TOKYO: Emperor Naruhito bestowed honors and medals on several foreign nationals earlier this month, including four recipients from Arab countries – three from Egypt and one from the United Arab Emirates.

The decorations were conferred at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, with Emperor Naruhito bestowing the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, while Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru handed out the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold, and Silver Star.

From the United Arab Emirates, former Foreign Minister Rashed Abdullah Alnuaimi received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun for his contributions to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting friendship between Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

Former Ambassador of Egypt to Japan Ayman Aly Kamel received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold, and Silver Star, for contributing to bilateral relations and promoting friendship between Japan and Egypt. Kamel is currently Egypt’s Ambassador to Slovakia.

The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, was presented to Mohamed Elsayed Omar Moussa, the Chairperson of Egypt’s Aikido Association, for promoting aikido in Egypt and friendship between Japan and Egypt.

The Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays, went to Ezzat Mohamed Sayed for his contributions to improving the social welfare of the Japanese community in Egypt and promoting friendship between Japan and Egypt. He is the External Relations Officer at the Japanese School in Cairo.

There were recipients from 46 different countries and regions. Altogether, a total of 3,987 individuals received decorations this autumn, including 439 women. Nearly half of those honored (1,866) were from the private sector.