The government will award a medal to a woman who died this week while rescuing an elderly man on a Yokohama railway crossing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Friday.
Further, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will present a letter commending Natsue Murata, Suga told a regular news conference. Murata, 40, died while rescuing the man, 74, who was lying on the tracks at the crossing.
Abe's government will bestow on Murata the Medal with Red Ribbon, which is awarded to those demonstrating extraordinary courage to save other people's lives, Suga said at a news conference.
Separately, the National Police Agency has also decided to honor Murata.
"In times like these, when people don't pay much attention to others, we need to remember her. She braved all danger to her life to save someone else," Suga said.
Suga said he will personally take Abe's letter to Murata's family on Sunday. The government will also present the family with the Silver Cup to commend Murata's courageous action.
The incident occurred Tuesday morning on the JR Yokohama Line in Midori Ward. Murata noticed the man lying face down on the tracks while the car her father was driving was waiting at the crossing. She was hit by the train after jumping out and dragging the man off the tracks.