Order of the Chrysanthemum
The Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
Apart from the Imperial Family, only seven Japanese citizens have ever been decorated with the collar in their lifetimes; the last such award was to former prime minister Saionji Kinmochi in 1928. Eight others have been posthumously decorated with the collar; the last such award was to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022. Today, only the reigning Emperor holds this dignity as sovereign of the order; however, exceptions are made for foreign heads of state, who can be awarded the collar in friendship.
The grand cordon is the highest possible honour a Japanese citizen can be awarded during their lifetime. Aside from members of the Imperial Family, 53 Japanese citizens have been decorated with the grand cordon; of these, only 23 were living at the time of receipt.
Insignia
The collar of the order is made of gold, and features the kanji for "Meiji", in classic form, indicating the era of the order's establishment. It is decorated with gold chrysanthemum blossoms and green-enameled leaves.The sash of the grand cordon of the order is red with dark blue border stripes. It is worn on the right shoulder.
The star of the order is similar to the badge, but in silver, without the chrysanthemum suspension, and with an eight-pointed gilt medallion placed at the center. It is worn on the left chest.
The badge of the order is a four-pointed gilt badge with white-enameled rays; the center bears a red enameled sun disc. On each of the four corners of the badge is a yellow-enameled chrysanthemum blossom with green-enameled chrysanthemum leaves. The badge is suspended on a yellow-enameled chrysanthemum, either on the collar or on the grand cordon.
Grades
Sovereigns
- Emperor Meiji
- Emperor Taishō
- Emperor Shōwa
- Emperor Akihito
- Emperor Naruhito
Awards of the Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum to members of the Imperial Family
Awards made to imperial princes while living
- Prince Komatsu Akihito
- Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
- Prince Kan'in Kotohito
- Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
- Prince Nashimoto Morimasa
Posthumous awards to imperial princes
- Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
- Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
- Prince Arisugawa Takehito
- Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito
- Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni
Awards of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum to members of the Imperial Family
Awards made to imperial princes while living
- Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
- Prince Komatsu Akihito
- Prince Arisugawa Takahito
- Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa
- Prince Arisugawa Takehito
- Prince Kuni
- Prince Fushimi Sadanaru
- Prince Yamashina Akira
- Prince Kan'in Kotohito
- Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito
- Prince Kaya Kuninori
- Prince Kuni Kuniyoshi
- Prince Yamashina Kikumaro
- Prince Nashimoto Morimasa
- Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu
- Prince Arisugawa Tanehito
- Prince Takeda Tsunehisa
- Prince Asaka Yasuhiko
- Prince Kuni Taka
- Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa
- Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko
- Prince Chichibu
- Prince Kachō Hirotada
- Prince Takamatsu
- Prince Fushimi Hiroyoshi
- Prince Kaya Tsunenori
- Prince Kuni Asaakira
- Prince Kan'in Haruhito
- Prince Mikasa
- Prince Takeda Tsuneyoshi
- Prince Asaka Takahiko
- Prince Hitachi
- Prince Tomohito of Mikasa
- Prince Katsura
- Prince Takamado
- Crown Prince Naruhito
- Prince Akishino
- Prince Hisahito of Akishino
Posthumous awards to imperial princes
- Prince Kitashirakawa Nagahisa
Ordinary awards of the Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
Awards made to living individuals
- Itō Hirobumi
- Ōyama Iwao
- Yamagata Aritomo
- Katsura Tarō
- Matsukata Masayoshi
- Tōgō Heihachirō
- Saionji Kinmochi
Posthumous awards
- Inoue Kaoru
- Tokudaiji Sanetsune
- Ōkuma Shigenobu
- Yamamoto Gonbee
- Shigeru Yoshida
- Eisaku Satō
- Yasuhiro Nakasone
- Shinzō Abe *
Ordinary awards of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
Awards made to living recipients
- Sanjō Sanetomi
- Iwakura Tomomi
- Shimazu Hisamitsu
- Nakayama Tadayasu
- Itō Hirobumi *
- Kujō Michitaka
- Ōyama Iwao *
- Saigō Tsugumichi
- Yamagata Aritomo *
- Inoue Kaoru ⁑
- Katsura Tarō ⁑
- Tōgō Heihachirō *
- Tokudaiji Sanetsune ⁑
- Matsukata Masayoshi *
- Nozu Michitsura
- Itō Sukeyuki
- Ōkuma Shigenobu ⁑
- Saionji Kinmochi *
- Ye Wanyong,
- Oku Yasukata
- Yamamoto Gonbee ⁑
- Shigeru Yoshida ⁑
- Eisaku Satō ⁑
- Yasuhiro Nakasone ⁑
Posthumous awards
- Kuroda Kiyotaka
- Terauchi Masatake
- Hara Takashi
- Kabayama Sukenori
- Katō Tomosaburō
- Hasegawa Yoshimichi
- Katō Takaaki
- Kawamura Kageaki
- Inoue Yoshika
- Uehara Yūsaku
- Saitō Makoto
- Takahashi Korekiyo
- Tokugawa Iesato
- Kaneko Kentarō
- Kiyoura Keigo
- Isoroku Yamamoto
- Ichiki Kitokurō
- Ichirō Hatoyama
- Hayato Ikeda
- Kōtarō Tanaka
- Masayoshi Ōhira
- Nobusuke Kishi
- Takeo Miki
- Takeo Fukuda
- Keizō Obuchi
- Noboru Takeshita
- Zenkō Suzuki
- Ryūtarō Hashimoto
- Toshiki Kaifu
- Shinzō Abe *
Foreign recipients of the Order of the Chrysanthemum