Emperor Akihito conferred this year's Order of Culture on five recipients Monday, including former U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata.
Ogata was cited for her accomplishments in politics and international relations. She attended the ceremony at the Imperial Palace on the national Culture Day holiday Monday to receive Japan's most prestigious honor in the field of culture and science, along with three others.
One of the honorees, Japanese-style painter Matazo Kayama, was absent from the ceremony due to illness.