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 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)
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 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).元統幕議長への瑞宝大綬章は首相指示 Sankei Shinbun. 15 July 2015 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. Cabinet Office (Japan) 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.栄典制度の概要. p.5 Cabinet Office (Japan)
Classes Before 2003, the Order could be awarded in any of eight classes. 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, 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 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; 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, 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 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.
Ribbons of the Order of the Sacred Treasure1888–2003First ClassSecond ClassThird ClassFourth ClassFifth ClassSixth ClassSeventh ClassEighth ClassGeneral ribbon of the order2003–presentGrand CordonGold and Silver StarGold Rays with Neck RibbonGold Rays with RosetteGold and Silver RaysSilver RaysGeneral ribbon of the order
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
Radit Punya TG Lt Gen Sir Edward Altham Altham, awarded 1918 Sir Charles Alexander Anderson, awarded 1921 James Burrill Angell, awarded 1909* Isoroku Yamamoto, awarded 1939 Lt Gen Alamsyah Ratu Perwiranegara, awarded 1988 Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, awarded 1981Abdullah Ahmad Badawi profile ; accessed 2 July 2014 Emilio Álvarez Montalván, awarded 2002 Gen Mohammad Jusuf, awarded 1996 Daniel Boorstin, awarded 1986 Avery Brundage awarded 1964 Ali Wardhana, awarded 1988 George Champion, awarded 1969New York Times, April 17, 1973. Cho Tong-yun on 21 April 1905 Sir Hugh Cortazzi, awarded 1995 Radius Prawiro, awarded 1994 General Sir John Stephen Cowans, awarded 1918 Takuma Dan, awarded 1932 Mohammad Sadli, awarded 1987 Henry Willard Denison Milton Friedman, awarded 1986 Admiral Albert Gleaves, awarded 1920The Admiral: The Memoirs of Albert Gleaves, Admiral, USN Stephen Gomersall awarded 2015 Mark Hatfield, awarded 2003 Chushiro Hayashi, awarded 1994"Obituary: Chushiro Hayashi (1920–2010)", adsabs.harvard.edu, December 2011. Daniel Hays, awarded 2000 Lt Gen Sir David Henderson, 1918 James McNaughton Hester, awarded 1981 Masaru Ibuka (1908–1997) awarded 1978Kirkup, James. Masaru Ibuka obituary , independent.co.uk, The Independent (London, UK), 22 December 1997; accessed 2 July 2014. Lt Gen Sir Launcelot Edward Kiggell, 1918 General Sir Cecil Frederick Nevil Macready, 1918 Baron Matsuoka Yasutake, 1902 Yosuke Matsuoka, 1935 Umezawa Michiharu, awarded 1914Umezawa Michiharu Kōkichi Mikimoto, awarded 1954 Charles C. Moore, president of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, awarded 1916Honolulu Star-Bulletin, April 7, 1916, page 4 Akio Morita, awarded 1991 General Sir Archibald James Murray, 1918 Lt Gen Sir James Wolfe Murray, 1918 Nakamura Utaemon VI, awarded 1996Strom, Stephanie "Nakamura Utaemon VI, 84, International Star of Kabuki" , The New York Times, 4 April 2001. Norio Ohga, awarded 2001"Passing of Norio Ohga, Senior Advisor and former President and Chairman, Sony Corporation" , sony.net, 23 April 2011; retrieved 8 August 2011. Henry Francis Oliver (1865–1965), awarded 1917 Radhabinod Pal, awarded 1966 Peter Parker, awarded 1991"Fellowship to Recognise Contribution to Language Teaching and Learning" , Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research (CILT), 27 March 2002; retrieved 19 June 2011. Samuel Kamuela Parker (1853–1920), awarded 1892Daily Pacific Commercial Advertiser, June 24, 1892, page 4 Nancy Pelosi awarded 2015 Sir Julian Ridsdale (1915–2004), awarded 1967 and 1990Sir Julian Ridsdale profile, timesonline.co.uk, 23 July 2004; accessed 6 July 2014. Edmund Leopold de Rothschild, awarded 1973 Eishiro Saito, awarded 1982 Saisho Atsushi, awarded 1903 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 1995Shoichiro Toyoda profile , toyota.com; accessed 2 July 2014. Hugh Trenchard, awarded 1921 Prof. Pieter van Vollenhoven Maj. Gen. Aung San, awarded August 1943
2nd class, Gold and Silver Star
Hirotugu Akaike, awarded 2006"C.V. ", Hirotugu Akaike Memorial Website (Institute of Statistical Mathematics). . Momofuku Ando (1910–2007), awarded in 1982 Herbert W. Armstrong (1892–1986) Hans Hermann Baerwald, awarded 1989 Thomas Baty (1869–1954), awarded 1936 James Molesworth Blair awarded 1921 Mary Griggs Burke (1916–2012), awarded 1987 Pierre Cardin (1922–2020) Verner W Clapp (1901-1972), awarded 1968 "He was decorated with the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star (Kun-Nito Zuihosho) by the government of Japan, which became one of his most cherished honors among many professional awards Samuel Mills Damon (1845–1924), awarded 1892 W. Edwards Deming (1900–1993), awarded 1960W. Edwards Deming profile , editions-harmattan.fr; accessed 6 July 2014. Tomio Fukuoka (2008) James Harold Elmsley (1859–1921) Bonner Fellers, awarded 1971Cited in the Congressional Record, 5 November 1973, Volume 119, No. 168. Ted Fujita (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 1983Yuet Keung Kan profile, Bulletin of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (p. 5) Masaki Kashiwara (born 1947), awarded 2020. Shahin Lauritzen, awarded 1999 Bernard Leach (1887–1979), awarded 1966 Mike Masaoka 1983