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 4 January 1888 by

Emperor Meiji , 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 figur ...

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 two medals being abolished that year. Originally a male-only decoration, the order has been made available to women since 1919. The Order of the Sacred Treasure, which had 8 ranks until 2003, was awarded as a slightly lower rank than the Order of the Rising Sun for men and the Order of the Precious Crown for women. For example, the 1st class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure has been treated as between the 1st class and the 2nd class of the Order of the Rising Sun and the Order of the Precious Crown, and the 2nd class of the Order of the Sacred Treasure has been treated as between the 2nd class and the 3rd class of the Order of the Rising Sun and the Order of the Precious Crown.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 ...

Since 2003, the Order of the Sacred Treasure has been given the same rank as the Order of the Rising Sun. The Order of the Rising Sun is awarded with an emphasis on achievements to the state, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure is awarded with an emphasis on long-term public service. Since military achievements are not included in the criteria for awarding the Order of the Rising Sun,

Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, th ...

personnel are awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure for their long service in public service. For example, the Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, the highest rank in the JSDF, receives the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1st class). The Order of the Sacred Treasure is awarded to persons who have been engaged for many years in the public service of the national and local governments, or in the following non-public services that are equivalent to public service, and who have accumulated distinguished service.勲章の授与基準.

* Work directly involved in education or research at school. * Work directly involved in social welfare at various facilities. * Work directly involved in medical care or health guidance * Work commissioned by the national or local governments, such as conciliation commissioners, volunteer probation officers, and welfare commissioners. * Work that is extremely dangerous. * Work in an extremely mentally or physically demanding environment. * Work in an obscure field other than those listed in the preceding items. 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.

Classes

The Order could be awarded in any of eight classes pre 2003. In 2003 the seventh and eighth classes were dissolved leaving six. 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 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 ...
, 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 Henry Waters Taft (May 27, 1859 – August 11, 1945) was an American lawyer and author. He was the son of Alphonso and brother of President William Howard Taft. A renowned antitrust lawyer, he was a name partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taf ...
, a citizen of the United States of America and a director of the
Japan Society of New York Japan Society is a non-profit organization formed in 1907 to promote friendly relations between the United States and Japan. Its headquarters was designed by Junzo Yoshimura and opened in 1971 at 333 East 47th Street near the United Nations. Wi ...
, 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 State to be affixed at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, this thirteenth day of the fifth month of the fourth year of Shōwa, corresponding to the 2,589th year from the accession to the throne of Emperor Jimmu."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'', 28 June 1929.

Insignia

The insignia of the order incorporates symbols for the three imperial treasures: the '' Yata Mirror'', so sacred that not even the Emperor is allowed to look at it; the '' Yasakani Jewel'', which is made of the finest

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 ...

; and the '' Emperor's personal sword''. The ''star'' for the ''Grand Cordon'' and ''Second Class'' is similar to the badge as described above, but effectively with ''two'' sets of Maltese crosses, one in gilt and one placed diagonally in silver. It is worn on the left chest by the Grand Cordon, on the right chest (without any other insignia) by the 2nd class. The ''badge'' for the first through sixth classes is a

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

, in gilt (1st–4th classes), gilt and silver (5th class) and silver (6th class), with white enameled rays (representing the sword). The central disc is blue, bearing an eight-pointed silver star (representing the mirror), surrounded by a wreath with red-enameled dots (representing the jewel). The badge is suspended on a ribbon, worn as a sash on the right shoulder by the Grand Cordon, as a necklet by males of the 2nd and 3rd classes, on the left chest (the ribbon folded into a triangle) by the 4th to 6th classes (with a rosette for the 4th class). For females of the 2nd to 6th classes, the ribbon is a bow worn on the left shoulder (with a rosette for the 4th class). Until 2003, when it was abolished, the ''badge'' of the ''seventh and eighth classes'' was an eight-pointed silver medal, partially

gilded Gilding is a decorative technique for applying a very thin coating of gold over solid surfaces such as metal (most common), wood, porcelain, or stone. A gilded object is also described as "gilt". Where metal is gilded, the metal below was tradi ...

for the 7th class, with representations of just the mirror and the jewel. The badge is suspended on a ribbon, worn by men on the left chest (the ribbon folded into a triangle). For women, the ribbon is a bow worn on the left shoulder. Until 2003, the ''ribbon'' of the order was very pale blue with a gold stripe near the borders; since then the ribbon has been light blue, but retains the gold stripe near the borders. When the ribbon is worn alone, the ribbon for the Fourth Class and above incorporates a blue-and-gold rosette (very pale blue until 2003), with a solid gold bar for the Grand Cordon, a gold and silver bar for the Second Class, a solid silver bar for the Third Class and only the rosette for the Fourth Class. The ribbon for the Fifth and Sixth Classes has a centered blue disc (very pale blue until 2003) with gold rays radiating from its center, eight rays for the Fifth Class and six rays for the Sixth Class. Formerly, the ribbon for the Seventh and Eighth Classes had a centered very pale blue disc with gold rays radiating from its center, four rays for the Seventh Class and three rays for the Eighth Class. File:Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.png, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure (1st class) File:The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star.png, The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star (2nd class) File:The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon.png, The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (3rd class) File:The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette.png, The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette (4th class) File:The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays.png, The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays (5th class) File:The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays.png, The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays (6th class) File:MET 06 442ab F.jpeg, 7th Class (Abolished in 2003) File:MET 06 441ab F.jpeg, 8th Class (Abolished in 2003)

After the 2003 reform

In 2003 the lowest two classes of the Order were abolished. Moreover, the badges of the Order will from now on be suspended from three white-enamelled paulownia leaves.

Selected recipients

1st class, Grand Cordon

* Otto Abetz, awarded 1903 * Lt Gen Sir

Edward Altham Altham Lieutenant-General Sir Edward Altham Altham, (13 April 1856 – 27 September 1943)"Altham, Lt-Gen. Sir Edward Altham" WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. December 01, 2007. Oxford University Press. was a British Army officer who served in the Second Boer ...

, awarded 1918 * Sir Charles Alexander Anderson, awarded 1921 * James Burrill Angell, awarded 1909 * Isoroku Yamamoto, awarded 1939 *

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tun Abdullah bin Ahmad Badawi ( Jawi: عبد الله بن احمد بدوي; born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as the 5th Prime Minister of Malaysia from October 2003 to April 2009. He was also the sixth president of ...

, awarded 1981 * Emilio Álvarez Montalván, awarded 2002 *

Daniel Boorstin Daniel Joseph Boorstin (October 1, 1914 – February 28, 2004) was an American historian at the University of Chicago who wrote on many topics in American and world history. He was appointed the twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress i ...

, awarded 1986 * Avery Brundage awarded 1964 *

Cho Tong-yun Cho Tong-yun (Hangul: 조동윤, Hanja: 趙東潤, 1871–1923) was a general of the Imperial Korean Army and later the Imperial Japanese Army. He was one of the Korean collaborators with Imperial Japan. Life Cho was born in 1871 as a member of ...

on 21 April 1905 * Sir

Hugh Cortazzi Sir Arthur Henry Hugh Cortazzi, (2 May 1924 – 14 August 2018) was a British diplomat. He was also a distinguished international businessman, academic, author and prominent Japanologist. He was Ambassador from the United Kingdom to Japan ...

, awarded 1995 * General Sir John Stephen Cowans, awarded 1918 *

Takuma Dan Takuma (written: 拓磨, 拓真, 拓馬, 琢磨, 匠馬, 卓磨, 卓真 or 卓馬) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese baseball player *, Japanese motorcycle racer *, Japanes ...

, awarded 1932 *

Henry Willard Denison Henry Willard Denison (May 11, 1846 – July 3, 1914) was an American diplomat and lawyer, active in Meiji period Japan. Biography Denison was born in Guildhall, Vermont, and spent his early years at Lancaster, New Hampshire. He was a gradua ...

Milton Friedman Milton Friedman (; July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006) was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the ...

, awarded 1986 * Admiral

Albert Gleaves Albert Gleaves (January 1, 1858 – January 6, 1937) was a decorated admiral in the United States Navy, also notable as a naval historian. Biography Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Gleaves graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1877. ...

, awarded 1920 *

Stephen Gomersall Sir Stephen Gomersall is a British diplomat and businessman. He was educated at Forest School, Snaresbrook and Queens' College, Cambridge. After 14 years serving as a diplomat in Japan and as British ambassador, 1999–2004, he became Chie ...

awarded 2015 *

Mark Hatfield Mark Odom Hatfield (July 12, 1922 – August 7, 2011) was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon. A Republican, he served for 30 years as a United States senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Approp ...

, awarded 2003 * Chushiro Hayashi, awarded 1994 * Daniel Hays, awarded 2000 * Lt Gen Sir David Henderson, 1918 *

James McNaughton Hester James McNaughton Hester (19 April 1924 – 31 December 2014) was an internationally recognized educator. Hester was born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He spent his boyhood at various stations to which his father, a United States Navy Chaplain, was a ...

, awarded 1981 * Masaru Ibuka (1908–1997) awarded 1978 * Lt Gen Sir Launcelot Edward Kiggell, 1918 * General Sir Cecil Frederick Nevil Macready, 1918 * Baron Matsuoka Yasutake, 1902 * Yosuke Matsuoka, 1935 *

Umezawa Michiharu was a Bakumatsu period Japanese '' samurai'' who went on to become a general in the Meiji period Imperial Japanese Army. Biography Umezawa was born as the second son of a samurai in the service of the Sendai Domain, and attended the domain' ...

, awarded 1914 * Kōkichi Mikimoto, awarded 1954 * Charles C. Moore, president of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, awarded 1916 * Akio Morita, awarded 1991 * General Sir Archibald James Murray, 1918 * Lt Gen Sir James Wolfe Murray, 1918 * Nakamura Utaemon VI, awarded 1996 *

Norio Ohga , otherwise spelled ''Norio Oga'' (January 29, 1930 – April 23, 2011), was the former president and chairman of Sony Corporation, credited with spurring the development of the compact disc as a commercially viable audio format. Biography Early ...

, awarded 2001 *

Henry Francis Oliver Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Francis Oliver, (22 January 1865 – 15 October 1965) was a Royal Navy officer. After serving in the Second Boer War as a navigating officer in a cruiser on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station ...

(1865–1965), awarded 1917 * Radhabinod Pal, awarded 1966 * Peter Parker, awarded 1991 * Samuel

Kamuela Parker Samuel Parker, known as Kamuela Parker (June 23, 1853 – March 19, 1920) was a major landowner and businessman on the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii, heir to the Parker Ranch estate. He was also a leading political figure at a critical time o ...

(1853–1920), awarded 1892 *

Nancy Pelosi Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...

awarded 2015 * Sir

Julian Ridsdale Sir Julian Errington Ridsdale (8 June 1915 – 21 July 2004) was a British National Liberal and later Conservative politician and long-serving Member of Parliament (MP) for Harwich. He took a particular interest in Japan. The son of a stockb ...

(1915–2004), awarded 1967 and 1990 *

Eishiro Saito (November 11, 1911 - April 22, 2002) was a Japanese businessman, the former President of Nippon Steel, the 6th Chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) from 1986 to 1991, President of the Japan Science Foundation from 1988, President o ...

, awarded 1982 * General Sir Henry Crichton Sclater, 1918 * Princess Soamsawali of Thailand * Shinji Sogo, 'Father of the Bullet Train', awarded 1965 * Kiyoshi Sumiya, awarded 1998 * Shoichiro Toyoda, awarded 1995 * Hugh Trenchard, awarded 1921 * Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven

2nd class, Gold and Silver Star

Hirotugu Akaike was a Japanese statistician. In the early 1970s, he formulated the Akaike information criterion (AIC). AIC is now widely used for model selection, which is commonly the most difficult aspect of statistical inference; additionally, AIC is the basi ...

, awarded 2006 * Momofuku Ando (1910–2007), awarded in 1982 *

Herbert W. Armstrong Herbert W. Armstrong (July 31, 1892 – January 16, 1986) was an American evangelist who founded the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). An early pioneer of radio and television evangelism, Armstrong preached what he claimed was the comprehensiv ...

(1892–1986) * Hans Hermann Baerwald, awarded 1989 *

Thomas Baty Thomas Baty (8 February 1869 – 9 February 1954), also known by the name Irene Clyde, was an English writer, lawyer and expert on international law who spent much of his career working for the Imperial Japanese government. Baty was also an act ...

(1869–1954), awarded 1936 * James Molesworth Blair awarded 1921 *

Mary Griggs Burke Mary Griggs Burke (June 20, 1916 – December 8, 2012) was an American art collector. Over fifty years, Burke acquired the largest private collection of Japanese art outside Japan. Her collection grew so large that she housed it in a separate ap ...

(1916–2012), awarded 1987 * Pierre Cardin (1922–2020) * Verner W Clapp (1901-1972), awarded 1968 * Samuel Mills Damon (1845–1924), awarded 1892 * W. Edwards Deming (1900–1993), awarded 1960 *

Tomio Fukuoka (born January 1, 1936) is a Japanese educator and Academian. He is the Founder/Chairman of Kobe Denshi and Graduate School of Information Technology (KIC). Early life Tomio Fukuoka was born in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. Professional career ...

(2008) * James Harold Elmsley (1859–1921) *

Bonner Fellers Brigadier General Bonner Frank Fellers (February 7, 1896 – October 7, 1973) was a United States Army officer who served during World War II as a military attaché and director of psychological warfare. He is notable as the military attaché in ...

, awarded 1971 *

Ted Fujita was a Japanese-American meteorologist whose research primarily focused on severe weather. His research at the University of Chicago on severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and typhoons revolutionized the knowledge of each. Although ...

(1920–1998)Profile of Ted Fujita
, uchicago.edu; accessed 2 July 2014. * Fr. Hermann Heuvers S.J., awarded 1969 * Yoshimasa Hirata (1915–2000), awarded 1987 * William G. Irwin (1843–1914), awarded 1892 * Kaoru Ishikawa (1915–1989) * Joseph M. Juran (1904–2008) awarded 1981 * Yuet Keung Kan (1913–2012), awarded 1983 * Shahin Lauritzen, awarded 1999 * Bernard Leach (1887–1979) * Mike Masaoka 1983 *

Thomas Corwin Mendenhall Thomas Corwin Mendenhall (October 4, 1841 – March 23, 1924) was an American autodidact physicist and meteorologist. He was the first professor hired at Ohio State University in 1873 and the superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Surv ...

, awarded in 1911 * Edward S. Morse (1838–1925), awarded in 1922 * Paul Neumann (Attorney General) (1839–1901), awarded 1892 * Richard W. Pound, awarded 1998 *

Johannis de Rijke Johannis de Rijke (December 5, 1842 – January 20, 1913) was a Dutch civil engineer and a foreign advisor to the Japanese government in Meiji period Japan. Early life De Rijke was born in Colijnsplaat on the island Noord-Beveland. Rijsbergen, ...

, awarded 1903 *

Sakıp Sabancı Sakıp Sabancı (7 April 1933 – 10 April 2004) was a Turkish business tycoon and philanthropist. Biography He was the second son of a cotton trader and worked in his father's business without completing high school. He was the head of Turkey' ...

(1993–2004), awarded 1992 * Jacob Schiff (1847–1920), awarded 1905 * Charles Nichols Spencer (1837–1893), awarded 1892 * Henry W. Taft (1859–1945) *

Ichimatsu Tanaka was a Japanese academic, art historian, curator, editor, and sometime public servant who specialized in the history of Japanese art. Early life and education Tanaka was born in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture. He attended and ...

(1895–1983) *

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for his highly successful manga series '' Dr. Slump'', before going on to create '' Dragon Ball'' (his best-known work) and acting as a character des ...

(1898–1994), awarded 1971 *

Wilfred Chomatsu Tsukiyama Wilfred Chomatsu "Tsuky" Tsukiyama (March 22, 1897 – January 6, 1966) was an attorney, Territorial Senator, and chief justice of the Supreme Court of Hawaii. He was the first Japanese American elected to the Territorial Senate of Hawaii, and th ...

(1897–1966), awarded in 1963. * Guy Tripp (1865–1927), awarded 1924 * John Alexander Low Waddell (1854–1938), awarded 1922 * John Smith Walker (1826–1893), awarded 1892 * Langdon Warner (1881–1955), awarded 1955 * William Austin Whiting (1855–1908), awarded 1892 * Merriman Colbert Harris (1846–1921), awarded 1916 * Hermann Adam Widemann (1822–1899), awarded 1892 *

Eugene P. Wilkinson Eugene Parks "Dennis" Wilkinson (August 10, 1918 – July 11, 2013) was a United States Navy officer. He was selected for three historic command assignments. The first, in 1954, was as the first commanding officer of , the world's first nuclear-pow ...

3rd class, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon

Thomas Maxwell Hague (1921-2008), awarded 1992 * William DeWitt Alexander (1833–1913), awarded 1892 *

John Batchelor John Calvin Batchelor (born April 29, 1948) is an American author and host of ''Eye on the World'' on the CBS Audio Network. His flagship station is New York's 710 WOR. The show is a hard-news-analysis radio program on current events, world his ...

D.D., OBE (1855–1944)

Archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that of mo ...

of an

Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...

Hokkaido is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

awarded in 1933 * Khalid Jerjes, awarded 2017, Consulting Lawyer of the Embassy of Japan in Iraq * The Rev.

Stuart D. B. Picken Stuart Donald Blair Picken (1942 – 5 August 2016) was a Scottish philosopher, academic and cleric. He was a noted expert on comparative ethics and Japanese thought. In 2007 he was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure (gold rays with neck rib ...

(1942–2016), awarded 2007 * Frank Shozo Baba (1915–2008) * Gheorghe Bagulescu (1886–1963) *

John Tamatoa Baker John Tamatoa Baker, also given as John Timoteo Baker, (1852 – September 7, 1921) was a Hawaiian politician, businessman, and rancher who served many political posts in the Kingdom of Hawaii, including Governor of the Island of Hawaii from 1892 ...

(1852–1921), awarded 1892 *

Robert Hoapili Baker Robert Hoapili Kekaipukaʻala Baker (/1847 – April 4, 1900) was a Hawaiian ali'i (noble), military officer, courtier, and politician who served many political posts in the Kingdom of Hawaii, including Governor of Maui, Privy Councillor and ...

(c 1845/1847-1900), awarded 1892 * Thomas Baty (1869–1954), awarded 1920 * Henry Franz Bertelmann (1859–1921), awarded 1892 * Captain John P. Brockley USN (born 1942), awarded 1990 Commanding Officer NAF AtsugiRecipient with citation * Delmer Myers Brown (1909–2011), awarded 1997 * George Bull (1929–2001) * Clark Burdick (1868–1948), awarded 1918 * Joseph Oliver Carter (1835–1909), awarded 1892 * Edoardo Chiossone (1833–98) 1891 * William Henry Cornwell (1843–1903), awarded 1892 * Dettmar Cramer (1925–2015), awarded September 1971 *

Charles F. Creighton Charles F. Creighton (1862–1907) was a member of Queen Liliʻuokalani's Cabinet Ministers as Attorney General of the Kingdom of Hawaii for the period November 1–8, 1892. Following the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, he was arrested for h ...

(1862–1907), awarded 1892 * Captain John Wallace Curtin Sr. USN (born 1944) awarded August 1994 Commanding Officer NAF Atsugi * William B. Dazey(1915–2002), awarded 1961 * Sir Frank Gill (1866–1950) awarded 1930 * Robert Günther, awarded 1929 * Günther Gumprich *

Eleanor Hadley Eleanor Martha Hadley (July 17, 1916 – June 1, 2007) was an American economist and policymaker. Because of her relatively rare research specialization in Japanese economics, during World War II Hadley was recruited first into OSS and then ...

(1916–2007), awarded 1986 * John Adair Hassinger (1837–1902), awarded 1892 * Frank P Hastings, Major, ''USS Mohican'', awarded 1892 * Captain Arthur Hawkins (USN) * Col. William F. Hebert (1928–2008), awarded 1970 * Col. Vernon J Henderson (USAF) (1922–2008), awarded 1970 *

Samuel Hill Samuel Hill (13 May 1857 – 26 February 1931), usually known as Sam Hill, was an American businessman, lawyer, railroad executive, and advocate of good roads. He substantially influenced the Pacific Northwest region's economic dev ...

, 1922 *

John Dominis Holt II Colonel John Dominis Kauikeaouli Holt II (March 17, 1861 – December 23, 1915) was an official holding the rank of major and colonel within the Hawaiian Kingdom. After the American annexation of Hawaii, he became an early member of the Democra ...

(1861–1916), awarded 1892 * Frederick J. Horne, awarded 1919 *

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) * Pieter Philippus Jansen (1902–1982), awarded 11 September 1964 *

Paul P. Kanoa Paul (Paulo) Puhiula Kanoa (June 10, 1832 – March 18, 1895) was a noble and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii from the island of Kauai. Life Paul Puhiula Kanoa was born June 10, 1832 in Honolulu. His hānai father, usually known as Paul ...

(1832–1895), awarded 1892 * Professor Iwane Kimura (1932–2019), Kyoto University, awarded 2012, http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/static/en/news_data/h/h1/news7/2012/121103_1.htm * Miles Wedderburn Lampson (1880–1964), awarded 1932 *

Trevor Leggett Trevor Pryce Leggett (22 August 1914 – 2 August 2000) was a British judo teacher, author, translator, and head of the BBC's Japanese Service for 24 years.Dunne, A., & Bowen, R. (2003): "Trevor Pryce Leggett, 1914–2000." In H. Cortazzi ...

(1914–2000)Dunne, A., & Bowen, R. (2003): Trevor Pryce Leggett profile, ''Britain & Japan: biographical portraits'' (Vol. 4, pp. 323–33). London: Routledge; * Masao Maruyama (1914–1996), awarded 1976 * Genzō Murakami, awarded 1981 * Toshiro Mifune, awarded 1993 * Tetsuya Noda, awarded 2015
Tetsuya Noda The Works 1964 – 2016 * Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988), awarded 1988 * Thomas Noguchi, awarded 1999 * Samuel Nowlein (–1905), awarded 1892 * Keiko Ozato, awarded 2012 * Arthur Porter Peterson (1858–1895), awarded 1892 * Franklin Seaver Pratt (1829–1894), awarded 1892 *

John Curtis Perry John Curtis Perry also known as John Perry (born 18 July 1930) is an East Asian and Oceanic studies professor and historian. He is the Henry Willard Denison Professor Emeritus of History at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts Universi ...

, awarded 1991. * Captain Timothy Edwin Prendergast USN (born 1949) awarded August 1997 Commander Fleet Air, Western Pacific * Leonard Pronko, awarded 1986 * John Keone Likikine Richardson (1853–1917), Private Attorney for Queen Liliuokalani, awarded 1892 * James William Robertson (1852–1919), awarded 1892 * Eric Gascoigne Robinson (1882–1965) *

Paul Rusch Paul Frederick Rusch (1897 – 1979) was a lay missionary of the Anglican Church in Japan. Rusch is remembered in Japan for his role as an educator and for pioneering activities in development of American football, rural agriculture and post Seco ...

(1897–1979), awarded 1956 * Eiji Sasaki (1915–2007), awarded 29 April 1998 * Munetsugu Satomi (1904–1996), Graphic Designer, awarded December 1974 *

William Schull William Jackson (Jack) Schull (17 March 1922 – 20 June 2017) was an American geneticist and Professor Emeritus of Human Genetics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He worked for the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission in ...

, awarded 1992. * Tadahiro Sekimoto (1926–2007) * Captain Claude B Shaw USN (1918–2012), awarded May 1972 Commanding Officer Fleet Activities Sasebo *

Hiroko Sho is a Japanese ultramarathon and marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run ...

, awarded 2006 * William James Smith (1839–1906), awarded 1892 * Sugino Yoshiko, awarded 1978 * Akira Suzuki, awarded 2005 * Col. Fred Grant Swafford (1924–1996), awarded 1972 *

Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such ...

(1928–1989), awarded 1989 *

Herbert Cyril Thacker Major General Herbert Cyril Thacker (16 September 1870 – 2 June 1953) was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Militia (later the Canadian Army) from 1927 until 1929. Military career Thacker was born th ...

(1870–1953)''Prominent People of the Maritime Provinces''
p. 193 *

Takeo Uesugi was a Japanese-American landscape architect who designed acclaimed Japanese garden installations. He was a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and Kyoto University. Works Born in Osaka, Uesugi's prominent works include: * ...

, awarded 2010 * Masanobu Tsuji (1902–1961), awarded 1942 * Bunei Tsunoda (1913–2008) *

Charles E. Tuttle Charles Egbert Tuttle Jr. (April 5, 1915 – June 9, 1993) was an American publisher and book dealer who was internationally recognized for his contributions to understanding between the English- and Japanese-speaking worlds.Ingleton, N. (1993)Ob ...

(1915–1993), awarded 1983 *

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), awarded 1950 * Gordon Warner (1913–2010), awarded 2001 * The Rt Rev Herbert Welch (1862–1969), awarded 1928 *

Charles Burnett Wilson Charles Burnett "C.B." Wilson (4 July 1850 – 12 September 1926) was a British and Tahitian superintendent of the water works, fire chief under King Kalākaua, and Marshal of the Kingdom under Queen Liliuokalani. Wilson was also the father of Jo ...

(1850–1926), awarded 1892 * Arthur Young (1907–1979)

4th class, Gold Rays with Rosette

Ralph D. Dwyer, Jr. Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

, awarded 1973 *

Floyd Schmoe Floyd Wilfred Schmoe (September 21, 1895 – April 20, 2001) was a Quaker, pacifist, author, college professor, marine biologist, and park ranger living in the Seattle, Washington area for most of his life. He earned Japan's highest civilian hono ...

, awarded 1988 *

Keiko Fukuda was a Japanese American martial artist. She was the highest-ranked female judoka in history, holding the rank of 9th ''dan'' from the Kodokan (2006), and 10th ''dan'' from USA Judo (July 2011) and from the United States Judo Federation (USJF) ...

, awarded 1990Sullivan, K. (2003)
A lifetime of Judo: 90 year old Keiko Fukuda, the martial art's highest-ranked woman, still goes to the mat for her Bay Area students
, judoinfo.com, reproduced from the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', 17 October 2003; retrieved 25 April 2010. * John Gillett, awarded 1994 * Beate Sirota Gordon, awarded 1998 *

Edbert Ansgar Hewett Edbert Ansgar Hewett, (5 September 1860 – 24 November 1915) was a prominent British merchant in Hong Kong and China and member of the Executive Council and Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Family and early life Hewett was born on 5 Septem ...

(1860–1915), awarded 1901 *

Herbert Keppler Herbert "Burt" Keppler (April 21, 1925 – January 4, 2008) was an American photographer, journalist, author and consultant. His career spanned 57 years, including 37 at ''Modern Photography'' and two decades at ''Popular Photography''. He w ...

, awarded 2002 * Helmut Laumer, awarded 2002 *

Yukiko Maki Yukiko Maki (1902 – October 18, 1989), born Yukiko Domoto, was a Japanese educator. In 1976 she was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Fourth Class, for her work in international exchange. Early life Yukiko Domoto was from Oakland, C ...

(1902–1989), awarded 1976 *

Rofū Miki (23 June 1889 – 29 December 1964), better known by his pen name , was a Japanese poet, children's book author and essayist. He is considered a significant representative of Japanese symbolism. Life file:Rofu Miki House01n4592.jpg, alt=Rofū ...

(1889–1964), awarded 1965 * Hidetaka Nishiyama, 2000, awarded 2000 *

Junnosuke Ofusa Junnosuke Ofusa (1908–1994) was the first journalist ever to receive Japan's Order of the Sacred Treasure. He was presented with the Fourth Class Order of the Sacred Treasure in a ceremony at the Foreign Ministry for "the service he has rendered ...

(1908–1994), awarded 1982 * Agnes Mitsue Niyekawa (1924–2012), awarded 1998 * Chōshin Chibana, awarded 1968 *

Richard Ponsonby-Fane Richard Arthur Brabazon Ponsonby-Fane (8 January 1878 – 10 December 1937) was a British academic, author, specialist of Shinto and Japanologist. Early years Richard Arthur Brabazon Ponsonby was born at Gravesend on the south bank of the Th ...

(1878–1937), awarded 1921 * The Rev.

Walter Weston Walter Weston (25 December 1861 – 27 March 1940), was an English clergyman and Anglican missionary who helped popularise recreational mountaineering in Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Background and early life Weston was born 25 Dec ...

, awarded 1937 * Shozo Sato, awarded 2004 * Oskar Ritter und Edler von Xylander *

Serizawa Keisuke was a Japanese textile designer. In 1956, he was designated as a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government for his ''katazome'' stencil dyeing technique. A leading member of the ''mingei'' movement founded by Yanagi Sōetsu, Serizawa ...

(1895–1984) * Ir

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

(1901–1970) * Thomas Masuda (1906–1986) * Masaru Funai, awarded 2001 * Masao Takahashi, awarded 2002 * The Rev. Jean-Baptist Gaschy (1875–1955), awarded 1954 * Mildred Ruth Brown, awarded 1988 * Andrew Tsubaki (1931–2009), awarded 2007 * Charlotte Burgis DeForest (1879–1973), awarded 1950 * Verne Dallas Dusenbery (1885-1978), awarded 1968 * Thomas Tozaburo Sashihara (1900–1974), awarded 15 December 1970 * Wray Taylor (1853–1910), awarded 1892 * Noriko Kamakura, awarded 2022On page 17 in PDF listing attached to Retrieved 2 June 2022. * (1925–2021), awarded 1998

5th class, Gold and Silver Rays

* Alfred M Burke, awarded 2012 * On Chuil, member of the suite of the Korean Crown Prince, awarded 1908 *

Hester Ferreira Hester is both a female given name and a surname. As a given name Hester is a variant of Esther. As a surname it is of Germanic origin and uncertain meaning, possible roots being the Middle High German ''heister'' beech tree indicating residence ne ...

, awarded 1997 * Mabel Francis (1880–1975), awarded 1962 *

Kumaji Furuya Kumaji Furuya (February 22, 1899 – November 4, 1977) was a Japanese businessman who worked in Hawaii. He started the Fuji Furniture store in Aala, and created Hawaii's first Japanese-language radio program. His penname was Suikei. Early life F ...

(1899–1977), awarded 1968 * George Edward Luckman Gauntlett (1868–1956) * Capt. W.W. Greene, awarded before March 1908 * Seikan Higa, awarded 1968 * Friedrich Hirzebruch, awarded 1996 *

Janak Jeevantha Bandaranayake Janaka is a character who appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He is an ancient Hindu king of Videha, which was located in the Mithila region. His name at birth was Sīradhvaja, and he had a brother named Kushadhvaja. His father's name was Hrasva ...

, awarded in 2020 * Thomas Masuda (1906–1986) * John Mittwer (1907–1996), awarded 1977 *

Chiura Obata was a well-known Japanese-American artist and popular art teacher. A self-described "roughneck", Obata went to the United States in 1903, at age 17. After initially working as an illustrator and commercial decorator, he had a successful career a ...

(1885–1975) *

Azalia Emma Peet Azalia Emma Peet (September 3, 1887 – September 21, 1973) was an American missionary educator in Japan. During World War II, she was a "lone dissenter", "one of the very few white Americans" to speak out against the incarceration of Japanese ...

(1887–1973), awarded 1953 * Yi Pomik, member of the suite of the Korean Crown Prince, awarded 1908 * Miki Saito, Japanese Consul General to Hawaii, awarded bef Nov 1905 * Yoshio Senda, Hon. LL.D. (1922–2009), awarded 2008 * Chiune Sugihara (1900–1986), awarded 1944 * Yoshio Tamiya (1905–1988), awarded 1976 * Tetsuo Toyama, awarded 1968 * Fujitaro Kubota (1879–1973)

6th class, Silver Rays

* Capt. Philip Going, approx 1905 * Chinyei Kinjo, 1968 *

Chozaburo Kusumoto ''Translated from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia. May be expanded'' Kusumoto Chōzaburō (Japanese: 楠本長三郎) (10 March 1871 - 6 December 1946) was a Japanese scientist, physician and the second president of Osaka Impe ...

, 1906 * Hannah Riddell, (1855–1932) awarded 1924 * Mary Cornwall Legh (1857–1941), awarded 1939 * Ted Tsukiyama (1920–2019) awarded 2001 * His Majesty Ariki Tuheitia of New Zealand, awarded 2015 * Ko Wichun, member of the suite of the Korean Crown Prince, awarded 1908 * Capt. Mitsuo Matsumoto (Japanese: 松元三男), (1919-2004), officer of the Japanese Imperial Army, awarded 1944 *Eijiro Iwamura, 1975

7th class: abolished

While established with the original induction of the First 6 classes, Class 7 has never been issued or given an official designation or design. Officially the Medal and its designation were abolished in 2003; there are no known recipients or issuances of this Medal in its original design from 1887.

8th class: abolished

While established with the original induction of the First 6 classes, Class 8 has never been issued or designated a design, like Class 7 Before it. Officially the Medal and its designation were abolished in 2003; there are no known recipients or issuances of this Medal in its original design from 1887.

General Class

* Jackson Bailey, awarded 1988 *

Faubion Bowers Faubion Bowers (January 29, 1917 – November 17, 1999) was an American academic and writer in the area of Asian Studies, especially Japanese theatre. He also wrote the first full-length biography of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. During the ...

* Ernesto Burzagli (1873–1944), awarded 1906 *

Winfield Scott Chaplin Winfield Scott Chaplin (1847 – March 12, 1918) was the chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis from 1891 until 1907. Early life He was born in Maine in 1847 and graduated from West Point in 1870 as a second lieutenant of artillery. Aft ...

(1847–1918), awarded 1882 * George Ramsay Cook, awarded 1994 * David Culver * Dorothy DeLay * Mamadou Diarra, awarded 1988 (Order with sunburst) *

Robert Lawrence Eichelberger Robert Lawrence Eichelberger (9 March 1886 – 26 September 1961) was a general officer in the United States Army who commanded the Eighth United States Army in the Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. A 1909 graduate of the Uni ...

Yoshikawa Eiji 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'', m ...

, awarded 1962 *

Anton Geesink Antonius Johannes Geesink (6 April 1934 – 27 August 2010) was a Dutch 10th dan judoka. He was the first non-Japanese judoka to win gold at the World Judo Championship, a feat he accomplished in 1961 and 1965. He was also an Olympic Champion, ...

L'Harmattan web site
; accessed 2 July 2014 * John Whitney Hall *

Heinrich Hertz Heinrich Rudolf Hertz ( ; ; 22 February 1857 – 1 January 1894) was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. The uni ...

* Marcel Junod, awarded 1961 * Takahira Kogoro (1854–1926) * Kume Kunitake, awarded 1889 * Tokubei Kuroda (1886–1987), awarded 1939 *

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is a Japanese actress, voice actress, tarento, World Wide Fund for Nature advisor, and Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. She is well known for her charitable works, and is considered one of the first Japanese celebrities to achieve international re ...

, awarded 2003 * Toshirō Mifune, awarded 1993 (Order with gold ribbon) *

Lawrence Olson Lawrence Olson (May 7, 1918 – March 17, 1992) was an American historian specializing in Japan who served as the professor of history at Wesleyan University. In 1987, the Government of Japan honored him with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, t ...

, awarded 1987 *

Fusakichi Omori was a pioneer Japanese seismologist, second chairman of seismology at the Imperial University of Tokyo and president of the Japanese Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee. Omori is also known for his observation describing the aftershock ...

, awarded 1928 * Jean-Jacques Origas, awarded 1998 * John Roderick, awarded 1985 *

Renato Ruggiero Renato Ruggiero (9 April 1930 – 4 August 2013) was an Italian diplomat and politician. He was Director-General of the World Trade Organization from 1995 to 1999 and briefly served as Italy's Foreign Minister in 2001. Biography Born in Naples ...

* Jack Seward, awarded 1986 *

Edmund Charles Wyldbore Smith Sir Edmund Charles Wyldbore-Smith (15 January 1877 - 18 October 1938) was a British civil servant, diplomat, and businessman.Kenjiro Takayanagi, awarded 1989 *

Tomoyuki Tanaka was a Japanese film producer. He is best known for co-creating the ''Godzilla'' franchise and its associated spin-offs. Early life Tanaka was born on April 26, 1910, in Kashiwara, Osaka. As a child, he would often walk miles to the nearest th ...

, awarded 1981 * Eiji Tsuburaya, awarded 1970 * Yosh Uchida, awarded 1986. * Morihei Ueshiba (1883–1969) * J.R. Wasson (1855–1913), awarded 1874"A Victory for the Chinese; Japanese Driven with Heavy Loss from Ping-yang"
, ''The New York Times'', 22 August 1894. * Carmen Blacker (1924–2009)

Gallery

File:Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class, (Japan decoration) - medal closeup.JPG, Order of the Sacred Treasure (class 3) File:Orders of the Sacred Treasure class5.JPG, Order of the Sacred Treasure (class 5) File:Orders of the Sacred Treasure class6-010.JPG, Order of the Sacred Treasure (class 6) File:Order of the Sacred Treasure Ribbon.png, Ribbon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure – old type

References

Sources

* 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. * Rossiter, Johnson, ed. (1904). ''The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans'', Vol. II. Boston: The Biographical Societ
...Click link for digitized, full text copy of this book
* ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991,

External links

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:Order Of The Sacred Treasure Awards established in 1888 Sacred Treasure, Order of the 1888 establishments in Japan *