Tsai Mao-feng (蔡茂豐) has been selected by the Japanese government to receive the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his contributions in the areas of culture and education.
Tsai, 71, who has been teaching the Japanese language in Taiwan for nearly 50 years, will be the first citizen to receive the prestigious citation since the two countries severed formal diplomatic relations in 1972.
The Japanese government regularly confers the Orders of the Rising Sun every spring and autumn to recognize individuals who have made extraordinary contributions in the areas of Japanese law, academics, medicine and athletics.
Tsai will be among 34 foreign nationals from 21 countries and areas to be cited with the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon.
A total of 4,057 Japanese citizens will be cited with one of the various levels of the Order of the Rising Sun at a presentation ceremony to be held at the Royal Palace in Tokyo on May 19.
A former Japanese supreme court judge will be the only recipient of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Paulownia Flowers -- the top honor. Japanese Emperor Akihito will confer the medal on the judge in person.
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will confer the Orders of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, the second highest of the orders, on recipients of this citation.
Other Orders of the Rising Sun, including the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon that Tsai will be receiving, will be conferred by various ministers at the presentation ceremony.
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