The Japanese government yesterday decorated a Taiwanese writer of tanka, a genre of classical Japanese poetry, in recognition of his efforts to promote bilateral cultural exchanges, at a ceremony in Taipei.
Tsai Kun-tsan (蔡焜燦) received a citation from Japanese Representative to Taiwan Sumio Tarui, and was later awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, by Japan’s Deputy Representative to Taiwan Izuru Hanaki.
Tarui praised Tsai’s efforts to promote Japanese culture in Taiwan over the past decades and said he hopes the poet’s group will continue to help increase understanding of Japanese poetry.
When Japan was struck by a magnitude 9 earthquake and ensuing tsunami in 2011, a tanka group led by Tsai wrote a poem in memory of the people killed in the disaster and in support of Japan, Tarui said during the ceremony at the Taipei Office of Japan’s Interchange Association.
Tsai said he was honored and very grateful to receive such recognition.
Tsai is one of four Taiwanese recognized by Japan this year for their contributions to promoting exchanges, according to the Interchange Association.
The other three are Liao I-chiu (廖一久), Wu Jin-pu (吳金璞) and Cheng Cheng-hsiu (鄭正秀), who have made cultural or social contributions to the development of ties between Taiwan and Japan.
Liao, a fellow at Academia Sinica, is to be granted the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, in recognition of his efforts to promote bilateral exchanges in the aquaculture industry, the association said.
Wu is a kendo master who has played a significant role in the development of that form of Japanese martial arts.
He has been teaching kendo for about three decades, the association said.
Cheng, a Taiwanese living in Japan, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, in recognition of his work of caring for Japanese children with disabilities for many years.
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