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Mr. Frederik Schodt Awarded Order of Rising Sun |
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On Friday, June 26, 2009 Mr. Frederik L. Schodt, renowned translator of Japanese manga and author of many popular books on Japan, was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette at a conferment ceremony held at the official residence of the Consul General of Japan. The ceremony was attended by over 100 guests including the President of Tezuka Productions in Japan, local writers and translators of Japanese popular culture, and Mr. Schodt's family and friends.
In his congratulatory remarks, Consul General Yasumasa Nagamine described a few of Mr. Schodt's many accomplishments: (1) introducing Japanese manga to the United States through his excellent translations of such renowned manga artists as Osamu Tezuka, Riyoko Ikeda, Reiji Matsumoto; (2) introducing Japanese popular culture to the English speaking world through his own non-fiction works such as the seminal study of manga in English, Manga, Manga, Manga! The World of Japanese Comics; (3) assisting and promoting the activities of Japanese manga artists abroad, especially the work of Osamu Tezuka; and (4) promoting Japanese culture by helping coordinate and advise numerous events over the length of his career, such as the Tezuka exhibition at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in 2007.
The Consul General then presented the Patent of Decoration and the Order of the Rising Sun with Rosette to Mr. Schodt. In his "thank you" remarks, Mr. Schodt offered some colorful personal anecdotes from his early career working with Tezuka and acknowledged his long professional partnership with close friend and fellow translator Jared Cook. He proceeded to discuss how the popularity of manga both in Japan and the United States has changed over the years, recognizing the current trend of people in Japan not reading as much as they used to, due to the rising popularity of smart phones.
Following Mr. Schodt's remarks, Mr. Takayuki Matsutani, President of Tezuka Productions and longtime friend, added his congratulatory remarks. The ceremony was concluded by a toast proposed by Mr. Jared Cook.
| Title: |
Writer, Translator and Interpretor |
| Current Address: |
San Francisco, California |
| Type of Order: |
The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette |
| Accomplishment: |
Contributed to introduction and promotion of Japanese contemporary popular culture in the United States of America. |
For more information, please contact Vice Consul Arai at the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco. Tel: (415) 777-3533 ext. 412
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