Jeremiah Richard Wasson was the first native-born American to be honored with an award of the Order of the Rising Sun

Order of the Rising Sun

The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government, created on April 10, 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun...

, a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese Order

Order (decoration)

An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...

, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji of Japan.

The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese Government. It is the second most prestigious Japanese decoration after the Order of the Chrysanthemum

Order of the Chrysanthemum

is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the collar of the Order was added on January 4, 1888. Although technically the order has only one class, it can either be awarded with collar , or with grand cordon...

. The order, a civilian and military decoration, has been awarded over four million times in any grade.

A number of others have been traditionally known as the very first non-Japanese to be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun. However, that singular honor actually belongs to U.S. Army Col. J.R. Wasson who, according to the New York Times, was given "the decoration of the Rising Sun, of the Imperial Order of Meiji, a distinction no other foreigner ever enjoyed." The Times reported that U.S. President Grant sent the colonel to Japan as a military instructor; and Wasson actually commanded Japanese troops during an 1874 punitive expedition

Punitive expedition

A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...

 against Formosa. In 1875, he was recognized by Emperor Meiji as a consequence of his conduct during this minor military campaign.

External links

• Japanese government official web site: Decorations Bureau, Order of the Rising Sun
• The Last Samurai
  The Last Samurai
  The Last Samurai is a 2003 American epic drama film directed and co-produced by Edward Zwick, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on a story by John Logan. The film was inspired by a project developed by writer and director Vincent Ward, who had previously filmed the movie in 1990, starring...
  
   -- 2003 movie, fictionalized account of a U.S. military instructor in early Meiji period
  Meiji period
  The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
  
  Japan
• Emory University historical background for The Last Samurai