Vice President Joe Biden and a room full of luminaries including Sens. Dianne Feinstein, Patrick Leahy and Jay Rockefeller gathered Monday night at the residence of the Japanese ambassador to watch Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki bestow the prestigious Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers upon Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. A declaration, signed by the Japanese emperor, was read as the senator was draped with a scarlet sash and gold medallion.
In 1888, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers was established as the highest award in the Orders of the Rising Sun. Today, this is the highest honor given to non-Japanese citizens.
The Government of Japan recognized Inouye’s substantial and unparalleled contributions to the improvement of goodwill and understanding between Japan and the United States. On June 18, 2011, the Government of Japan announced Chairman Inouye of the Appropriations Committee and of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee as the recipient of this honor. Inouye is the seventh American to receive this award and the first of Japanese descent.
As a World War II veteran, Inouye’s other decorations include the Purple Heart and Medal of Honor, our country’s highest award conferred upon a member of the U.S. Military for extraordinary action.
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