Embassy of Japan
Press Release
April 29, 2018

2018 Spring Conferment of Decoration
Senator Bob Corker

 

On April 29, 2018 (Japan time), the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2018 Spring Imperial Decorations. Among the foreign recipients is U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who will receive the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun in recognition of his significant contributions to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting friendship between Japan and the United States.

  • DECORATION: Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun
  • SERVICE: Contributed to strengthening bilateral relations and promoting friendship between Japan and the United States
  • NAME: Bob Corker
  • MAJOR TITLES:
    • Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
    • U.S. Senator from Tennessee
  • ADDRESS (NATIONALITY): Washington, D.C. (USA)

 

SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS

 

Senator Corker, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, has been chairing the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee since 2015. Last September, he announced that he will not to seek re-election and will retire at the end of this Congress in January 2019.

 

Senator Corker has reiterated the importance of the Japan–U.S. alliance since being elected to the U.S. Senate and contributed to the deepening of the U.S. Congress’ understanding on Japan. Most notably, he introduced and led the effort for the unanimous passage of a resolution recognizing the importance of the Japan-U.S. relationship (S.Res.153) prior to Prime Minister Abe’s historic address to a Joint Meeting of the U.S. Congress, the first Japanese Prime Minister to do so, in April 2015. As Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has led the debate on North Korea and repeatedly emphasized the importance of close cooperation with Japan.

 

Senator Corker also has deep understanding of Japanese companies’ contributions to Tennessee’s economy as well as to the entire American economy. He has long supported Japanese companies’ activities in the U.S. and recognized their contributions publicly, promoting a better understanding of Japan at the grassroots level.

 

The Government of Japan sincerely hopes that the conferral of the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun on Senator Corker, a leading voice on U.S. foreign policy in the U.S. Congress, will lead to further development and deepening of the Japan-U.S. relationship.

 

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