Embassy of Japan
Press Release
April 29, 2016

Conferral of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
upon Ambassador Constance Albanese Morella &
Conferral of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
upon Dr. Henry R. Nau

 

On April 29, 2016 (Japan Time), the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2016 Spring Imperial Decorations. Among the 91 foreign recipients are Ambassador Constance Albanese Morella, Past President of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress, and Dr. Henry R. Nau, Former Co-Director of the U.S.-Japan Legislative Exchange Program, each receiving the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star and the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon respectively. For decades, both distinguished recipients nurtured Japan-U.S. legislative exchange and contributed to deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance through the promotion of enhanced understanding of Japan in the U.S. Congress.

 

Recipients

(1) Ambassador Constance Albanese Morella

  • DECORATION: The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star
  • SERVICE: Contributed to promoting Japan-U.S. legislative exchange, and maintaining and deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance through the promotion of enhanced understanding of Japan in the U.S. Congress
  • NAME: Constance Albanese Morella
  • MAJOR TITLES:
    • Past President of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress
    • Former U.S. Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD)
    • Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

(2) Dr. Henry R. Nau

  • DECORATION: The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
  • SERVICE: Contributed to promoting legislative exchange and mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S.
  • NAME: Henry R. Nau
  • MAJOR TITLES:
    • Professor at George Washington University
    • Former Co-Director of the U.S.-Japan Legislative Exchange Program

 

SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS

(1) Ambassador Constance Albanese Morella

Ambassador Morella served in the U.S. Congress for sixteen years after being first elected in 1986. During her tenure in an increasingly polarized Congress, she was a leader in promoting bipartisanship and served as a leading moderate republican in the House. After her retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives in 2003, she was appointed as the U.S. Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) from 2003 to 2007, becoming the first female U.S. Ambassador to the OECD. On her watch as Ambasador to the OECD, she succefully enhanced cooperation between Japan and the U.S., the two largest donors of the OECD, and contributed to empowering Japan’s status on the international stage.

 

After arriving at the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress in 2008, she served as its President, starting in 2012, and took the leading role in planning roundtable discussions on Capitol Hill on the Japan-U.S. alliance and East Asia, facilitating meetings between visiting Japanese Diet members and U.S. Members of Congress, and establishing the Study Tour to Japan for both Members of Congress and Congressional staffers.

 

Currently serving as Past President of the Association, she continues to support the works of the Congressional Study Group on Japan. As one of the pioneers in women’s leadership, Ambassador Morella now speaks often in both Japan and the U.S. about the importance of empowering women in the society, echoing Japan’s recent efforts to achieve “A Society in which All Women Shine”.


(2) Dr. Henry R. Nau

Dr. Nau has been teaching at George Washington University since 1973 and currently serves as Professor of Political Science & International Affairs at the George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs.

 

On top of teaching at George Washington University, Dr. Nau was a central figure in supporting the U.S. office of the U.S.-Japan Legislative Exchange Program, one of the pillars of Japan-U.S. legislative exchange. Since the first legislative exchange in 1989, he has singlehandly undertaken the Program and as of January 2016 in the year of its 53rd exchange, over 300 Japanese Diet members and U.S. Members of Congress have participated in the Program.

 

With the conferrals for Ambassador Morella, who led the Congressional Study Group on Japan, and Dr. Nau, who fostered the U.S.-Japan Legislative Exchange Program over the decades, the Government of Japan wishes to further deepen the Japan-U.S. relationship through continuing this strong tradition of legislative exchange.

 

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