Order of the Precious Crown
Encyclopedia
The Order of the Precious Crown (宝冠章 hōkan shō) is a Japan
ese order
, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Originally the order had five classes, but on April 13, 1896 the sixth, seventh and eighth classes were added.
This Order is conventionally reserved for female recipients; however, men have occasionally been accorded this honor. More often, men have been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
rather than the Order of the Precious Crown. In 1917, medals of the Order of the Crown were bestowed upon twenty-nine Americans who participated in the Russo-Japanese War
. This unusual list of honorees was composed of ten women volunteer nurses and nineteen correspondents of American newspapers.
The first class honor has been typically conferred to female royalty. As originally conceived, the order consisted of eight classes. Unlike its Europe
an counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
The badge of the order is a gold oval medallion, with floral designs at its four ends; at the centre is an ancient Japanese crown on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring. It is suspended from a smaller badge, its design varies according to class, on a ribbon in yellow with red stripes near the borders, as a sash on the right shoulder for the 1st class, as a bow on the left shoulder for the other classes.
The star of the order, which is worn only by the first class, has five arms studded with pearl
, with floral designs between the arms. The central disc features a Ho-o or phoenix on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring.
The medal for the 6th and 7th classes are golden bronze. The face presents the crossed flags of Japan and the Emperor, both of which are surmounted by the Rising Sun. The obverse presents a conventonal monumental shaft, which is flanked by a branch of laurel and a branch of palm.
, previously reserved for males, were made available to women as well. This means the Order of the Precious Crown will hereafter be conferred only on foreign female dignitaries. One example of a European counterpart is the Royal Victorian Order
.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese order
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Originally the order had five classes, but on April 13, 1896 the sixth, seventh and eighth classes were added.
This Order is conventionally reserved for female recipients; however, men have occasionally been accorded this honor. More often, men have been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun
Order of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
rather than the Order of the Precious Crown. In 1917, medals of the Order of the Crown were bestowed upon twenty-nine Americans who participated in the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
. This unusual list of honorees was composed of ten women volunteer nurses and nineteen correspondents of American newspapers.
The first class honor has been typically conferred to female royalty. As originally conceived, the order consisted of eight classes. Unlike its Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
The badge of the order is a gold oval medallion, with floral designs at its four ends; at the centre is an ancient Japanese crown on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring. It is suspended from a smaller badge, its design varies according to class, on a ribbon in yellow with red stripes near the borders, as a sash on the right shoulder for the 1st class, as a bow on the left shoulder for the other classes.
The star of the order, which is worn only by the first class, has five arms studded with pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
, with floral designs between the arms. The central disc features a Ho-o or phoenix on a blue background, surrounded by a red ring.
The medal for the 6th and 7th classes are golden bronze. The face presents the crossed flags of Japan and the Emperor, both of which are surmounted by the Rising Sun. The obverse presents a conventonal monumental shaft, which is flanked by a branch of laurel and a branch of palm.
2003 reform
In 2003 the Order of the Rising SunOrder of the Rising Sun
The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...
, previously reserved for males, were made available to women as well. This means the Order of the Precious Crown will hereafter be conferred only on foreign female dignitaries. One example of a European counterpart is the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
.
First Class, Grand Cordon
- Farah PahlaviFarah PahlaviFarah Pahlavi is the former Queen and Empress of Iran. She is the widow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, and only Empress of modern Iran...
, Empress of Iran - Queen Paola of BelgiumQueen Paola of BelgiumPaola, Queen of the Belgians , is the queen consort of Albert II of Belgium....
- Queen Sirikit of ThailandSirikitSomdet Phra Nang Chao Sirikit Phra Borommarachininat , is the queen consort of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. She is the second Queen Regent of Thailand...
- Queen Sofia of SpainQueen Sofía of SpainQueen Sofía of Spain is the wife of King Juan Carlos I of Spain.-Early life and family:Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark was born in Psychiko, Athens, Greece on 2 November 1938, the eldest child of the King Paul of Greece and his wife, Queen Frederika , a former princess of Hanover...
- Tuanku Fauziah Queen of MalaysiaRaja Permaisuri AgongRaja Permaisuri Agong, or in full, Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong, is the title given to the Queen of Malaysia, consort of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.The holders of this office have been:...
- Princess Srinagarindra of ThailandSrinagarindraSrinagarindra was a member of the Thai Royal Family and was a member of House of Mahidol, which is descended from Chakri Dynasty, originated by Prince Mahidol Adulyadej, the Prince of Songkla, son of King Chulalongkorn...
- Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand
- Anne, Princess RoyalAnne, Princess RoyalPrincess Anne, Princess Royal , is the only daughter of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
- Princess Margaret, Countess of SnowdonPrincess Margaret, Countess of SnowdonPrincess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II and the younger daughter of King George VI....
- Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of NorwayMette-Marit, Crown Princess of NorwayMette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway , is the wife of Crown Prince Haakon of Norway.-Background and education:...
Third Class
- Joyce AckroydJoyce AckroydJoyce Irene Ackroyd was an Australian academic, translator, author and editor. She was a scholar of Japanese language and literature.-Early life:...
, –1991. - Eleanor JordenEleanor JordenEleanor Harz Jorden was an American linguistics scholar and an influential Japanese language educator and expert. Born Eleanor Harz, she married William Jorden, reporter and diplomat; the marriage ended in divorce....
, 1920–2009. - Elizabeth Gray ViningElizabeth Gray ViningElizabeth Janet Gray Vining , born Elizabeth Janet Gray and also known as Elizabeth Gray Vining, was a professional librarian who tutored Emperor Akihito of Japan in English while he was the crown prince...
, 1902–1999.
Seventh Class
- Richard Harding DavisRichard Harding DavisRichard Harding Davis was a journalist and writer of fiction and drama, known foremost as the first American war correspondent to cover the Spanish-American War, the Second Boer War, and the First World War. His writing greatly assisted the political career of Theodore Roosevelt and he also played...
, Collier's Weekly. - John Fox, Jr.John Fox, Jr.John Fox, Jr. was an American journalist, novelist, and short story writer.-Biography:Born in Stony Point, Bourbon County, Kentucky, to John William Fox, Sr., and Minerva Worth Carr, Fox studied English at Harvard University. He graduated in 1883 before becoming a reporter in New York City...
, Scribner's MagazineScribner's MagazineScribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
. - George KennanGeorge Kennan (explorer)George Kennan was an American explorer noted for his travels in the Kamchatka and Caucasus regions of the Russian Empire. He was a cousin twice removed of diplomat and historian George F. Kennan, with whom he shared his birthday....
, The OutlookThe Outlook (New York)The Outlook was a weekly magazine, published in New York City.-History:In 1900, the ranking weekly journals of news and opinion were The Independent , The Nation , the Outlook , and in a different class or with a different emphasis, The Literary Digest .-Notable contributors:*Theodore Roosevelt...
. - Jack LondonJack LondonJohn Griffith "Jack" London was an American author, journalist, and social activist. He was a pioneer in the then-burgeoning world of commercial magazine fiction and was one of the first fiction writers to obtain worldwide celebrity and a large fortune from his fiction alone...
, HearstHearst CorporationThe Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
papers. - Frederick PalmerFrederick Palmer (journalist)Frederick Palmer was an American journalist and writer.Born in Pleasantville, Pennsylvania, Palmer attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania....
, Collier's WeeklyCollier's WeeklyCollier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
. - James RicaltonJames RicaltonJames Ricalton was a school teacher, traveler, inventor, and photographer. Ricalton travelled extensively and he circumnavigated the world seven times. -Maplewood:...
, Travel Magazine. - Grant WallaceGrant WallaceGrant Wallace was an American journalist, artist, screenwriter, and occultist.- Early life :Grant Wallace was born on February 10, 1867, in Hopkins, Missouri, the son of a judge. His education included a B.S...
, San Francisco Bulletin.
External links
- Japan, Cabinet Office: Decorations and Medals -- Order of the Precious Crown unmentioned in current schemaSchemaThe word schema comes from the Greek word "σχήμα" , which means shape, or more generally, plan. The plural is "σχήματα"...
of honors- Decoration Bureau: Order of the Precious Crown
- Japan MintJapan MintThe is an Incorporated Administrative Agency of the Japanese government. This agency has its Head office in Osaka with branches in Tokyo and Hiroshima.-History:...
: Production Process