COURTESY PHOTO
Japanese General Consul Misawa presented the award to HJCC President Wayne Ishihara at the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu.
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Wayne Ishihara, president of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, has been awarded the prestigious Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays.
The Japanese government Tuesday awarded Ishihara with the honor for his many years of contributions toward promoting economic ties and mutual understanding between the United States and Japan.
“I’m very honored to get it,” Ishihara said about receiving the award. “It’s limited to very few people, and what it tells me is that the focus of my attention, which has been in the U.S.-Japan relations development area, has been recognized. And I am very honored and humbled to be able to be recognized for my efforts in this area.”
Ishihara, former American Savings Bank senior vice president for operations, was appointed president of the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce in 2009.
Ishihara coordinated business support and disaster relief after the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in 2011 and the Hiroshima earthquake in 2014. He also organized fundraising efforts for the Sadako crane exhibit at the World War II Valor of the Pacific National Monument at Pearl Harbor.
“Our business community in Hawaii has been enriched and strengthened by Wayne’s fostering of cross-cultural communications and business exchange with Japan,” Dave Erdman, board chairman at the Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce, said in a news release. “As a respected business leader in both Hawaii and Japan who understands both cultures, Wayne truly deserves this distinguished award that recognizes his advocacy for strong U.S. (Hawaii)-Japan relations.”
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays is considered Japan’s highest civilian award.