On April 29th (Japan Standard Time), the Government of Japan announced the recipients of its Spring 2009 Decorations. From our jurisdiction, the following four people will be awarded.

The recipients' meritorious service towards Japan is as follows:

Fred George Notehelfer
Professor Emeritus of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon

Dr. Fred Notehelfer was born to missionary parents in Tokyo in 1939 and spent most of his youth, including the war years, in Japan. After graduating from the American School in Japan, he went on to Harvard College, where he, under the influence of the late Dr. Edwin O. Reichauer, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, decided to pursue graduate study in Japanese history. He was such a passionate student that he even completed the full distance of the Fifty-three Stages of the Tokaido in Japan by foot to enrich his personal understanding. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1968, and came to the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught Japanese history for four decades until his retirement in 2008.

As the first Director of the UCLA Center for Japanese Study, Professor Notehelfer committed himself to develop UCLA as one of the core Japanese study sites in the United States, and he has made Japanese studies visible by enriching scholarly infrastructures and resources such as scholarships, faculty and library collections. The Center, since its inauguration in 1991 after the complicated era of Japan-U.S. relations in the 1980s, has played a crucial role of promoting sound academic understanding of not just Japan, but Japan-U.S. relations.

Professor Notehelfer has also contributed immensely to the institutionalization of overall Japanese studies locally and nationally. He is an organizer of the Southern California Japan Seminar, a major interdisciplinary academic network. He served as founding Co-Director of the USC-UCLA Joint Center for East Asian Studies, a National Resource Center for East Asian Language and Area Studies founded under the U.S. Department of Education.

Throughout his career, he has maintained an active relationship with Japan and has taken a lead in academic and cultural interactions and student exchange between Japan and the U.S. He was Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Study in Yokohama, Director of the University of California’s Education Abroad Center in Tokyo, and Cultural Correspondent for the Japan Foundation. He has also been a visiting professor at Kyoto University, Doshisha University, and International Christian University.

Professor Notehelfer’s research concentrates on the emergence of modern Japan in the 19th century and on the transformation of modern Japan in the 20th century. His major works include American Samurai: Captain L.L. Janes and Japan (Princeton, 1985); Japan Through American Eyes (Princeton, 1992) and Kotoku Shusui: Portrait of a Japanese Radical (Cambridge, 1971).

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Helen Michiyo Nakano
Vice President of the International Naginata Federation
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette

Ms. Helen Michiyo Nakano was born in Seattle, Washington. When she was eleven years old, Ms. Nakano and her family moved to Los Angeles, California. She graduated from Manual Arts High School and attended El Camino College in Torrance.

Ms. Nakano has contributed to international goodwill, and Japan-U.S. goodwill in particular, through the dissemination of naginata (long-handled sword), an ancient martial art of Japan.

With her efforts as a member of the formation commemoration committee, the International naginata Federation was established in 1990 in Japan. She has been vice president of the Federation since 2002. As a principle exponent of naginata in the United States, she was instrumental in introducing and spreading naginata to the global community. Throughout the years, she ensured that the Federation emphasized the training and guidance of younger generations, taking every opportunity through various international activities to promote the educational development of younger people in naginata. Through activities such as these, she greatly contributed to the promotion of international goodwill.

As co-founder of the United States Naginata Federation, Ms. Nakano has poured her energy into teaching naginata throughout the country and was instrumental in developing the Southern California Naginata Federation in 1974. She has served as president of the United States Naginata Federation and president of the Southern California Naginata Federation.

In the U.S., Ms. Nakano helped establish naginata dojos (practice halls) in Nebraska, Florida, and Arizona, where she stressed the training of the younger members. At these dojos, she, herself participates in training students. As one of naginata’s early pioneers in America, she consistently promoted naginata through friendly sports exchanges with Japan. She has been teaching naginata at El Camino College since 1998. It is the only college accredited naginata class in the U.S.

Ms. Nakano is an active member of many organizations, serving as the first female president of the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute in 1990 and continuing to serve on its board of directors. Through social and cultural activities, she selflessly promotes friendship between Japan and the U.S. through naginata. The Japanese American community holds Ms. Nakano in high esteem, not only for her contributions to society, but also for her gentle personality.

Taro Yokoyama, M.D., Ph.D.
Medical Director of Cardiac Surgery, Centinela Hospital Medical Center
The Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette

Dr. Taro Yokoyama was born in Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture, and received his Medical and Doctoral Degrees from Okayama University Medical School. While studying at Okayama University, he observed heart surgery using U.S. surgical techniques, which were entirely different from those being utilized in Japan at that time. The techniques he observed were more progressive, of a higher caliber, and he was deeply impressed. Feeling that if he learned the American cardiac surgery techniques he would be able to save a larger number of people, and was determined to go to the United States and study cardiovascular surgery. He became a research fellow at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1965. Afterwards he moved to Los Angeles, beginning in 1965, St. Vincent Medical Center was his base. Ever since then he has been extremely active in his work.

Dr. Yokoyama has generously shared his knowledge of cardiovascular surgery that he achieved after moving to the United States, through numerous research papers and demonstration lectures. Of special note, he has participated frequently in forums such as academic conferences, and has contributed greatly to the development of the field of cardiac surgery in Japan. Dr. Yokoyama has saved the lives of many patients with intractable heart conditions, from not only the United States, but from more than twenty countries, including Japan, who have received his surgical care and who depended on his high level of skill.

In addition, he has participated in the training of Cardiac Surgery Fellows who came from not only Japan, but other foreign countries to St. Vincent Medical Center, as well as the technical guidance of visiting physicians from throughout the United States, Japan and other countries of Asia, South America, and Europe. A large number of the Japanese physicians receiving his training are cardiac surgeons who later assumed leadership positions in influential institutions such as the Japan National Cardiovascular Center.

Recently, he established a program inviting Japanese medical students to St. Vincent Medical Center to observe cardiovascular surgery and the condition of patients following surgery, providing an opportunity for valuable hands-on training in advanced medical methods. Further, he has given lectures on invitation to numerous organizations such as the Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery, and has done live demonstrations via video satellite of the less invasive coronary bypass surgery, contributing to the advancement of cardiac surgery technology in Japan.

Shinji Abe
Former President of Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

Mr. Shinji Abe was born in Manchuria, graduated from Keio University, and joined Nissho (predecessor of Nissho Iwai Corp.; at present, Sojitz Corp.). He was in charge as a special steel sales manager, and worked at the New York office, Alloy Tool Steel Inc., - subsidiary of Nissho Iwai. Although at the time, Americans thought Japanese steel products were substandard, he made great efforts to expand exporting steels from Japan to the United States. After his retirement, he established Abe Bright America Inc. (currently, A&A Partners), a trading company mainly handling steel products. He also served as president and vice-president of Japanese Chamber of Commerce of Southern California (JCCSC) and successfully led the Japanese business and community advance towards new opportunities. Currently, he continues to join Japanese organizations in Southern California to help improve and develop the Japanese community, and welfare.

During Japan’s bubble burst economy, many Japanese companies withdrew from Southern California, result a decline in JCCSC members. During this time, Abe help adjust and progressed spectacularly despite budget reductions and dedicated his time by participating in many events and fundraising activities such as collecting donations for a large-scale disaster victims through its members and various communities. He also held events including, Samurai Parade in Little Tokyo, developing closer Japan-US cultural relations with numerous organizations.

With his outstanding contributions and dedication promoting network activities between Japanese community and local government in Los Angeles, he is highly respected by many, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.