2021 Autumn Conferment of Decorations
2021/11/3
On November 3, 2021 (Japan Time), the Government of Japan announced the recipients of the 2021 Autumn Conferment of Japanese Decorations.
Within the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, Dr. Alan Jeffrey Auerbach and Mr. Richard Makoto Hashimoto have been selected for recognition.
Within the jurisdiction of the Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco, Dr. Alan Jeffrey Auerbach and Mr. Richard Makoto Hashimoto have been selected for recognition.
| Name (Age): | Alan Jeffrey Auerbach (70) |
| Decoration: | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon |
| Service: | Contributed to promoting academic exchanges and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States |
| Major Titles: | Robert D. Burch Professor of Economics and Law, Department of Economics and School of Law, University of California, Berkeley Research Associate, National Bureau of Economic Research |
| Address: | Berkeley, California (U.S.A.) |
Summary of Contributions:
Professor Alan Jeffrey Auerbach has made many contributions in the field of public finance and has written many papers that have contributed to the study of economics and economic policy in Japan through his deep academic knowledge. He has also contributed to the planning and management of international conferences where Japanese economists and economic policy planners interact with U.S. economists for many years, thereby contributing to the promotion of academic exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States.
| Name (Age): | Richard Makoto Hashimoto (63) |
| Decoration: | Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays |
| Service: | Contributed to introducing Japanese culture in the United States and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States |
| Major Titles: | Former Co-Chair, Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival President, Japantown Merchants Association of San Francisco |
| Address: | Vallejo, California (U.S.A.) |
Summary of Contributions:
From 2006 through 2017, Mr. Hashimoto served ten times as a Co-Chair for the Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival. This annual community-based festival was first held in 1968 in San Francisco’s Japantown and promotes Japanese culture and friendship between Japan and the United States to audiences of over 200,000 in recent years.For 20 years, Mr. Hashimoto has served as the President of the Japantown Merchants Association of San Francisco (JMA), a not for profit business organization established in 1972. JMA promotes and markets commerce in San Francisco’s Japantown, including the promotion of Japanese and Japanese American culture through the hosting and support of events and festivals held throughout the year.