X Japan's Yoshiki receives prestigious Japanese Medal Of Honor

Mar 12, 2021 | News On Japan

Mar 12, 2021 (blabbermouth.net) - The Japanese government has announced that X JAPAN's Yoshiki has been awarded the prestigious Medal Of Honor for his numerous charitable works, including his support and donations to frontline medical professionals during the COVID-19 crisis.

Yoshiki received the Medal with the Dark Blue Ribbon, which is awarded to individuals who have made exceptionally generous financial contributions to the national government, local governments, and public entities.

Yoshiki commented: "I am very honored to receive the Medal Of Honor. I hope to continue supporting these efforts in the future. I would be grateful if the circle of charity would expand further through these activities. Thank you very much."

Last April, Yoshiki donated 10 million yen (approximately $100,000) to Japan's National Center for Global Health and Medicine through his 501(c)(3) non-profit organization Yoshiki Foundation America. The Center researches infectious and autoimmune diseases, including COVID-19.

Yoshiki's swift action to support medical personnel fighting on the front lines inspired other celebrities, who moved to make their own donations to aid the collective national effort.

Yoshiki also donated $100,000 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund in the U.S. established by The Recording Academy/Grammys and its charitable foundation MusiCares to help music artists and professionals affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Also in 2020, Yoshiki donated 10 million yen to the Japanese Red Cross Society in commemoration of the ninth anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and donated a total of $24,000 to Meals on Wheels branches across Los Angeles for seniors affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

He has supported numerous other humanitarian causes around the world, including donating $100,000 to disaster relief for Hurricane Harvey victims in Texas in 2017.

In recognition of his active influence and philanthropy, he was selected as one of Forbes Asia's 30 Heroes of Philanthropy in 2019.

Record Rain Triggers Level 5 Warning in Fukui

Record rainfall caused 19 rivers to overflow across Fukui Prefecture, flooding roads and homes, triggering landslides and temporarily forcing authorities to issue the highest-level heavy rain emergency warning from early Sunday morning.

Drones Deliver Supplies to Residents Cut Off by Landslide

Drones were used to deliver food and daily necessities to an isolated mountain community in Himi City, Toyama Prefecture, on August 30 after torrential rain triggered a landslide that cut off road access, while volunteers continued flood recovery work in neighboring Ishikawa Prefecture.

Typhoon No. 23 Overtakes No. 22 East of Japan as Both Head North

Two typhoons east of Japan were moving northward on August 30, with Typhoon No. 23 (Banlan) overtaking Typhoon No. 22 (Artau), although neither storm is expected to have a direct impact on Japan.

Nine-Minute Drone Video Shows Scale of Aeon Mall Damage

A 9-minute, 13-second drone video filmed inside Aeon Mall Kumamoto two days after the deadly explosion has provided a detailed view of the destruction, showing collapsed ceilings, heavy dust and widespread damage that may have affected between one-third and nearly half of the shopping center.

Conditions Ease as Typhoon No. 18 Passes Okinawa

Strong Typhoon No. 18 was moving northwest through the East China Sea on the night of August 26, gradually pulling away from Okinawa and the Amami Islands as lingering rain, strong winds and high waves were expected to ease. As of 9 p.m. on August 26, the typhoon was over waters north-northwest of Kume Island and moving northwest.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Three Students Swept Out to Sea in Kagoshima

Three teenage boys who went missing after being swept offshore from the coast of Ichikikushikino, Kagoshima Prefecture, on August 28 were found in the sea near the scene on August 29 and confirmed dead.

Foreign Cyclist Suffers Broken Shoulder in Shiga Hit-and-Run

A foreign man in his 30s suffered serious injuries after being struck by a car while riding a bicycle in Higashiomi, Shiga Prefecture, early on August 29, with police investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Bread Dumping Mystery Takes a Twist

A fake video apparently created with generative AI showing a large bear eating piles of sliced bread has spread on social media following a series of illegal bread dumping incidents in Tottori Prefecture, prompting the prefectural government to warn that misinformation could cause economic harm.

Teens Arrested for Spraying Fire Extinguishers at Police Station

Three youths, including a high school student and a junior high school student, have been arrested on suspicion of obstructing police duties after allegedly stealing fire extinguishers and spraying them toward a police station in Kasugai, Aichi Prefecture.

Avant-Garde Artist Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97

Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese avant-garde artist whose obsessive dots, nets, pumpkins and mirrored rooms grew from intensely personal visions into some of the most recognizable images in contemporary art, died at a hospital in Tokyo on August 14, 2026, at the age of 97. Her death was announced on August 27 by companies representing the artist, which said she continued painting until her final days.

Bus Driver Crashes While Shooing Away Mosquito

A Toei bus crashed into a traffic signal in Tokyo's Edogawa Ward on the morning of August 26 after the driver lost control of the steering wheel while trying to shoo away a mosquito, leaving two male passengers injured.

Don't Touch Paramedics' Shoes! Kanazawa Warns

Kanazawa's fire department is asking residents not to straighten or rearrange shoes removed by paramedics during emergency calls, warning that the well-intentioned gesture can delay the transport of patients by around 30 seconds and potentially interfere with medical care.

Luxury Watch Theft Carried Out in 10 Seconds

Two men who stole four luxury watches worth a combined 200 million yen from a store at Tokyo's Nakano Broadway may have carefully planned the 10-second theft, with one suspect renting an electric kick scooter shortly before the crime and investigators examining whether the other man's escape on foot was intended as a decoy.

< 2 3 4 5 >