Ambassador of Japan Gives CIS Board Member the Order of the Rising Sun

July 2, 2019

Embassy of Japan

On July 2, 2019, the Ambassador of Japan, Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, honored CIS Board Member Christopher M.E. Painter by giving him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, for Painter’s work promoting cooperation on cybersecurity between Japan and the United States. The ceremony took place at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C.

Painter has been on the vanguard of cyber issues for more than twenty-five years. He served as the Coordinator for Cyber Issues at the U.S. Department of State from 2011 to 2017. As the Coordinator for Cyber Issues, Painter played an important role in promoting cybersecurity cooperation between Japan and the United States, including establishing the Japan-U.S. Cyber Dialogue and contributing to the adoption of the G7 Principles and Actions on Cyber at the Ise-Shima Summit in 2016.

He also served as the Commissioner of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. The Commission helped promote mutual awareness and understanding among the various cyberspace communities working on issues related to international cybersecurity.

The Order of the Rising Sun, established in 1875, was Japan’s first national award. It features rays of sunlight radiating from the rising sun. The attachments are shaped into paulownia leaves. Past recipients have been recognized for their achievements in international relations, Japanese culture, advancements in their respective fields, and development in welfare or preservation of the environment.

The Government of Japan first announced the foreign recipients of the 2018 Autumn Imperial Decorations on November 3, 2018.