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ANNOUNCEMENT

2012 Autumn Conferment of Japanese Imperial Decorations Awarded to Two from Hawaii

  November 5, 2012

2012 Autumn Conferment of Japanese Decorations Awarded to Two from Hawaii

 On November 3, 2012, the Government of Japan will confer decorations to individuals of merit in recognition of their national or public services and in honor of their distinguished accomplishment in their areas of services.  The following two from the State of Hawaii are among those who received such decorations:

●       Mrs. Jean Miya Ariyoshi, former First Lady of the State of Hawaii will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, for her contributions to the promotion of mutual understanding between Japan and the United States, the advancement of the Hawaii’s Japanese American community and the improvement of the social status of Japanese American women in Hawaii. Mrs. Ariyoshi has been the First Lady of the State of Hawaii from 1973 for almost 13 years. Through her years of service, Mrs. Ariyoshi led many important community service projects and cultural and historical preservation projects. After leaving Washington Place, Mrs. Ariyoshi continued her commitment to volunteer work for various charitable organizations. From 1992 to 1997, Mrs. Ariyoshi initiated a project to help Japanese American women of Hamakua in the Big Island after the demise of the sugar plantations, by building a certified kitchen called the Hamakua Incubator Kitchen and Craft Center. In 1998, Mrs. Ariyoshi helped promote the Japanese American National Museum’s "Kona Coffee Story of the Japanese Immigrants" Exhibit which helped foster cultural and historical relations between Japan, Brazil, Hawaii, and the United States. From 2001 to 2007, Mrs. Ariyoshi sat on the board of the Bishop Museum. She worked on projects to preserve the history of Japanese immigrants to Hawaii and helped raise funds for the museum. From 2005 to 2011, Mrs. Ariyoshi served as a board member of the East West Center Foundation and supported the center’s art program and fund-raising efforts. Mrs. Ariyoshi particularly played a major role in promoting the Japanese art projects related to Japanese architecture, traditional dance and music. Moreover, since 1991, Mrs. Ariyoshi led Yushinkai which promotes Japanese culture through Chado (The Way of Tea) and as chair has helped Urasenke Hawaii organize many significant tea ceremonies throughout Hawaii. Mrs. Ariyoshi also helped and assisted the Noel Foundation of which she is a board member, to raise funds for the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and helped put together their charity event at the United Nations in 1990 to honor world women leaders.

●       Rev. Yoshiaki Fujitani, former president of BDK Sudatta Hawaii, former president of Hawaii Association of International Buddhists and the 11th Bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii will receive the Wooden Cup with the Chrysanthemum Crest for his contribution to the Japanese American Community in Hawaii. He has helped promote better understanding of Japanese Americans in Hawaii and also helped improve their social status. Rev. Fujitani served in WWII with the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Service (MIS). After the war, he studied at the University of Chicago and Kyoto University, and then returned to Hawaii to become a minister of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. As the administrator of the Mission’s English Department, Rev. Fujitani promoted religious services in English language. This allowed the Mission to spread the faith to Japanese Americans and others in the community who did not speak Japanese, hence deepening the understanding of the Buddhist faith in Hawaii. Rev. Fujitani also played a crucial role in promoting Bon Dance in Hawaii. Rev. Fujitani served as the Bishop of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii from 1975 to 1987. One of his greatest achievements is the establishment of the “Living Treasures of Hawaii” which recognizes and honors the cultural contributions of the people in Hawaii. After his retirement from the Mission in 1993, Rev. Fujitani continued to be an active Buddhist leader and served as the president of BDK Sudatta Hawaii from 1998 to 2009 and the president of Hawaii Association of International Buddhists in 2007. Through his services, Rev. Fujitani not only helped enhance exchange and cooperation among different sects within Buddhism, but also fostered dialogue and cooperation between other religions such as Christianity and Judaism. This helped promote Japanese culture, values and customs in Hawaii. In addition to his religious and educational achievements, Rev. Fujitani, a second generation Japanese American who served in the MIS, has actively shared his experience during WWII through many speaking and writing engagements. He has also been involved in various oral history programs to preserve the history of Japanese Americans immigrants to Hawaii. Rev. Fujitani still continues to give invocations at public events and is active in community service projects. Rev. Fujitani is a well known and respected face of the Japanese American community and has helped raise the reputation of Japanese Americans in Hawaii.

For information regarding Japan ’s decorations and medals, please refer to the website: 

http://www8.cao.go.jp/intro/kunsho/english/