"The Sign of the Chrysanthemum The Sign of the Chrysanthemum is a 1973 work of literature that was the first published work by the American novelist Katherine Paterson. The novel is set in 12th century Japan and tells the story of Muna, a 14-year-old who searches for his long-absent father following his mother’s death. Muna has never seen his father and only knows that he has a chrysanthemum tattoo on his shoulder. He meets a likable ronin named Takanobu on a ship, which Muna was hiding on. Later on, after Muna and Takanobu leave the ship, they are in the"
"Order of the Chrysanthemum Apart from the Imperial Family, only six 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. Seven others have been posthumously decorated with the collar; the last such award was to former Prime Minister Sato Eisaku in 1975. 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"
"their field, development in welfare or preservation of the environment. Prior to the end of World War II, it was also awarded for exemplary military service. Beginning in 2003, the two lowest rankings (7th and 8th classes) for the Order of the Rising Sun were abolished, with the highest degree becoming a separate order known as the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, with the single rank of Grand Cordon. While it is the third highest order bestowed by the Japanese government, it is however generally the highest ordinarily conferred order. The highest Japanese order, the Order of the Chrysanthemum, is"
"Order of the Paulownia Flowers The is an order presented by the Japanese government. Established in 1888 during the Meiji Restoration as the highest award in the Order of the Rising Sun; however, since 2003 it has been an Order in its own right. The only grade of the order is , which ranks higher than the Order of the Rising Sun but lower than the Order of the Chrysanthemum. Traditionally, the order has been conferred upon eminent statesmen, former prime ministers and senior cabinet ministers, diplomats and judges. It may be conferred posthumously, and is the highest regularly conferred"
"Grand Order of Mugunghwa The Grand Order of Mugunghwa () is the highest order awarded by the government of South Korea. It is awarded to the President of South Korea, and it may be awarded to their spouse, heads or former heads of state of South Korean allies, and their spouses. The order is presented for, ""Outstanding meritorious services in the interest of promoting the development and security of the Republic of Korea."" The Grand Order of Mugunghwa takes its name from South Korea's national flower, the rose of Sharon. The rose of Sharon is a cultivar native to the"
"Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation The Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (French: ""Ordre suprême de la Très Sainte Annonciade"", Italian: ""Ordine Supremo della Santissima Annunziata"") is a Roman Catholic order of knighthood, originating in Savoy. It eventually was the pinnacle of the honours system in the Kingdom of Italy, which ceased to be a national order when the kingdom became a republic in 1946. Today, the order continues as a dynastic order under the jurisdiction of the Head of the House of Savoy, Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, who is the order's hereditary Sovereign and Grand"
"Supreme Order of Christ The Supreme Order of Christ () is the highest order of chivalry awarded by the Pope. According to some scholars it owes its origin to the same Order of Christ of the Knights Templar, from which came the Order of Christ that was awarded by the Kings of Portugal and the Emperors of Brazil. The Portuguese order had originally both a secular and religious component; by the 18th century, the religious component had died out. The papacy insisted that the right of the Portuguese monarchs to award the honour had been granted by a pope in"
"Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: Ordinul Steaua României) is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five ranks, from lowest to the highest: Officer, Commander, Grand Officer, Grand Cross, and Grand Cross with Collar. In 1863, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the Domnitor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, asked the Romanian representative to Paris to contact the then well-known jewellery house Krétly, to manufacture a state decoration. Krétly presented a"
"Order of Friendship (China) The Order of Friendship (Chinese: 友谊勋章, ""pinyin: yǒuyì xūnzhāng"") is the People's Republic of China's highest order of honour. On December 27th, 2015, the National People's Congress passed a law establishing two national orders, the Order of Republic and the Order of Friendship, constituted on January 1st, 2016. The Order of Friendship set up by the State shall be bestowed on foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization, the promotion of exchange and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and the protection of world peace. The first Order of Friendship was awarded by"
"reserved for heads of state or royalty, while the second highest order, the Order of the Paulownia Flowers, is mostly reserved for politicians. The modern version of this honour has been conferred on non-Japanese recipients beginning in 1981 (although several foreigners were given the honor before World War II); and women were awarded the Order starting in 2003 (previously, women were awarded the Order of the Precious Crown). The awarding of the Order is administered by the Decoration Bureau of the Cabinet Office headed by the Prime Minister. It is awarded in the name of the Emperor and can be"
"President Xi Jinping to Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, on June 8, 2018. Order of Friendship (China) The Order of Friendship (Chinese: 友谊勋章, ""pinyin: yǒuyì xūnzhāng"") is the People's Republic of China's highest order of honour. On December 27th, 2015, the National People's Congress passed a law establishing two national orders, the Order of Republic and the Order of Friendship, constituted on January 1st, 2016. The Order of Friendship set up by the State shall be bestowed on foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization, the promotion of exchange and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and"
"Realms, the Order of Merit is the highest civilian honour. Canada has the Order of Canada and provincial orders such as the Order of Nova Scotia. Australia has the Order of Australia, and New Zealand awards the Order of New Zealand and the New Zealand Order of Merit. The Order of Mapungubwe is the highest honour in South Africa, while the Orders of Luthuli, and the Baobab exist alongside other decorations. The United States awards the Medal of Honor to members of its military for acts of valour, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal to"
"chrysanthemum suspension, and with an eight-pointed gilt medallion (with white-enamelled rays and red-enamelled sun disc) placed at the centre. It is worn on the left chest. The ""badge"" of the order is a four-pointed gilt badge with white-enamelled rays; the centre bears a red enamelled sun disc. On each of the four corners of the badge is a yellow-enamelled chrysanthemum blossom with green-enamelled chrysanthemum leaves. The badge is suspended on a yellow-enamelled chrysanthemum, either on the collar or on the grand cordon. ""Information from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia"" ""Information from the corresponding article in the Japanese Wikipedia"""
"Honorary Order of the Yellow Star The Honorary Order of the Yellow Star (Dutch: ""Ere-Orde van de Gele Ster"") is the highest state decoration of the Republic of Suriname. The Order was instituted in 1975 at the independence of Suriname and replaced the Dutch Order of the Netherlands Lion. It is awarded to individuals for their meritorious service to the Surinamese people or nation. Foreigners are also eligible to receive the order. The president of Suriname is the Grand Master of the order. The Honorary Order of the Yellow Star is issued in five classes, plus two medals: The president"
"Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Equatorial Guinea, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Georgia, Ghana, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Libya, Lebanon, Mexico, Madagascar, the Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Nigeria, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Poland, Portugal, the People's Republic of China, Pakistan, the State of Palestine, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, South Korea, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Tunisia, United"
"Most Noble Order of the Crown of Siam. The Orders has been awarded with Order of the White Elephant. The Order consists of eight classes: Order of the Crown of Thailand The Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (; ) is a Thai order, established in 1869 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam (now Thailand) for Thais, the royal family, governmental employees, and foreign dignitaries for their outstanding services to the Kingdom of Thailand. The order originally had seven classes. The special class was added by King Rama VI in 1918. The Sovereign Grand Master"
"commemorate very special occasions at which the Pope himself was present. It has rarely been awarded since; the last award was made by Pope John Paul II in 1987 to Frà Angelo de Mojana, 77th Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. With the death of King Baudouin of the Belgians in 1993 there are no living members of the Order of Christ. In ecclesiastical heraldry, individuals awarded this Order may depict a Collar completely encircling the shield on their coat of arms. Supreme Order of Christ The Supreme Order of Christ () is the highest"
"Order of the Union of Burma The Order of the Union of Burma ( ) is the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the government of Myanmar (also known as Burma). The order was founded on 2 September 1948 as a replacement for the British Order of Burma. The original order had been founded by Royal Warrant on 10 May 1940. The title ""Pyidaungsu Sithu Thingaha"" may be used by the awardee. The Order of the Union of Burma is awarded in two divisions (military and civil) and each of these is split into five classes: The first class consisted of"
"Grand Order of King Tomislav The Grand Order of King Tomislav (), or officially the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star (""Velered kralja Tomislava s lentom i Velikom Danicom""), is the highest state order of Croatia. It is usually awarded to top foreign officials for their contribution to the improvement of Croatia's good standing internationally as well as achievements in developing international relations between Croatia and their respective countries. It is awarded by the President of Croatia. The order has one class. It is named after King Tomislav of Croatia. It was designed by Mladen"
"personal gift of the monarch. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry comprising five classes in civil and military divisions. It is the junior of the British orders of chivalry, and the largest, with over 100,000 living members worldwide. The highest two ranks of the order, the Knight/Dame Grand Cross and Knight/Dame Commander, admit an individual into knighthood or damehood allowing the recipient to use the title Sir or Dame. The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded for exceptional services in military nursing. The New Year Honours 1999 for New Zealand were"
"Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius The Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius is an award conferred by the Republic of Bulgaria. It has had three incarnations : The Order was established on 18 May 1909 by Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (grandfather of current formerly-King Simeon II), the first Grand Cross of this order to be awarded to the highest state officials. It consisted of one class: Grand Cross, represented by a Collar, a Sash and a Breast-star. The collar of the members is gilded-silver and alternately shows a standing, crowned lion facing left and a fleur-de-lis. The ribbon"
"of the order as well as 10 people awarded the Royal Victorian Medal. The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry comprising five classes in civil and military divisions. It is the junior of the British orders of chivalry, and the largest, with over 100,000 living members worldwide. The highest two ranks of the order, the Knight/Dame Grand Cross and Knight/Dame Commander, admit an individual into knighthood or damehood automatically allowing the recipient to use the title Sir or Dame. A Knight Commander is the second most senior grade in the Order of the British"
"Order of Muhammad The Order of Muhammad, also referred to as Order of Sovereignty (Arabic: ""Wissam al-Mohammadi"", French: ""Ordre de la Souverainete"" or ""Ordre de Mohammed""), is the highest state decoration of the Kingdom of Morocco. The Order was instituted on 16 November 1956 by King Mohammed V of Morocco, who reigned between 1955 and 1961. The Order of the Mohammedi is issued in three classes, one special and two ordinary: The ordinary classes: There is no ribbon attached to the order. The Order is only eligible for monarchs and foreign heads of state, members of the Royal Family and"
"Veža, and made by the ""Radionica primijenjenih umjetnosti"" from Zagreb. Grand Order of King Tomislav The Grand Order of King Tomislav (), or officially the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star (""Velered kralja Tomislava s lentom i Velikom Danicom""), is the highest state order of Croatia. It is usually awarded to top foreign officials for their contribution to the improvement of Croatia's good standing internationally as well as achievements in developing international relations between Croatia and their respective countries. It is awarded by the President of Croatia. The order has one class. It is named"
"exalted ones each pertain to one constituent country only. The Order of the Thistle, which pertains to Scotland, is the second-most senior in precedence. Its equivalent in England, The Most Noble Order of the Garter, is the oldest documented order of chivalry in the United Kingdom, dating to the middle fourteenth century. In 1783 an Irish equivalent, The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick, was founded, but has now fallen dormant. Claims that James VII was reviving an earlier Order is generally not supported by the evidence. The 1687 warrant states that during the 786 battle of Athelstaneford with Æthelstan"
"knighthood"" does not include the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which (although it is the only other order of chivalry recognised by the Holy See) it is internationally recognised as being itself sovereign. Of the papal orders, the highest and most infrequently awarded is the Supreme Order of Christ; the second order is the equally rare Order of the Golden Spur; the third is the Order of Pius IX; the fourth is the Order of Saint Gregory the Great; and the fifth is the Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr. Tracing its origins to the dissolution of the Knights"
"of a five-pointed white enamel gilt-edged Maltese cross with stylised green and brown enamel cedars of Lebanon between the arms on a green enamel laurel wreath suspension; the face with a central red enamel medallion inscribed in Arabic ‘Lubnan’ (Lebanon) within an inscribed gilt ring; the reverse with a circular central gilt medallion bearing the red and white enamel national flag of the Republic of Lebanon within an inscribed gilt ring. It has a diameter of 20 mm (¾ inch). National Order of the Cedar The National Order of the Cedar ( ""Wisām al-Arz al-Waṭaniy"" ) is the highest state"
"Order of St. Thomas (award) The Order of St. Thomas is the highest honorary award given by the Indian Orthodox Church and named after St. Thomas the Apostle who founded the Church in India. It is reserved for heads of states and churches and awarded by the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan, who is the primate of the Indian Orthodox Church and successor to St. Thomas the Apostle. The award is usually presented at large public gatherings held at different locations of importance to the Indian Orthodox Church within India. During the Catholicate Platinum jubilee celebratory meeting held"
"Honorary Order of the Palm The Honorary Order of the Palm (Dutch: ""Ere-Orde van de Palm"") is a military and civil state decoration of the Republic of Suriname. The Order was instituted in 1975 at the independence of Suriname and replaced the Dutch Order of Orange-Nassau. It is awarded to individuals for special service in the civil or military field. The order is also eligible for foreigners. The president of Suriname is the Grand Master of the order. The Honorary Order of the Palm has two divisions, ""civil"" and ""military"", the latter denoted by crossed swords on both the badge"
"Order of the National Flag The Order of the National Flag () is the second highest order of North Korea, after the Order of Kim Il-sung and the Order of Kim Jong-il. It is the oldest order in the country, having been established in 1948, just six weeks after the North Korean state was founded. The order is awarded to both individuals and organizations, for political, cultural or economic work. The order, which comes in three classes, is automatically conferred upon recipients of the titles of and and various . The Order of the National Flag is also awarded to"
"orange with black manes, and the central shield featuring a green enameled crocodile. Most Courteous Order of Lesotho The Most Courteous Order of Lesotho is the highest national order in the honours system of Lesotho. It was founded by King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho in 1972, in three grades. The original ribbon for the order was predominantly dark blue, with narrow edges of red and green. In 1987, the ribbon was changed to feature a lighter blue, with edges of green and edge stripes of white, mimicking the colors of the nation's flag. The badge of the order is a"
"Order of British Columbia The Order of British Columbia is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Instituted in 1989 by Lieutenant Governor David Lam, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier Bill Vander Zalm, the order is administered by the Governor-in-Council and is intended to honour current or former British Columbia residents for conspicuous achievements in any field, being thus described as the highest honour amongst all others conferred by the British Columbia Crown. The Order of British Columbia, which evolved out of and replaced the earlier Order of the Dogwood, is intended"
"original black ribbon when it became a purely Cambodian order again. Royal Order of Cambodia The Royal Order of Cambodia (; ) was a French colonial chivalric order in French Cambodia, and is still in use in the present-day Cambodia. For French appointments, the recipient had to be at least 29 years old and enter the Order first as a knight, to be promoted to a higher grade after a certain period. Only officers of the Légion d'honneur could become a commander in the Order and only commanders of the Légion d'honneur could be Commanders or Officers of the Order."