The conferment ceremony for Emeritus Professor Ian Gow’s Order of the Rising Sun Award (30th July)
2021/8/12
| On 30 July, at the official residence of the Consul General of Japan in Edinburgh, a ceremony was held to confer the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon on Professor Ian Gow, Emeritus Professor at the University of Edinburgh and President of the Japan Society of Scotland, who was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun in the Spring of 2021. Professor Gow was Director of the Centre for Japanese Studies at the University of Stirling, where he established Scotland's first undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Japanese Studies. He has twice been President of the Scottish Association for Japanese Studies. In his first time in the role he was responsible for getting the fledgling organisation off the ground; while his second appointment has shown Professor Gow taking great initiative and running it tirelessly as the current President. At the ceremony, Consul General Takaoka introduced and paid tribute to Professor Gow's achievements and expressed his hope that he would contribute further to strengthening the relationship between Japan, Scotland and the UK. Following this, Professor Aaron Moore, Head of Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, delivered a congratulatory address, in addition to, further congratulations from Ambassador Seiichiro Otsuka and Dr Taeko Seki. In his reply, Professor Gow expressed his deep gratitude for the decoration and ceremony, the many congratulations, and thanked the Japan Society of Scotland and the Consulate-General of Japan for their support. Despite having to limit the number of guests in accordance with current Scottish Government guidance on Coronavirus, the day was blessed with good weather and those present were able to celebrate Professor Gow's decoration outside in the Consul General’s garden and catch up with Japanese participants connected online for the first time in decades. For the Consul General’s full speech at the ceremony, please click here. For more information on recipients of awards in spring 2021, please click here (Japanese text). https://www8.cao.go.jp/shokun/hatsurei/r03haru/meibo_gaikokujinjokun.html |
