A ceremony was held at the Imperial Palace to award the medals to those who received the Grand Cordon of the Spring Honours.
Five people received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, including Takuya Okada, honorary chairman of AEON, a major distribution company, and Masayuki Ikegami, a former Supreme Court justice.
The "Zuiho Grand Chon" was awarded to two people, including Mr. Shigeru Iwasaki, who served as the top Joint Staff Chief of the Self-Defense Forces.
In addition, former Foreign Minister Romulo of the Philippines and others received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
The ceremony was held at 5:2 a.m. in the "Pine Room" of the Imperial Palace, and each person was presented with a medal by His Majesty the Emperor.
Next, on behalf of the recipients, Mr. Okada gave a greeting saying, "I am determined to continue to devote myself even more in each field."
In response, His Majesty the Emperor said, "I would like to express my deep gratitude for your many years of hard work in your duties and for the country and society and the people," and then spoke in English.
He then walked up to each of the recipients and said, "Please take care of your body and be well."
According to his aides, this was the first time for the Emperor to speak the words of the ceremony in English, and it seems that consideration was given to the presence of foreign recipients.
After this, the recipients wore medals and took a commemorative photo in front of the palace.