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Person of Cultural Merit (文化功労者, bunka kōrōsha) 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.^[1]

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^[1] and sports.^[2]

Persons of Cultural Merit

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

Selected recipients

Makoto Asashima, developmental biologist^[2]
Seiji Ozawa, conductor^[2]
Hisao Domoto, abstract painter
Toru Funamura, composer^[2]
Toshi Ichiyanagi, composer^[2]
Akira Isogai, bio-organic chemistry researcher^[2]
Tota Kaneko, haiku poet^[2]
Asami Maki, choreographer^[2]
Kyoko Matsuoka, author and translator^[3]
Makoto Nagao, information engineering^[2]
Tomijuro Nakamura, Kabuki actor^[2]
Tatsuo Nishida, linguist^[2]
Man Nomura, Kyogen actor^[2]
Sayume Okuda, craftswoman^[2]
Hiroyuki Sakaki, electronic engineer^[2]
Koichi Shimoda, physicist^[2]
Kiichi Sumikawa, sculptor^[2]
Kenichi Tominaga, economic sociologist^[2]
Naoya Shiga (1951), author^[1]
Hideki Yukawa (1951), physicist^[1]
Masuji Ibuse (1966), author (for the work Black Rain).
Haruko Sugimura (1974), actress
Motoo Ōtaguro (1977), music critic^[4]
Susumu Tonegawa (1983), medical researcher^[5]
Hisaya Morishige (1984), actor
Fuku Akino (1991), Nihonga painter^[6]
Ryotaro Shiba (1991), writer^[7]
Isuzu Yamada (1993), actress
Migishi Setsuko (1994), painter^[8]
Jakucho Setouchi (1997), Buddhist nun and author^[9]
Mitsuko Mori (1998), actress
Koji Nakanishi (1999), chemist
Marius Berthus Jansen (1999), historian^[1]
Ito Masami (2000), judge^[1]
Ishimura Uzaemon XVII (2000), Kabuki actor^[1]
Shotaro Yasuoka (2001), writer^[10]
Donald Keene (2002), educator^[2]
Akira Ifukube (2003), composer^[11]
Shozo Shimada (2004), artist
Ken Takakura (2006), actor
Tatsuya Nakadai (2007), actor
Makoto Asashima (2008), biologist
Nakamura Tomijyuro V (2008), Kabuki actor^[12]
Taiho Koki (2009), sumo wrestler^[13]
Yoshihide Kozai (2009), astronomer
Sayuri Yoshinaga (2010), actress
Hideji Ōtaki (2011), actor
Matsumoto Kōshirō IX (2012), Kabuki actor
Hayao Miyazaki (2012), film director, animator, manga artist, producer, and screenwriter^[14]
Shun'ichi Amari (2012), mathematician
Hiroko Takenishi (2012), author
Mitsumasa Anno (2012), artist, children's author
Keiji Morokuma (2012), theoretical and computational chemist^[15]^[16]^[17]
Nobutaka Hirokawa (2013), neuroscientist and cell biologist
Tamio Yamakawa (2014), biochemist^[18]
Tsuneko Okazaki (2015), molecular biologist^[19]
Tsumura Setsuko (2016), novelist^[20]
Nakamura Kichiemon II (2017), Kabuki actor
Mutsuo Takahashi (2017), poet
Hisashi Yamamoto (2018), chemist
Moto Hagio (2019), manga artist^[21]
Shigeru Miyamoto (2019), video game developer^[22]^[23]
Koichi Sugiyama (2020), composer^[24]
Nobuhiro Kiyotaki (2020), economist^[25]
Masatoshi Sakai (2020), record producer^[26]^[27]
Yoshiyuki Tomino (2021), Mecha anime creator, animator, songwriter, director, screenwriter, novelist^[28]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan): Culture 2000.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r "Donald Keene, 7 others win Order of Culture," Yomiuri Shimbun. October 29, 2008. ^{[dead link‍]}
^ "「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". Sankei News (in Japanese). 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
^ "Ōtaguro kōen to wa" 大田黒公園とは [What is Ōtaguro Park?] (in Japanese). Hakone Ueki Landscape Construction Co., Ltd. 2015. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
^ Frängsmyr, Tore. (1993). Nobel Lectures in Physiology or Medicine, 1981-1990, p. 380
^ "Obituary: Fuku Akino". The Japan Times Online. 2001-10-12. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
^ Shiba, Ryotaro. (2004). The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, back cover notes.
^ "一宮市三岸節子記念美術館". s-migishi.com. Retrieved 2019-01-07.
^ "(Update) Japanese Writer Jakucho Setouchi Dies at 99". Jiji Press English News Service. November 11, 2021. ProQuest 2596086590. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
^ "Japanese Literature Publishing Project (JLPP)". Japanische Botschaft in der Schweiz. 2002. Archived from the original on July 21, 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-06.
^ "伊福部昭音楽資料室" [Akira Ifukube Music Library]. Town of Otofuke. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
^ "Kabuki actor Nakamura Tomijuro dies at 81". Japan Today. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-02-03.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ "Rakugo storyteller Beicho Katsura, ex-Yokozuna Taiho among culture award winners". Mainichi Daily News. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
^ "Hayao Miyazaki receives Person of Cultural Merit honor". The Asahi Shimbun. Anime Anime Japan Ltd. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
^ Cui, Qiang; Irle, Stephan; Musaev, Jamal (2018-02-23). "Keiji Morokuma (1934–2017)". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 57 (9): 2288–2289. doi:10.1002/anie.201800390. ISSN 1433-7851.
^ Bowman, Joel M.; Musaev, Jamal; Nakatsuji, Hiroshi (2018-02-01). "Keiji Morokuma". The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 122 (4): 880–881. doi:10.1021/acs.jpca.8b00070. ISSN 1089-5639.
^ "Morokuma Sensei bunka korosha". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-07-26.
^ Suzuki, Kunihiko (2019). "Obituary: Dr. Tamio Yamakawa (1921–2018)". Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B. 95 (2): 86–87. doi:10.2183/pjab.95.008. PMC 6403434.
^ (in Japanese)T.O.L.講義：2015度の文化功労者に選ばれた、名古屋大学名誉教授　岡崎恒子先生による特別講義を実施しました！ Archived 2016-03-15 at archive.today isen.ac.jp, November 13, 2015
^ "平成28年度文化功労者：文部科学省". www.mext.go.jp. Retrieved 2019-10-23.
^ "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". natalie.mu. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
^ "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". www.sankei.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
^ Taylor, Haydn (October 29, 2019). "Shigeru Miyamoto recognised with Japanese cultural award". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved October 29, 2019.
^ "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」". ライブドアニュース.
^ "Nobuhiro Kiyotaki". www.princeton.edu.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ "Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino Honored as Person of Cultural Merit". Gundam News. July 26, 2021.

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. ISBN 978-1-890974-09-1

External links

Japan, Cabinet Office: Decorations and Medals in Japan
- Decoration Bureau: Order of Culture
Japan Mint: Production Process

[mext1-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan): Culture 2000.

[yomiuri2008-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r "Donald Keene, 7 others win Order of Culture," Yomiuri Shimbun. October 29, 2008. ^{[dead link‍]}

[:0-3] "「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". Sankei News (in Japanese). 2022-01-28. Retrieved 2022-12-13.

[4] "Ōtaguro kōen to wa" 大田黒公園とは [What is Ōtaguro Park?] (in Japanese). Hakone Ueki Landscape Construction Co., Ltd. 2015. Retrieved 2021-12-27.

[5] Frängsmyr, Tore. (1993). Nobel Lectures in Physiology or Medicine, 1981-1990, p. 380

[6] "Obituary: Fuku Akino". The Japan Times Online. 2001-10-12. ISSN 0447-5763. Retrieved 2019-12-11.

[7] Shiba, Ryotaro. (2004). The Last Shogun: The Life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, back cover notes.

[8] "一宮市三岸節子記念美術館". s-migishi.com. Retrieved 2019-01-07.

[Jiji_11-11-2021-9] "(Update) Japanese Writer Jakucho Setouchi Dies at 99". Jiji Press English News Service. November 11, 2021. ProQuest 2596086590. Retrieved 27 November 2021.

[10] "Japanese Literature Publishing Project (JLPP)". Japanische Botschaft in der Schweiz. 2002. Archived from the original on July 21, 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-06.

[11] "伊福部昭音楽資料室" [Akira Ifukube Music Library]. Town of Otofuke. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2023.

[jtoday-12] "Kabuki actor Nakamura Tomijuro dies at 81". Japan Today. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-02-03.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[13] "Rakugo storyteller Beicho Katsura, ex-Yokozuna Taiho among culture award winners". Mainichi Daily News. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2009-11-10.

[asahi1-14] "Hayao Miyazaki receives Person of Cultural Merit honor". The Asahi Shimbun. Anime Anime Japan Ltd. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 8 September 2013.

[15] Cui, Qiang; Irle, Stephan; Musaev, Jamal (2018-02-23). "Keiji Morokuma (1934–2017)". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 57 (9): 2288–2289. doi:10.1002/anie.201800390. ISSN 1433-7851.

[16] Bowman, Joel M.; Musaev, Jamal; Nakatsuji, Hiroshi (2018-02-01). "Keiji Morokuma". The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 122 (4): 880–881. doi:10.1021/acs.jpca.8b00070. ISSN 1089-5639.

[17] "Morokuma Sensei bunka korosha". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-07-26.

[18] Suzuki, Kunihiko (2019). "Obituary: Dr. Tamio Yamakawa (1921–2018)". Proceedings of the Japan Academy, Series B. 95 (2): 86–87. doi:10.2183/pjab.95.008. PMC 6403434.

[19] (in Japanese)T.O.L.講義：2015度の文化功労者に選ばれた、名古屋大学名誉教授　岡崎恒子先生による特別講義を実施しました！ Archived 2016-03-15 at archive.today isen.ac.jp, November 13, 2015

[20] "平成28年度文化功労者：文部科学省". www.mext.go.jp. Retrieved 2019-10-23.

[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". natalie.mu. Retrieved 2019-10-29.

[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". www.sankei.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.

[23] Taylor, Haydn (October 29, 2019). "Shigeru Miyamoto recognised with Japanese cultural award". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved October 29, 2019.

[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」". ライブドアニュース.

[25] "Nobuhiro Kiyotaki". www.princeton.edu.

[26] 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] 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] "Gundam Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino Honored as Person of Cultural Merit". Gundam News. July 26, 2021.

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Person of Cultural Merit