The Cabinet Office of Japan has announced the recipients of the autumn 2025 conferment of decorations on foreign nationals.
The Embassy of Japan in Ireland said that is it “delighted” to share that it has been decided to confer upon Agnes Aylward the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays, in recognition of her work introducing Japanese culture in Ireland and contributing to friendship and goodwill between Japan and Ireland.
There are six modern classes of the Order of the Rising Sun award, with the highest being the Grand Cordon, which is generally awarded to politicians, military figures and other officials. It has been bestowed upon the likes of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, former US Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and former British Prime Minister, Sir John Mayor.
The Gold and Silver Rays is the fifth class, which is generally awarded to people in the arts or sport. Past honourees have been involved in judo, karate, sumo and wrestling, while others have been broadcasters, authors and film directors. It was also given to the US businesswoman Frances Kazuko Hashimoto, founder of the popular Japanese dessert called ‘mochi ice cream’.
Ms Aylward is the founder and chairperson of the Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens in Tramore, County Waterford. The embassy expressed its “sincere congratulations to Ms Aylward for this achievement”.
Ms Aylward offered her “sincere thanks to the dedicated team she leads and to Waterford council for its support and decision to lease the site of the gardens when the project was purely at the conceptual stage”.
It’s understood she is the first Irish woman to ever receive such an honour.
Lafcadio Hearn was an Irishman, journalist, translator, and author, who moved to Japan and became a Japanese subject in the late 19th century. There he translated Japan’s folklore to English, and wrote extensively about the Japan of his day, introducing Japan to many westerners for the first time.
Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays.
Today’s News in 90 Seconds – Monday November 3
He is perhaps the most famous Irish man in Japan, and the gardens in Tramore, where he spent much of his childhood, honour his legacy in Ireland.
The gardens opened in 2015 and have welcomed many notable guests, including a member of the Japanese imperial family, many Japanese and Irish politicians – including most recently the Taoiseach, Micheál Martin – and some of Lafcadio Hearn’s own descendants.
The gardens have also been featured on several Irish national TV and radio programmes, including Nationwide, No Place Like Home, and Neven’s Coastal Food Trails.