The Order of the Sacred Treasures (瑞宝章, Zuihōsho^?) is a Japanese Order (decoration), established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. It is awarded in 8 classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance). Generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service, and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit (hosho). Originally a male-only decoration, the order has been made available to women since 1919; it is awarded for both civil and military merit, though of a lesser degree than that required for the conferment of the Order of the Rising Sun. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously. An Order is a decoration, awarded by a government to an individual, usually for distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Emperor Mutsuhito Mutsuhito or Mitsuhito (睦仁), the Meiji Emperor (明治天皇, literally wise ruling heaven emperor) (3 November 1852–30 July 1912) was the 122nd Emperor of Japan. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun The Order of the Rising Sun or Kyokujitsu sho(旭日章) is a Japanese Order (decoration), established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ...

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The insignia of the order incorporates symbols for the three imperial treasures: the Yata Mirror, so sacred that not even the Emperor is allowed to look at it; the Yasakani Jewel, which is made of the finest jade; and the Emperor's personal Sword. ... A representation of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. ... Yata No Kagami the sacred mirror. ... Magatama Magatama(Japanese: 勾玉), are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jomon period. ... A selection of antique, hand-crafted Chinese jade (jadeite) buttons Unworked Jade Jade is used as an ornamental stone, the term jade is applied to two different rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals. ... Kusanagi-no-tsurugi (Japanese: 草薙の剣) is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japans history as Excalibur is to Britains. ...

The badge for the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth classes is a Maltese cross, in gilt (1st, 3rd and 4th classes), gilt and silver (5th class) and silver (6th class), with white enamelled rays (representing the sword). The central disc is blue, bearing an eight-pointed silver star (representing the mirror), surrounded by a wreath with red-enamelled dots (representing the jewel). The badge is suspended on a ribbon in light blue with a yellow stripe near the border, worn as a sash on the right shoulder by the 1st class, as a necklet by males of the 3rd class, on the left chest (the ribbon folded into a triangle) by the 4th to 6th classes (with a rosette for the 4th class). For ladies of the 3rd to 6th classes, the ribbon is in the form of a bow worn on the left shoulder (with a rosette for the 4th class). Maltese cross The insignia of a Serving Brother of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem The Maltese Cross is featured on the badge of the Bermuda Regiment, heir to the BVRC. Typical St. ... A gilt is any of the following: A thin covering of gold. ... Rosettes are small, circular devices that are presented with a medal. ... Rosettes are small, circular devices that are presented with a medal. ...

The star for the first and second classes is similar to the badge as described above, but effectively with two sets of Maltese cross, one in gilt and one placed diagonally in silver. It is worn on the left chest by the 1st class, on the right chest (without any other insignia) by the 2nd class. A gilt is any of the following: A thin covering of gold. ...

The badge of the seventh and eighth classes is an eight-pointed silver medal, partially gilded for the 7th class, with representations of just the mirror and the jewel. The badge is suspended on a ribbon, again in light blue with a yellow stripe near the border, worn by men on the left chest (the ribbon folded into a triangle). For ladies, the ribbon is in the form of a bow worn on the left shoulder. A gilded Tibetan Vajrasattva Gilding is the art of applying metal leaf (most commonly gold or silver leaf) to a surface. ...

The order after the 2003 reform

In 2003 the lowest two classes of the Order were abolished. Moreover, the badges of the Order will from now on be suspended from three white-enamelled paulownia leaves (not chrysanthemum leaves as the Decoration Bureau page claims). 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Species Between 6-17 species, including: Paulownia catalpifolia Paulownia elongata Paulownia fargesii Paulownia fortunei Paulownia kawakamii Paulownia taiwaniana Paulownia tomentosa Paulownia is a genus of between 6-17 species (depending on taxonomic authority) of plants in the monogeneric family Paulowniaceae, related to and sometimes included in the Scrophulariaceae. ... Species Chrysanthemum aphrodite Chrysanthemum arcticum Chrysanthemum argyrophyllum Chrysanthemum arisanense Chrysanthemum boreale Chrysanthemum chalchingolicum Chrysanthemum chanetii Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium Chrysanthemum crassum Chrysanthemum glabriusculum Chrysanthemum hypargyrum Chrysanthemum indicum Chrysanthemum japonense Chrysanthemum japonicum Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium Chrysanthemum mawii Chrysanthemum maximowiczii Chrysanthemum mongolicum Chrysanthemum morifolium Chrysanthemum morii Chrysanthemum okiense Chrysanthemum oreastrum Chrysanthemum ornatum Chrysanthemum pacificum Chrysanthemum...

See also

• Order of the Chrysanthemum
• Order of the Rising Sun
• Order of the Precious Crown
• Order of the Golden Kite
• Order of Culture
• Medals of Honor (Japan)

The Breast Star of the Order of the Chrysanthemum The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum (大勲位菊花章 daikuni kikkashō, literally Grand Order of the Badge of the Chrysanthemums) is Japans highest order. ... Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun The Order of the Rising Sun or Kyokujitsu sho(旭日章) is a Japanese Order (decoration), established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. ... The Order of the Precious Crown (宝冠章) is a Japanese Order (decoration), established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. ... The Order of the Golden Kite ) was a Japanese Order (decoration), established on 12 February 1889 by Emperor Meiji. ... The Order of Culture (文化勲章) is a Japanese Order (decoration), established on February 11, 1937. ... Since the late 19th Century, the Government of Japan has issued six different types of Medals of Honor (褒章 hosho) to individuals for achievements in various fields. ...

Known recipients

• 1st grade: James McNaughton Hester, Akio Morita, George Edward Gauntlett (Japanese name Ganto Tadashi), Otto Abetz,Eliezer Batista da Silva, Masaru Ibuka
• 2nd grade: Hugh Patrick, W. Edwards Deming, RADM William H. Rogers USN, Herbert W. Armstrong, George Edward Gauntlett, Eugene P. Wilkinson^[1]
• 3rd grade: Arthur Young (policeman), George Edward Gauntlett, Thomas Noguchi, Otsuma Kotaka, Kokichi Mikimoto, Tadahiro Sekimoto, Herbert Cyril Thacker, Charles Egbert Tuttle, Ifukube Akira, Eric Gascoigne Robinson, Leonard Pronko (Professor), Genzō Murakami
• 5th grade: Fujitaro Kubota
• 6th grade: Fukuyoshi Kanai (Totoro, Japan)

Dr. Hester was born 19 April 1924, in Chester, Pennsylvania, and spent his boyhood at various stations to which his father, a United States Navy Chaplain, was assigned, including Hawaii and Samoa. ... Akio Morita on the cover of his autobiography Made in Japan Akio Morita (盛田昭夫 Morita Akio, January 26, 1921 in Nagoya, Japan – October 3, 1999 in Tokyo) was a co-founder of Sony Corporation. ... Portrait of Otto Abetz Otto Abetz (May 26, 1903 – May 5, 1958) was the German ambassador to Vichy France during World War II. Abetz was born in Schwetzingen. ... Masaru Ibuka (April 11, 1908 in Nikko City, Japan - December 19, 1997 in Tokyo) was a Japanese electronics industrialist. ... William Edwards Deming (October 14, 1900 - December 20, 1993) was an American statistician, college professor, author, lecturer, and consultant. ... Herbert W. Armstrong (31 July 1892 – 16 January 1986) was the founder of the Worldwide Church of God and an early pioneer of radio evangelism, taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon. ... Eugene P. Wilkinson was a United States Naval officer who was selected for two historic command assignments. ... Colonel Sir Arthur Edwin Young, KBE, CMG, CVO, KPM (born 1907) was the Commissioner of the City of London Police in the United Kingdom from 1950 to 1971. ... Thomas T. Noguchi, born in 1926 in Japan, was the Chief Medical Examiner / Coroner for the County of Los Angeles from 1967 to 1982. ... Kokichi Mikimoto (御木本 幸吉 Mikimoto Kōkichi, March 10, 1858 – September 21, 1954) is the Japanese inventor of the cultured pearl. ... Tadahiro Sekimoto (関本忠弘 Sekimoto Tadahiro; November 14, 1926– ) is a Japanese electronics engineer, a recipient of the IEEE Medal of Honor (2004), chairman of Japans Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies (IISE), and former chairman of the Board of Councilors of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) who served... Major-General Herbert Cyril Thacker, CB CMG DSO (16 September 1870 – 2 June 1953) was a Canadian soldier and Chief of the General Staff, the head of the Canadian Army from 1927 until 1929. ... Charles Egbert Tuttle (1915 - 1993) was a U.S. publisher. ... Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭) (born 31 May 1914) is a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies. ... Eric Gascoigne Robinson (VC, OBE) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Genzō Murakami , March 14, 1910 – April 3, 2006) was a Japanese novelist who was born in Korea during its occupation by the Empire of Japan. ... View from a footbridge over one of the gardens many streams and ponds. ...

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 213th day of the year (214th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... San Ramon is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. ... OCLC Online Computer Library Center was founded in 1967 and originally named the Ohio College Library Center (OCLC). ...

External link

• Decoration Bureau page