First Japanese resident in PNG recognised

National

THE Japanese government has recognised 91-year-old Japanese national and Papua New Guinea resident Shizuka Kawabata in the 2017 Fall Imperial Decorations.
Kawabata is among is among 51 recipients, who will receive a decoration.
He will receive The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays on Wednesday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and will have an opportunity to have an audience with the emperor later at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
The bestowal of the decoration represents a gesture of gratitude for his substantial acts in supporting the recovery and repatriation mission of the Japanese war dead and coordinating memorial services for more than 30 years.
He is the first Japanese resident in PNG to receive a decoration.