Peter Maurer, former president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, is among the 103 foreigners recognized in this year's fall decorations for their notable contributions to Japan, the government said Friday.
Maurer, 66, a Swiss diplomat who served as the head of the ICRC from 2012 to 2022, will be bestowed with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, the highest honor to be conferred in the fall commendations.
During his presidency, Maurer met with atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and prioritized strengthening humanitarian diplomacy.
Maurer said he was surprised, but honored, to receive a decoration from Japan that holds a special and significant meaning.
The foreign recipients hail from 54 countries and regions, with 27 of them women.
Four other foreigners besides Maurer will be granted the highest honor, including Thomas Daschle, 75, one of the longest serving U.S. Senate Democratic leaders in history, and Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, 69, former chairwoman of the National Assembly of Vietnam.
Noer Hassan Wirajuda, 75, and Abdulaziz Kamilov, 75, former foreign ministers of Indonesia and Uzbekistan, respectively, will also receive the highest honor.
Meanwhile, Richard Haass, 72, president emeritus of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, will be among those receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.
A total of 4,075 individuals will be recognized this fall, with women accounting for 411, or 10 percent, and 1,913, or 47 percent, from the private sector.
Among Japanese recipients, Toshizo Ido, 78, a former governor of Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan, will be bestowed with the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
Composer Joe Hisaishi, 72, famed for writing the music for Studio Ghibli films, is among those set to receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
Yoshitaka Akimoto, 70, former grand master of the ceremonies at the Imperial Household Agency, and Teruhiko Kawato, 70, former president of the Board of Audit of Japan, are the two recipients this fall of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure, an order awarded to civil servants for their long-term contributions.
The decorations will be conferred at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo next Wednesday, with Emperor Naruhito bestowing the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will hand out the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star.
