Leiji Matsumoto Awarded Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class

In a report filed by TV Asahi, Galaxy Express 999 creator/director Leji Matsumoto has been named one of the recipients of Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun.  The decoration and honor, established in 1875, is bestowed upon those who have made a significant contribution to Japanese society and the world through their work and is the highest honor given to either a Japanese or foreign civilian national.  The specific award given to the author is The Order of The Rising Sun 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette, which was also awarded to American manga translator Frederik L. Schodt in 2009 for his work on translating the works of Osamu Tezuka into English and exposing the author’s work to a wider audience as a result.

Leiji Matsumoto is best known to anime fans for his creation of the aforementioned 1977 space operas, with Space Battleship Yamato debuting in a live-action version this December in Japan. Outside of the fanbase, he is known for the Interstella 5555 feature-length compilation film of music videos in collaboration with French House DJ/production duo Daft Punk, who have continually stated an affection for the director and his work.

[via @tweetheart4711 (Helen McCarthy) on Twitter]