Adm. Dennis Blair, commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, on Tuesday received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun for his contribution to peace and stability in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region.

The decoration was presented by Defense Agency chief Gen Nakatani at his office at the agency. Nakatani honored Blair for his contributions to regional peace as well as for his support for joint operations between U.S. forces and the Self-Defense Forces in the Indian Ocean to combat terrorism, agency officials said.

Nakatani praised the admiral's efforts regarding active multilateral military exercises in the region, which have been dedicated to peacekeeping operations, humanitarian assistance and the fight against terrorism, they said.

Nakatani also extended his appreciation to Blair for the salvage mission of the high school training vessel Ehime Maru, which sunk after being struck by the U.S. Navy submarine Greeneville off Hawaii last year, killing nine of its crew.

Blair told Nakatani that the accident was "terrible" and apologized for the "mistake" the U.S. Navy had made, according to the officials.

He also told Nakatani that a monument marking the tragedy is now under construction on a hill near the accident site and a ceremony is scheduled to be held with the attendance of both U.S. officials and victims from Ehime Prefecture. U.S. officials announced the ceremony will be held Sunday (Saturday in Honolulu) to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy.