2023 Autumn Conferment of Decorations (Mr. Thomas Kevin Ikeda, Densho Founder)

On November 3, 2023 (JST), the Government of Japan announced that Mr. Thomas Kevin Ikeda, Densho Founder, has been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, in recognition of his contributions in promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.

Decoration: Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays
Service: Contributed to promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States
Major Titles: 
Densho Founder

Summary of Contributions:
In 1996, Mr. Ikeda founded Densho to record and digitize firsthand accounts of the lives and experiences of first- and second-generation Japanese and Japanese Americans who lived in the U.S. before and during WWII, and to preserve those accounts as historical documents for future generations. Serving as Executive Director for 27 years after its founding, Mr. Ikeda played a central role in the organization's activities, contributing significantly to the preservation and understanding of the history of Japanese American immigrants in the United States.

Through his many contributions in promoting historical preservation and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States, Mr. Ikeda has made an invaluable and lasting impact on Japan-U.S. relations.