Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, on 20 February, a ceremony was held in Tashkent to award the Chairman of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan Akmal Nuridinov with the Imperial Order of Japan.

The “Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon” was presented to the famous artist by the Ambassador of Japan to Uzbekistan Hatori Takashi.

“The Order of the Rising Sun is awarded only to people who have achieved outstanding success. Today I present this order to the Chairman Nuridinov in recognition of his significant long-term contribution to the popularization of Japanese culture in Uzbekistan and the development of cultural exchange between the two countries over the years. It is my great honor and pleasure to present the “Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays with Neck Ribbon,” said Hatori Takashi.

In turn, Akmal Nuridinov emphasized that Uzbekistan and Japan are firmly connected by friendship and productive cooperation based on mutual respect and trust.

“Our relations in the cultural and humanitarian sphere are of particular importance. The cultural and educational identity of Japan harmoniously resonates with the historical and modern life of Uzbekistan. In this regard, in recent years our cooperation in the field of culture and art has been developing consistently and productively. It has become a tradition to carry out various projects between representatives of the fine arts and artists of both countries,” noted the chairman of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan.

As noted during the ceremony, the Ikuo Hirayama International Caravanserai of Culture of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan is successfully operating in the country, which serves as a connecting bridge of mutual exchange in the field of art and culture of the two countries. Various creative projects are held here, and there is an exchange of opinions between artists and folk craftsmen, which serves to bring the peoples of the two countries closer together.

Traditional exhibitions and master classes, such as “Days of Japanese Culture”, exhibitions “Japanese Kimono”, “Ikebana”, “Japanese Dolls” and others, arouse significant interest in Japanese culture and art among Uzbek viewers. In recent years, their number has increased significantly.

The Academy of Arts of the Republic of Uzbekistan provided comprehensive support for such events as exhibitions: traditional Japanese cuisine and food samples, Japanese monochrome sumi-e ink painting, Japanese bonsai trees, which attracted a large number of visitors.
 
Japanese artists regularly participate in international biennials of applied and contemporary art, held on the initiative of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan.

As Akmal Nuridinov noted, this high award will serve as a catalyst in the implementation of subsequent plans to bring relations between Uzbekistan and Japan in the field of culture to a qualitatively new level.