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Person of Cultural Merit

Japanese recognition and honor

Person of Cultural Merit
Summary

Japanese recognition and honor

Award Ceremony for the Persons of Cultural Merit (November 6, 2023)

Person of Cultural Merit is an official Japanese recognition and honour which is awarded annually to select people who have made outstanding cultural contributions. This distinction is intended to play a role as a part of a system of support measures for the promotion of creative activities in Japan. By 1999, 576 people had been selected as Persons of Cultural Merit.

System of recognition

The Order of Culture and Persons of Cultural Merit function in tandem to honor those who have contributed to the advancement and development of Japanese culture in a variety of fields, including academia, arts, science and sports.

Persons of Cultural Merit

Certificate of the Person of Cultural Merit (for [[Maki Kawai]], November 3, 2021)

The 1951 Law on Pensions for the Persons of Cultural Merit honors persons of cultural merit by providing a special government-sponsored pension. Since 1955, the new honorees have been announced on the same day as the award ceremony for the Order of Culture.

Order of Culture

Main article: Order of Culture

The award ceremony, which takes place at the Imperial Palace on the Day of Culture (November 3). Candidates for the Order of Culture are selected from the Persons of Cultural Merit by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, who then recommends the candidates to the Prime Minister. The final decisions are made by the Cabinet.

Selected recipients

  • Makoto Asashima, developmental biologist
  • Seiji Ozawa, conductor
  • Hisao Domoto, abstract painter
  • Toru Funamura, composer
  • Toshi Ichiyanagi, composer
  • Akira Isogai, bio-organic chemistry researcher
  • Tota Kaneko, haiku poet
  • Asami Maki, choreographer
  • Kyoko Matsuoka, author and translator
  • Makoto Nagao, information engineering
  • Tomijuro Nakamura, Kabuki actor
  • Tatsuo Nishida, linguist
  • Man Nomura, Kyogen actor
  • Sayume Okuda, craftswoman
  • Hiroyuki Sakaki, electronic engineer
  • Koichi Shimoda, physicist
  • Kiichi Sumikawa, sculptor
  • Kenichi Tominaga, economic sociologist
  • Naoya Shiga (1951), author
  • Hideki Yukawa (1951), physicist
  • Masuji Ibuse (1966), author (for the work Black Rain)
  • Haruko Sugimura (1974), actress
  • Motoo Ōtaguro (1977), music critic
  • Susumu Tonegawa (1983), medical researcher
  • Hisaya Morishige (1984), actor
  • Fuku Akino (1991), Nihonga painter
  • Ryotaro Shiba (1991), writer
  • Isuzu Yamada (1993), actress
  • Migishi Setsuko (1994), painter
  • Jakucho Setouchi (1997), Buddhist nun and author
  • Mitsuko Mori (1998), actress
  • Koji Nakanishi (1999), chemist
  • Marius Berthus Jansen (1999), historian
  • Ito Masami (2000), judge
  • Ishimura Uzaemon XVII (2000), Kabuki actor
  • Shotaro Yasuoka (2001), writer
  • Donald Keene (2002), educator
  • Akira Ifukube (2003), composer
  • Shozo Shimada (2004), artist
  • Ken Takakura (2006), actor
  • Tatsuya Nakadai (2007), actor
  • Makoto Asashima (2008), biologist
  • Nakamura Tomijyuro V (2008), Kabuki actor
  • Taiho Koki (2009), sumo wrestler
  • Yoshihide Kozai (2009), astronomer
  • Sayuri Yoshinaga (2010), actress
  • Hideji Ōtaki (2011), actor
  • Matsumoto Kōshirō IX (2012), Kabuki actor
  • Hayao Miyazaki (2012), animator, filmmaker and manga artist
  • Shun'ichi Amari (2012), mathematician
  • Hiroko Takenishi (2012), author
  • Mitsumasa Anno (2012), artist, children's author
  • Keiji Morokuma (2012), theoretical and computational chemist
  • Nobutaka Hirokawa (2013), neuroscientist and cell biologist
  • Tamio Yamakawa (2014), biochemist
  • Tsuneko Okazaki (2015), molecular biologist
  • Tsumura Setsuko (2016), novelist
  • Nakamura Kichiemon II (2017), Kabuki actor
  • Mutsuo Takahashi (2017), poet
  • Hisashi Yamamoto (2018), chemist
  • Moto Hagio (2019), manga artist
  • Shigeru Miyamoto (2019), video game developer
  • Koichi Sugiyama (2020), composer
  • Nobuhiro Kiyotaki (2020), economist
  • Masatoshi Sakai (2020), record producer
  • Yoshiyuki Tomino (2021), anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist
  • Masako Nozawa (2025), voice actress

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.

References

  1. [[Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan)]]: [http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/hakusho/html/hpae200001/hpae200001_2_083.html ''Culture 2000''.]
  2. [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081029TDY01304.htm "Donald Keene, 7 others win Order of Culture,"] ''Yomiuri Shimbun.'' October 29, 2008. {{dead link. (May 2016)
  3. (2022-01-28). "「くまのパディントン」翻訳 児童文学者の松岡享子さん死去".
  4. (2015). "Ōtaguro kōen to wa". Hakone Ueki Landscape Construction Co., Ltd.
  5. Frängsmyr, Tore. (1993). [https://books.google.com/books?id=oR8hpcQwc2QC&dq=person+of+cultural+merit&pg=PA380 ''Nobel Lectures in Physiology or Medicine, 1981-1990,'' p. 380]
  6. (2001-10-12). "Obituary: Fuku Akino". The Japan Times Online.
  7. Shiba, Ryotaro. (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=b_7ZdfGzHFsC&dq=person+of+cultural+merit&pg=PT1 ''The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu,'' back cover notes.]
  8. "一宮市三岸節子記念美術館".
  9. (November 11, 2021). "(Update) Japanese Writer Jakucho Setouchi Dies at 99".
  10. (2002). "Japanese Literature Publishing Project (JLPP)". [[List of diplomatic missions of Switzerland.
  11. "伊福部昭音楽資料室". Town of Otofuke.
  12. (2011-01-04). "Kabuki actor Nakamura Tomijuro dies at 81". [[Japan Today]].
  13. (28 October 2009). "Rakugo storyteller Beicho Katsura, ex-Yokozuna Taiho among culture award winners". [[Mainichi Daily News]].
  14. "Hayao Miyazaki receives Person of Cultural Merit honor". Anime Anime Japan Ltd..
  15. Cui, Qiang. (2018-02-23). "Keiji Morokuma (1934–2017)". Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
  16. Bowman, Joel M.. (2018-02-01). "Keiji Morokuma". The Journal of Physical Chemistry A.
  17. "Morokuma Sensei bunka korosha".
  18. Suzuki, Kunihiko. (2019). "Obituary: Dr. Tamio Yamakawa (1921–2018)". Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B.
  19. {{in lang. link. (2016-03-15 isen.ac.jp, November 13, 2015)
  20. "平成28年度 文化功労者：文部科学省".
  21. "萩尾望都が2019年度の文化功労者に選出、マンガ家生活50年目の年に".
  22. "文化功労者 ゲームを日本文化の代表に 任天堂の宮本茂さん".
  23. Taylor, Haydn. (October 29, 2019). "Shigeru Miyamoto recognised with Japanese cultural award". [[GamesIndustry.biz]].
  24. "文化功労者の作曲家・すぎやまこういち氏「無冠の帝王を返上できる」".
  25. "Nobuhiro Kiyotaki".
  26. [https://news.wbs.co.jp/162003 音楽プロデューサーの酒井政利さん死去・有田市出身・85歳]. WBS (Wakayama Broadcasting System). 19 July 2021.
  27. [https://www.asahi.com/sp/articles/ASP7M4JV4P7MUCVL01D.html 酒井政利さん死去 百恵さんや郷ひろみさんの楽曲生む]. Asahi Shimbun Digital. 19 July 2021.
  28. (July 26, 2021). "Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino Honored as Person of Cultural Merit".
  29. (October 18, 2025). "王貞治さんら8人に文化勲章 野沢雅子さんは声優で初の文化功労者".
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