Official Gazette Lists Autumn Decorations and Eight Order of Culture Recipients

The government announced the autumn decorations and medals on November 3, 2026, and published the names of the recipients in the Official Gazette Extra (published by the National Printing Bureau) dated November 4, 2026. Those listed include decorations such as the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the Gold Rays with Palm of the Order of the Rising Sun, and the Gold and Silver Rays of the Order of the Rising Sun; the Medals of Honor (Red Ribbon, Green Ribbon, Yellow Ribbon, Purple Ribbon, and Blue Ribbon) based on “Article 1 of the Medal of Honor Ordinance”; the conferment of decorations and medals upon foreign nationals; and eight recipients of the Order of Culture.

The decorations section, titled “Conferment of Rank and Decoration,” lists the appointment of ranks and the awarding of decorations side-by-side, with recipient names listed under headings such as “Conferring the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (each notification)” for each class. The medals section lists the recipients after specifying the reason for the award and the date of announcement for each medal, with the text explicitly stating that all were announced on November 3, 2026.

Recipients of Decorations Listed by Class from the Grand Cordon to the Gold and Silver Rays of the Order of the Rising Sun

In the announcement of decorations, the classes are listed in order, starting with the highest, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, followed by the Gold Rays with Palm of the Order of the Rising Sun, the Gold and Silver Rays of the Order of the Rising Sun, and others, each with a note stating “each notification.” The names listed include the following individuals:

• Katsuya Uga, Masayuki Oku, Keizo Takemi, Akio Toyoda, Takehiro Honjo, Shingo Mimura, Yuji Yamamoto
• Hiroki Ando, Gaku Ishizaki, Toshio Omori, Jun Karube, Masanori Kawai, Shigenobu Saito, Shin Sumiyama, Chiaki Takahashi
• Toshiro Toyoda, Tadashi Nagata, Susumu Hasumi, Jun Manabe, Hideo Miki, Shigeru Miyake, Tomiro Yada, Yoshiyuki Yokokura

Records of rank appointments are listed on the same page, indicating that the conferment of rank and decoration are edited as a single integrated section.

Five Types of Medals Announced with Requirements and Date of Announcement

The medals section lists the recipients after stating the reason for the award in the language of the regulations for each type of medal. The five types and their requirements are as follows:

• Medal with Red Ribbon: Persons who have exerted themselves in saving human lives regardless of their own danger.
• Medal with Green Ribbon: Persons who have voluntarily engaged in social service activities and whose virtuous conduct is remarkable.
• Medal with Yellow Ribbon: Persons who have been diligent in their duties and serve as a model for the general public.
• Medal with Purple Ribbon: Persons whose achievements in invention, improvement, or development in science and art are distinguished.
• Medal with Blue Ribbon: Persons who have promoted the public interest or have been diligent in public service.

Names are listed as those who received the awards on “November 3, 2026.” Regarding awards to foreign nationals, a separate heading stating “Conferring the Medal with Yellow Ribbon according to Article 1 of the Medal of Honor Ordinance” is provided, listing Cho So-yi, a citizen of the Republic of Korea.

Decorations for Foreign Nationals Extend to Over Ten Countries and Regions

Decorations for foreign nationals are distinguished by the term “conferring” and are announced in a format listing the country and the name. There are 10 recipients of the Gold and Silver Rays of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

• Charles Yuji Horioka (USA), Priya Panpoka (Thailand), Udo Cordes (Germany), Madhusudan Rajbandari (Nepal), Imtiaz Ahmed Kakkar (Pakistan)
• Efren Tanhal Manalo (Philippines), Kiyomi Elina Takebe (Brazil), César Aurelio La Torre Bardibieso (Peru), Maria Solis Guerra (Mexico), Panipon Thummaphot (Laos)
• The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon includes nationals of Argentina, Italy, India, Indonesia, Uruguay, Turkey, and Mexico, as well as Zhang Ruixiang; the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon includes an Iranian national; and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays includes nationals of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Jordan.

Order of Culture awarded to eight, honoring lighting designers, architects, and others

At the end of the same page as the decorations, a heading reads “Conferring the Order of Culture (each notification) (as of November 3),” followed by the names of eight individuals along with their professions and titles. The lineup is diverse, including Mikiko Ishii (lighting designer), Toyo Ito (architect), Tsunehisa Kuroiwa (Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo), Tetsuya Shiokawa (same), Shunichi Tokura (composer), Shigeichi Osada (Distinguished Professor, Osaka University), and Shigeru Miyamoto (game producer), among others, as well as one Distinguished Professor from the Tokyo University of Science.

This public notice serves as a primary source for identifying recipients across the fields of business, academia, and social service at the individual level. The awarding of honors to corporate executives and university officials reflects trends in personnel and organizational movements, while the granting of the Medal with Red Ribbon and Medal with Green Ribbon for lifesaving and social service is viewed as an evaluation of community activities. In news and research settings where the Official Gazette is checked daily, it is necessary to cross-reference the two-step dates: the issuance date of November 3 and the public notice date of November 4.

Sources

• Official Gazette Extra (dated November 4, Reiwa 8, published by the National Printing Bureau), “Conferment of Ranks and Decorations” section (Conferring the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun (each notification), Conferring the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star (each notification), Conferring the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon (each notification), etc.)
• Ibid., “Decorations” section (Conferring the Medal with Red Ribbon, Medal with Green Ribbon, Medal with Yellow Ribbon, Medal with Purple Ribbon, and Medal with Blue Ribbon pursuant to Article 1 of the Decoration Ordinance (each notification); awarding the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Rays, and Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays (each notification); conferring the Order of Culture (each notification))
• Issuance Date: November 3, Reiwa 8 / Public Notice Date: November 4, Reiwa 8