Japan Emperor awards former Vietnam PM noble Rising Sun Order

According to Japanese media, Emperor Naruhito presented Grand Cordon orders to 13 recipients during the ceremony.

Former PM Chinh was one of two foreign nationals honored that morning.

The Japanese government announced its decision to confer the decorations on November 3.

According to a list released by the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, six Vietnamese citizens were among this year’s recipients, including former Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and former Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung.

The Japanese Embassy said former PM Chinh had made dedicated contributions during his tenure as prime minister to elevating Vietnam-Japan relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023.

He also worked to translate the new bilateral framework into concrete cooperation and accelerate the implementation of joint projects, helping deliver tangible results, the embassy said.

The embassy also highlighted three dialogues the former PM held with Japanese businesses from March 2025 to March 2026.

Those meetings helped address difficulties facing Japanese companies operating in Vietnam and improved the investment environment.

Former Deputy PM Dung received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

According to the Japanese side, since becoming minister of planning and investment in 2016, Dung had continuously served as co-chair of the Japan-Vietnam Joint Initiative.

He also worked with the Japan Business Federation, known as Keidanren, and the Japanese government to chair major conferences aimed at improving Vietnam’s investment climate and resolving difficulties encountered by Japanese businesses in the country.

The Order of the Rising Sun dates back nearly 150 years to the reign of Emperor Meiji.

It comprises several classes, each with its own designation and insignia.

The Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun is its highest class.

Japan has awarded decorations of various classes to Vietnamese individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to bilateral relations.

Most recently, during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to Vietnam in May this year, the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun was formally presented to former Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.