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 January 4, 1888 by

Emperor Meiji of Japan , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figu ...

. Since 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 ...

at that time was an Order for men, it was established as an Order for women. Originally the order had five classes, but on April 13, 1896 the sixth, seventh and eighth classes were added. Until 2003, the Order of the Precious Crown, which had eight ranks, was equivalent to the Order of the Rising Sun and was awarded as a women-only version of the Order of the Rising Sun.栄典制度の概要. p.6

Cabinet Office (Japan) The (CAO) is an agency of the Cabinet of Japan. It is responsible for handling the day-to-day affairs of the Cabinet. The Cabinet Office is formally headed by the Prime Minister. Ministers History The Cabinet Office was established on 6 ...

In 2003 the Order of the Rising Sun, previously reserved for males, was made available to women as well, and the lowest two classes of the Order of the Precious Crown were abolished. Since 2003, the Order of the Precious Crown has only been given to female members of the imperial family in Japan and female members of the royal family in foreign countries only when it is specifically necessary for diplomatic ceremonies. Since 2003, the number representing rank included in the official name of the order was removed. As a result, although numbers representing ranks were sometimes used in common names, the formal names such as ''勲一等'' (''Kun-ittō'', First Class) and 勲二等 (''Kun-nitō'', Second Class) were no longer used. In 1907, medals of the Order of the Crown were bestowed upon twenty-nine

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

s who participated in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

. This unusual list of honorees was composed of ten women volunteer nurses and nineteen correspondents of American newspapers.

Classes

The first class honour has been typically conferred to female royalty. As originally conceived, the order consisted of eight classes. Unlike its

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously. The ''badge'' of the order is a gold oval medallion, with floral designs at its four ends; at the centre is an ancient Japanese crown on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring. It is suspended from a smaller badge, its design varies according to class, on a ribbon in yellow with red stripes near the borders, as a sash on the right shoulder for the 1st class, as a bow on the left shoulder for the other classes. The ''star'' of the order, which is worn only by the first class, has five rays studded with

pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...

s, with floral designs between the rays. The central disc features a ''Ho-o'' or phoenix on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring emblazoned with a laurel wreath. The ''medal'' for the 6th and 7th classes are golden bronze. The face presents the crossed flags of Japan and the Emperor, both of which are surmounted by the Rising Sun. The obverse presents a conventional monumental shaft, which is flanked by a branch of laurel and a branch of palm. "Mikado Honors Americans; Order of the Crown Bestowed on Nurses and War Correspondents."
''New York Times.'' July 4, 1907. File:Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown.png, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown (1st class) File:The Order of the Precious Crown, Peony.png, The Order of the Precious Crown, Peony (2nd class) The Order of the Precious Crown, Butterfly.png, The Order of the Precious Crown, Butterfly (3rd class) File:The Order of the Precious Crown, Wistaria.png, The Order of the Precious Crown, Wistaria (4th class) File:The Order of the Precious Crown, Apricot.png, The Order of the Precious Crown, Apricot (5th class) File:The Order of the Precious Crown, Ripple.png, The Order of the Precious Crown, Ripple (6th class) File:MET 06 417 F.jpeg, 7th Class (Abolished in 2003) File:MET 06 418 F.jpeg, 8th Class (Abolished in 2003)

Selected recipients

First Class, Grand Cordon

Order of the Precious Crown end of 19th century Japan

Empress Michiko is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who served as the Empress consort of Japan as the wife of Akihito, the 125th Emperor of Japan reigning from 7 January 1989 to 30 April 2019. Michiko married Crown Prince Akihito and became the Crow ...

Empress Masako is as the consort of Emperor Naruhito, who ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. Masako, who was educated at Harvard and Oxford, had a prior career as a diplomat. Early life and education was born on 9 December 1963 at Toranomon ...

* Aiko, Princess Toshi *

Mako Komuro , formerly , is a former member of the Japanese imperial family. She is the eldest child of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, niece of Emperor Naruhito, and granddaughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko ...

* Princess Kako of Akishino *

Sayako Kuroda , formerly , is the youngest child and only daughter of Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko, and the younger sister of the current Emperor of Japan, Naruhito. She is an imperial Shinto priestess of the Ise Grand Shrine, curren ...

* Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg * Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita of Tonga * Queen Margrethe II of Denmark * Empress Farah of Iran *

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was th ...

* Queen Paola of Belgium *

Queen Silvia of Sweden Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...

Queen Sirikit of Thailand Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wife ...

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands Máxima (born Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti; 17 May 1971) is Queen of the Netherlands as the wife of King Willem-Alexander. Argentine by birth, she worked in marketing when she met Willem-Alexander, eldest son and heir apparent of Queen Beatrix ...

Queen Mathilde of Belgium Mathilde (born ''Jonkvrouw'' Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz ; 20 January 1973) is Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Philippe. She is the first native-born Belgian queen. She has founded and assisted charities to ...

Queen Sofia of Spain Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Queen Letizia of Spain Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (; born 15 September 1972) is the Queen of Spain as the wife of King Felipe VI. She came from a middle-class family and worked as a journalist for '' ABC'' and EFE before becoming a news anchor at CNN+ and Televisi� ...

Queen Sonja of Norway Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relatio ...

* Crown Princess Bangja of Korea * Tuanku Budriah of Malaysia * Tuanku Bainun of Malaysia * Tuanku Fauziah of Malaysia * Tuanku Hajah Haminah Hamidun of Malaysia * Princess Srinagarindra of Thailand * Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand * Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand *

Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy (Alexandra Helen Elizabeth Olga Christabel; born 25 December 1936) is a member of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth II and Alexandra were first cousins through their fathers, King George V ...

* Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway * Princess Basma bint Talal of Jordan * Empress Dowager Cixi of China * Queen Liliuokalani of Hawaii * Queen Kapiolani of Hawaii *

Te Atairangikaahu Dame Te Atairangikaahu (23 July 1931 – 15 August 2006) was the Māori queen for 40 years, the longest reign of any Māori monarch. Her full name and title was Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. Her title Te Arikinui (meaning ''Paramount ...

* Princess Sarvath al-Hassan of Jordan * Princess Alia bint Hussein of Jordan * Baroness Margaret Thatcher (former

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern p ...

) * Imelda Romualdez Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines *

Siti Hartinah Raden Ayu Siti Hartinah (23 August 1923 – 28 April 1996), also known as Siti Hartinah Soeharto or Tien Soeharto, was the First Lady of Indonesia from 1967 until 1996. She was the wife of second Indonesian president, Suharto. Known as Ibu ...

, former First Lady of the Republic of Indonesia

Second Class

* Noriko Senge *

Princess Tsuguko of Takamado is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the eldest daughter of Norihito, Prince Takamado, and Hisako, Princess Takamado. Biography Princess Tsuguko was born on 8 March 1986 at Aiiku Hospital in Minami-Azabu, Tokyo. She graduated from t ...

Ayako Moriya , formerly , is a former member of the Imperial House of Japan and the youngest of three daughters of Norihito, Prince Takamado, and Hisako, Princess Takamado. She married Kei Moriya, a commoner, on 29 October 2018. As part of her marriage to a c ...

* Princess Akiko of Mikasa *

Princess Yōko of Mikasa is a member of the Imperial House of Japan and the second daughter of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa and Princess Tomohito of Mikasa (Nobuko). Biography Early life and education Princess Yōko was born on 25 October 1983 at Japanese Red Cross Medica ...

* Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg

Third Class

* Joyce Ackroyd, 1918–1991 *

Eleanor Jorden Eleanor Harz Jorden (1920 – February 18, 2009) was an American linguistics scholar and an influential Japanese language educator and expert. Born Eleanor Harz, she married William Jorden, reporter and diplomat; the marriage ended in divorce. J ...

, 1920–2009 *

Elizabeth Gray Vining Elizabeth Janet Gray Vining (October 6, 1902 – November 27, 1999) was an American professional librarian and author who tutored Emperor Akihito of Japan in English while he was crown prince. She was also a noted author, whose children's book ...

, 1902–1999 *

Lillian Moller Gilbreth Lillian Evelyn Gilbreth (; May 24, 1878 – January 2, 1972) was an American psychologist, industrial engineer, consultant, and educator who was an early pioneer in applying psychology to time-and-motion studies. She was described in the 1940s ...

, 1878–1972, Honor conferred 1968 * Yoshi Kasuya, 1894–1994 * Chika Kuroda, 1884–1968 * Sugino Yoshiko, 1892-1978 * Kono Yasui, 1880–1971 * Toshiko Yuasa, 1909–1980

Fourth Class

Michiyo Tsujimura was a Japanese agricultural scientist and biochemist whose research focused on the components of green tea. She was the first woman in Japan to receive a doctoral degree in agriculture. Early life Tsujimura was born in 1888 in what is now Ok ...

(1888-1969) *

Yvette Giraud Yvette Giraud (16 September 1916 – 3 August 2014) was a French traditional pop singer. Career Giraud began singing in 1946 with "Mademoiselle Hortensia", or ''La Danseuse est Créole''. With her husband, former ''Compagnon de la Chanson'' Ma ...

(1916-2014) * Machiko Hasegawa (1920–1992) *

Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba María del Rosario Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart y Silva, 18th Duchess of Alba GE (28 March 1926 – 20 November 2014) was one of the most senior aristocrats in Spain, as well as the most titled aristocrat in the world, a distinction now held by ...

(1926–2014)

Fifth Class

* Fujima Kansuma (b. 1918)

Sixth Class

* Anita Newcomb McGee,(1864–1940) * Fumiko Kouka Mikami, (1913-2019)

Seventh Class

* William H. Brill, (1871–1923),

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...

and Reuter's Telegram Company * Richard Harding Davis, (1864–1916) ''

Collier's Weekly ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...

'' *

John Fox, Jr. John Fox Jr. (December 16, 1862 – July 8, 1919) was an American journalist, novelist, and short story writer. Biography Born in Stony Point, Kentucky, to John William Fox Sr. and Minerva Worth Carr, Fox studied English at Harvard University ...

, (1862–1919) ''

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'' *

George Kennan George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17, 2005) was an American diplomat and historian. He was best known as an advocate of a policy of containment of Soviet expansion during the Cold War. He lectured widely and wrote scholarly histo ...

, (1845–1924) '' The Outlook'' *

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

, (1876–1916) Hearst papers. * Frederick Palmer, (1873–1958) ''

'' *

Herbert Ponting Herbert George Ponting, FRGS (21 March 1870 – 7 February 1935) was a professional photographer. He is best known as the expedition photographer and cinematographer for Robert Falcon Scott's Terra Nova Expedition to the Ross Sea and South Pole ...

, photographer and journalist, (1870–1935), ''

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'' *

James Ricalton James Ricalton (May 13, 1844 in Half Way, near Waddington, New York - died in Waddington October 28, 1929) was an American school teacher, traveler, inventor, and photographer. Ricalton travelled extensively and he circumnavigated the world seven ...

,Dava, Valerie.
"World Traveler, Explorer, Photographer; James Ricalton brought the world to his Maplewood students,"

Matters Magazine
' (c. 1844 – 1929) ''

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'' *

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, (1867–1954) '' San Francisco Bulletin'' *

Niijima Yae , also known as , was a Japanese female warrior, educator, nurse, and scholar of the late Edo period who lived into the early Shōwa period. Her samurai family belonged to the Hoshina clan, loyal to the Tokugawa Shogunate. Skilled in gunnery, ...

, (1845–1932)

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. * Roth, Mitchel P. and James Stuart Olson. (1997)
''Historical Dictionary of War Journalism.''
Westport, Connecticut:

Greenwood Publishing Group Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (GPG), also known as ABC-Clio/Greenwood (stylized ABC-CLIO/Greenwood), is an educational and academic publisher ( middle school through university level) which is today part of ABC-Clio. Established in 1967 as G ...

External links

* Japan, Cabinet Office
Order of the Precious Crown
*

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 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Order Of The Precious Crown Awards established in 1888 Orders, decorations, and medals of Japan Precious Crown, Order of the Precious Crown, Order of the 1888 establishments in Japan

Classes

Selected recipients

First Class, Grand Cordon

Second Class

Third Class

Fourth Class

Fifth Class

Sixth Class

Seventh Class

See also

Notes

References

External links