

. Nobel Prize-winning chemist."Nobel chemist to get Order of Culture"
, ''Japan Times Online'', 25 October 2000. * Hideki Shirakawa. Nobel Prize-winning chemist. *

Isuzu Yamada was a Japanese stage and screen actress whose career spanned seven decades. Biography Yamada was born in Osaka as Mitsu Yamada, the daughter of Kusudu Yamada, a shinpa actor specialising in onnagata roles, and Ritsu, a geisha. Under her mothe ...

. Actress.

2001

* Chie Nakane. Social anthropologist."Five pioneers to receive Order of Culture awards"
, ''Japan Times Online'', October 31, 2001. * Toshio Yodoi (1911–2005). Sculptor.

2002

* Kyōhei Fujita (1921–2004). Glass artist."Emperor honors six in culture, science"
, ''Japan Times Online'', November 4, 2002. * Kaneto Shindō. Film director. * Kōichi Tanaka. Nobel Prize-winning scientist.

2003

* Kazuhiko Nishijima (1926–2009). Physicist."Ogata, Ooka and others to receive Order of Culture"
, ''Japan Times Online'', October 29, 2003. *

Sadako Ogata , was a Japanese academic, diplomat, author, administrator, and professor emerita at the Roman Catholic Sophia University. She was widely known as the head of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) from 1991 to ...

. Political scientist and diplomat. * Makoto Ōoka. Poet and literary critic.

2004

* Yōji Totsuka (1942–2008). Physicist."Seal engraver, kabuki actor among honored cultural contributors"
, ''Forum Japon'', October 29, 2004. * Nakamura Jakuemon, Kabuki actor. * Toan Kobayashi, Seal carver. * Shizuka Shirakawa, Scholar of Chinese-language literature. * Horin Fukuoji, Nihonga painter.

2005

* Mitsuko Mori. Actress."Five honored with Order of Culture"
, ''Japan Times Online'', November 4, 2005. *

Makoto Saitō is a unisex Japanese name although it is more commonly used by males. As a noun, Makoto means " sincerity" (誠) or "truth" (真, 眞). People Given name * Makoto (musician) (born 1977), drum and bass artist *Makoto (Sharan Q) ( まこと), ...

(1921–2008). Political scientist, specializing in American diplomatic and political history. * Ryuzan Aoki, Ceramic artist. * Toshio Sawada, Civil engineer. *

Shigeaki Hinohara was a Japanese physician. In 1941 he began his long working association with St. Luke's International Hospital in central Tokyo and worked as a medical doctor throughout the wartime firebombing of the city. From 1990 he served as the hospital's ...

, Doctor.

2006

* Yoshiaki Arata. A pioneer of

nuclear fusion Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles ( neutrons or protons). The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manife ...

research. * Jakuchō Setouchi. Writer/Buddhist nun."Writing nun gets culture award"
, Japan Times Weekly Online, November 11, 2006. *

Hidekazu Yoshida was a Japanese music critic and literary critic, active in Shōwa and Heisei Japan. Biography Yoshida was born in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. From an early age, he was interested in languages, and joined in club activities involving English and German w ...

. Music critic. * Chusaku Oyama, Nihonga painter. * Miyohei Shinohara, Economist.

2007

* Akira Mikazuki. Former justice minister and professor emeritus. *

Shinya Nakamura is a professional Go player. Biography Nakamura became a professional in 1991. He reached 8 dan, in 2001 and is currently 9 dan. Nakamura was taught by Yorimoto Yamashita. In 1996, Nakamura lost in the Shinjin-O final to future Honinbō Sh ...

. Sculptor."Kyogen actor, four others accept top culture awards"
, ''Japan Times Online'', November 4, 2007. * Kōji Nakanishi. Organic chemist. * Tokindo Okada, Developmental biologist. * Shigeyama Sensaku, Kyogen performer.

2008

* Hironoshin Furuhashi (1928–2009). Sportsman and sports bureaucrat."Gov't decorates 3 Nobel winners, Seiji Ozawa, Donald Keene, 3 others"
''Japan Today'', October 29, 2008. *

Kiyoshi Itō Kiyoshi, (きよし or キヨシ), is a Japanese given name, also spelled Kyoshi. Possible meanings *''Kyōshi'', a form of Japanese poetry *Kyōshi, a Japanese honorific Possible writings *清, "cleanse" *淳, "pure" *潔, "undefiled" *清志, ...

. A mathematician whose work is now called Itō calculus.Honor awarded 2008 -- "Donald Keene, 7 others win Order of Culture," ''Yomiuri Shimbun.'' October 29, 2008. *

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japane ...

. A Japanologist, scholar, teacher, writer, translator and interpreter of

Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanes ...

and culture. * Makoto Kobayashi. A physicist who was awarded the 2008

in Physics. * Toshihide Masukawa. A theoretical physicist who was awarded the 2008

in Physics. *

Seiji Ozawa Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film directo ...

. A conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. * Osamu Shimomura. An organic chemist and marine biologist who was awarded the 2008

in Chemistry. * Seiko Tanabe. Author.

2009

* Sumio Iijima. Physicist."Beicho, Tojuro among 5 recipients of year's top culture award"
, ''Seek Japan'', October 27, 2009. * Tōjūrō Sakata IV.

Kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is thought ...

actor. * Katsura Beicho, Rakugo performer. * Akira Hayami, Economist, Historian. * Yorio Hinuma, Virologist.

2010s

2010

Tadao Ando is a Japanese autodidact architect whose approach to architecture and landscape was categorized by architectural historian Francesco Dal Co as "critical regionalism". He is the winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize. Early life Ando was born a few m ...

. Architect."Nobelists Suzuki, Negishi get Order of Culture,"
''Japan Times''. October 27, 2010, retrieved 2011-04-20. * Akito Arima. Nuclear physicist. * Issei Miyake. Fashion designer. * Eiichi Negishi. Chemistry Nobel Prize laureate. *

Yukio Ninagawa was a Japanese theatre director, actor and film director, particularly known for his Japanese language productions of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies. He directed eight distinct renditions of ''Hamlet.'' Ninagawa was also emeritus of the ...

. Stage director. * Akira Suzuki. Chemistry Nobel Prize laureate. *

Haruko Wakita was a Japanese academic, editor and expert in medieval Japanese women's history. Early life Since the age of six, Wakita was interested in Noh drama; and she regularly performs on stage. The insight gained from her lifelong study and practice of ...

. Medieval historian.

2011

* Isamu Akasaki, Engineer. *

Ohi Chozaemon Ohi or OHI may refer to: * Ohi Day, Greek celebration * Ohi Racecourse, in Tokyo * Ohi-Rail Corporation * Ōi Nuclear Power Plant * OHI, IATA Airport Code for Oshakati Airport * Ruth Ohi, Japanese-Canadian picture book writer and illustrator, and w ...

, potter. * Saiichi Maruya, Author. * Taichiro Mitani, Political and history scholar. * Mitsuhiro Yanagida, Molecular biologist.

2012

* Shigeru Oda, Jurist, a judge on the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordan ...

from 1976 to 2003. * Yoji Yamada, Film Director. *

Shinya Yamanaka is a Japanese stem cell researcher and a Nobel Prize laureate. He serves as the director of Center for iPS Cell (induced Pluripotent Stem Cell) Research and Application and a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyo ...

, Physiology Nobel Prize laureate, biologist. * Shuji Takashina, art critic. * Toshio Matsuo, nihonga painter. * Yashuyuki Yamada, agronomist.

2013

* Ken Takakura, noted Japanese actor. * Susumu Nakanishi, noted scholar of Japanese literature. *

Shunichi Iwasaki Shun-ichi Iwasaki (, ''Iwasaki Shun’ichi''; born August 3, 1926) is a Japanese engineer. He was professor at Tohoku University and then became president and of Tohoku Institute of Technology. He was also a professor at Lanzhou University (Chin ...

, noted scholar of electrical engineering. * Seikaku Takagi, noted Japanese calligrapher. * Tasuku Honjo, noted immunologist

2014

Hiroshi Amano is a Japanese physicist, engineer and inventor specializing in the field of semiconductor technology. For his work he was awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics together with Isamu Akasaki and Shuji Nakamura for "the invention of efficient ...

, Physics Nobel Prize laureate in 2014. * Shuji Nakamura, Physics Nobel Prize laureate in 2014. * Takemoto Sumitayu, narrator of Japanese bunraku, also known as a “ningyo joruri” (puppet theater). *

Taeko Kōno Taeko is a Japanese female given name. It can have various meanings depending on the Kanji used. Possible writing include: 妙子 "mysterious child" 多恵子 "many blessings, child" People * Taeko Fukao, Japanese jazz singer * Taeko Hattori (b. ...

, writer and critic and is considered one of the most important contemporary writers of modern Japanese literature. * Toyoki Kunitake, researcher in molecular architecture. *

Takashi Negishi is a Japanese neo- Walrasian economist. Career Negishi graduated Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo in 1956 and received a PhD in Economics from University of Tokyo in 1963. Contributions Negishi's research has provided a wide range of e ...

, economist. * Gyoji Nomiyama, Western-style painter.

2020s

2021

Syukuro Manabe is a Japanese-American meteorologist and climatologist who pioneered the use of computers to simulate global climate change and natural climate variations. He was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with Klaus Hasselmann and Gi ...

. Nobel Prize winning climatologist. *

Shigeo Nagashima is a Japanese former professional baseball player and manager. Biography Nagashima played baseball at his local high school, and on the Rikkyo University baseball team from 1954–1957. He joined the Yomiuri Giants in 1958. His jersey number ( ...

. noted former Japanese baseball player. * Onoe Kikugoro VII. Kabuki actor. *

Tsuneko Okazaki is a Japanese pioneer of molecular biology known for her work on DNA replication and specifically for discovering Okazaki fragments, along with her husband Reiji. Dr. Tsuneko Okazaki has continued to be involved in academia, contributing to m ...

. Molecular biology researcher. * Hirohiko Okano. Japanese tanka poet. * Junzo Kawada. Anthropologist. * Koji Kinutani. Painter. * Shigefumi Mori. Mathematician. * Asami Maki. Ballet dancer.

Known to have declined the honor

* Kenzaburō Ōe, 1994

Nobel Nobel often refers to: *Nobel Prize, awarded annually since 1901, from the bequest of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel Nobel may also refer to: Companies *AkzoNobel, the result of the merger between Akzo and Nobel Industries in 1994 *Branobel, or ...

laureate and critic of the Japanese Imperial system. *

Haruko Sugimura was a Japanese stage and film actress, best known for her appearances in the films of Yasujirō Ozu and Mikio Naruse from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Biography Sugimura was born in Nishi-ku, Hiroshima. After the death of her parents, ...

, actress.

Notes

References

* 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.

External links

* Japan, Cabinet Office
Decorations and Medals
** Decoration Bureau

*

Japan Mint The is an Independent Administrative Institution of the Japanese government, responsible for producing and circulating the coins of Japan. The agency has its head office in Osaka with branches in Saitama and Hiroshima. The Japan Mint does no ...

Production Process
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culture, Order of Awards established in 1937 Orders, decorations, and medals of Japan *